Using Climate Change to Address the NGSS in Classroom Teaching: How TERC can Help

Tamara Shapiro LedleyTERC and CLEAN

Presentation for the Council of State Science Supervisors April 8, 2013

Why use climate change to help your students reach the bar set by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)?

How can TERC help

How did climate change get incorporated into the Framework?

Initial drafts drew heavily on the 4 literacy documents – climate appears in all of them Ocean, Climate, Atmospheric Science, Earth Science In Earth Science – Climate is used as the ultimate example of

Earth systems During construction – emphasis on what was most

important Climate change and anthropogenic forcings on climate at top

of list Additional justification from large number of NRC

documents expounding on importance of climate change

How did climate change get incorporated into the NGSS?

In writing the standards large emphasis placed on Human-related content Incorporating aspects of engineering

Climate is a great vehicle for both of these Once clear that there would be an emphasis on

Earth system science at the high school level– Climate change perfect capstone topic as it integrates

everything– In emphasizing an Earth system science approach – no

better choice than climate change

Framework and NGSS3 Integrated Dimensions

Science and Engineering Practices Crosscutting Concepts Core Disciplinary Ideas– Physical Sciences– Life Sciences– Earth & Space Sciences– Engineering, Technology, and Applications of

Science

Science & EngineeringPractices - S&EP

Asking questions & defining problems Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations and designing solutions Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating

information

Crosscutting Concepts - CC

Patterns Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation Scale, proportion, and quantity Systems and system models Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and

conservation Structure and function Stability and Change

Interdisciplinarity & Transferability

Learning progressions described in Framework – climate is imbedded from K-12 in all domains of science – not just specific domains

S&EP and CC not only cut across all of the Core Disciplinary Ideas they are also relevant in many other disciplines – outside the sciences

The skills students gain by having their curriculum address the S&EP and CC are transferable to many other careers

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitmenthttp://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/

665 signatories – find out which colleges and universities in your state have joined - http://rs.acupcc.org/

Preparation of your students to be successful in college – other students and faculty will be addressing this issue

Relevant to students regardless of their interests and eventual college and professional careers.

How Can TERC Help?

• Earth Exploration Toolbook• EarthLabs• Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness

Network (CLEAN)

http://serc.carleton.edu/eet

• 43 online activities that provide step-by-step instructions for– Accessing an online scientific dataset(s)– Accessing and installing an analysis tool– Conducting an analysis on some scientific concepts or issue

with that dataset• Addresses NGSS Science & Engineering Practices and

Crosscutting Concepts• Won Science Magazine’s Science Prize for Online

Resource in Education (SPORE Award) – Sept 2011

Teachers Guide: http://serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs Students Portal: http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs

• Laboratory Modules in Earth science – Each module has 5-9 labs, ~3 weeks long– Comprises the laboratory component of a High School capstone course

in Earth and Space science– Developing a teacher training other teachers modle for professional

development on integrating in the classroom

• Module Topics– Cryosphere and Climate - Hurricanes– Climate and the Carbon Cycle - Drought– Weather, Climate and the Biosphere - Corals– Earth System Science - Fisheries

• Addresses NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts

National Science Digital Library’sClimate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network

http://cleanet.org

CLEAN Portal

CLEAN Collection - Identifying and vetting a collection of >510 excellent teaching resources on climate and energy science – Grades 6-16 Learning Activities Visualizations Videos Short Demonstrations/Experiments

Teaching Climate and Energy Science Pages CLEAN Community

CLEAN Network (formerly Climate Literacy Network) Educators & Resource Developers Partner Networks

http://cleanet.org/

CLEAN Collection

Resources selected to address Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science Energy Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for

Energy Education

Resources reviewed Scientific Accuracy Pedagogical Effectiveness Technical Quality/Ease of Use

Resources aligned with AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy National Science Education Standards to be replaced with NGSS NAAEE Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines for Learning

http://cleanet.org/clean/educational _resources

CLEAN Teaching Climate & Energy Science Pages

Pages are built off of the original climate literacy and energy literacy frameworks.

Provide summaries of each principle, possible challenges for educators, suggested pedagogic approaches for each grade level

Points to relevant teaching materials from the CLEAN collection.

http://cleanet.org/clean/literacy

CLEAN Community

• CLEAN Network (formerly Climate Literacy Network) – Includes individuals that represent a wide range of professionals and citizens who are

stakeholders in improving climate and energy literacy – Active listserv – climateliteracynetwork@list.terc.edu– Weekly Teleconferences – Tuesday 1pm ET

• Educators – – CLEAN Announcements listserv– Access to CLEAN Network

• Resource Developers– Information about CLEAN Review Process– Collection Gap Analysis– Access to CLEAN Network

• Partners – – Connection to CLEAN resources through CLEAN Widget, Syndication, and direct links.– Access to CLEAN Network

• CLEAN Facebook Page http://www.facebook.org/CLEANET

http://cleanet.org/clean/community

CLEAN Portal – http://cleanet.org Earth Exploration Toolbook – http://serc.carleton.edu/eet EarthLabs –

Teachers Guide:http://serc.carleton.edu/earthalabs Student Portal:http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs

Contact: Tamara Ledley Center for Science Teaching and Learning TERC, 2067 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02492 Tamara_Ledley@terc.edu 617-873-9658