Teaching Experiments and a Carbon Cycle Learning Progression Lindsey Mohan & Andy Anderson Michigan State University

Carbon Cycle LP Carbon Cycle Learning Progression Framework Discourse Knowledge Practice

Carbon Cycle LP Carbon Cycle Learning Progression Framework Discourse Level 1: Force-Dynamic Carbon Cycle LP Level 4: Principles Knowledge Practice

Carbon Cycle LP Carbon Cycle Learning Progression Framework Discourse Level 1: Actors and events Knowledge Level 4: Processes that generate, transform, and oxidize organic carbon Practice

Lower and Upper Anchor Knowledge

Carbon Cycle LP Carbon Cycle Learning Progression Framework Discourse Knowledge Inquiry: Investigating Practice Accounts: Explaining, Predicting Citizenship: Decision-Making

Units of Analysis Learning Performances: the characteristics of students who are at a particular Level of Achievement and reasoning about a particular practice, process, and principle.

Accounts of processes: Units of Analysis Learning Performances: the specific practices characteristic of students who are at a particular Level of Achievement and reasoning about a particular practice, process, and principle. Accounts of processes: Example: Explanation of matter during photosynthesis

Current “Structure-First” Learning Progression Level 4: Principled Accounts of Processes in a Hierarchy of Scales (successful constraints) Level 3: Detailed narratives with unsuccessful constraints Level 2: Hidden mechanisms about events Level 1: Macroscopic Force-Dynamic Narratives about Actors and Events

Desired “Principles-First” Learning Progression Level 4: Principled Accounts of Processes in a Hierarchy of Scales (successful constraints) Level 3: Detailed narratives with unsuccessful constraints Level 3: Principled accounts at molecular scale w/ few chemical details Level 2: Hidden mechanisms about events Level 2: Successful conservation at macroscopic scale Level 1: Macroscopic Force-Dynamic Narratives about Actors and Events

Aspects of Starting Knowledge Level 1 Visible Event Accomplished by Actors With Powers or Abilities Trying to achieve Purposes Needs or Enablers Results: Achieving Purpose

Aspects of Starting Knowledge Level 4 Process Occurs in Systems Hierarchically Organized by Scales Follows Principles: Conservation of matter Conservation of energy Energy Input Matter Input Matter Output Energy Output

Aspects of Starting Knowledge Characteristics from levels Level 1: Enablers that actors need to achieve their goals (include materials, energy forms, and conditions) Level 2: Gas-gas and solid-solid cycles; macroscopic energy forms (light, heat, motion) Level 3: Atoms, molecules, chemical change, cellular processes, etc

Using Starting Knowledge to Set Goals Enablers/Inputs Actors/Systems Purpose/Products Level 1: Current Elementary Starting Point Needs or enablers Abilities or powers of actors; settings for events Achieving purpose or goals of actors New Level 2: Goal for Elementary Different kinds of enablers: solids, liquids, gases, energy forms, conditions Internal structure of actors Material and energy products (gas-gas cycles, body structure, etc) New Level 3: Goal for Middle Material inputs without all chemical identities; chemical energy Movement of materials at multiple scales Change matter and energy obeying conservation laws Level 4: Goal for High Material inputs with chemical identities; Energy inputs Movement of atoms in hierarchy of systems Material products, energy products, energy degradation

Tools for Reasoning: Principles Conservation of Matter (Atoms, Mass) Conservation of Energy Energy Degradation Hierarchy of Scales

Tools for Principles: Matter, Energy, & Scale Process Tool

Flames 0.1m

One flame 20mm

Parts of the flame 2mm

Molecules inside flame 50nm

Click pink square to see animation Atom re-arrangement in combustion Click pink square to see animation

Thank You! http://edr1.educ.msu.edu/EnvironmentalLit/index.htm