Can We Survive? Using a Driving Question to Frame a Project Based Science Professional Development Experience Presented by: Charlene M. Czerniak, Professor Lacey Strickler, Doctoral Student

Inquiry Masters Program for Advancing Content for Teachers Funded by the United States Department of Education

Goals of IMPACT Increase the number of high quality science teachers in Toledo Public Schools and the Toledo area by adding 20 science teachers with a MS in Biology degree. Maintain a minimum of 90% retention of participants. 100% of program completers will remain as science teachers in TPS or other high needs schools for at least two years after degree completion. Improve student academic achievement in science in IMPACT classrooms. Increase the number of secondary school students enrolled in upper level science courses by 20% in the schools where participants teach. Increase the number of secondary school students who plan to pursue postsecondary education in a science-related field by 15% in the classes taught by IMPACT teachers.

IMPACT Coursework EEES 6606 Lab and Field Methods Field Ecology EEES 6607 Data Mgt & Interpretation EEES 6600 Foundations of Ecology EEES 6930 Ecology Seminar : Intro to Grad. Studies CI 5890 Project Based Science EEES 5750 Conservation Biology Patterns in Biodiversity: Lab & Field Ecological Theory EEES 6400 Biostatistics EEES 5250 Soil Ecology Independent Study Master’s Project

Project Based Science (PBS) Project-Based Science organizes science class around a driving question. Everything the class does is focused on answering that question: investigations, computer work, library research, class discussions, and student-designed experiments Krajcik, J., & Czerniak, C. M. (2007). Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Toledo: The Last City Is it sustainable?

Sustaining Life: The Basics Water: potable supplies Food: production and transport Fuel: climate control and transport Disease & contaminants: environmental controls

Your School’s Biogas How much organic waste is produced at your school? – Food, paper and feces (chewing gum)? How efficient is biogas generation? – Classroom experiment What are the benefits? – Cost of disposal and cost of energy equivalent

A Bioreactor

More Experiments Vermicomposting – Organic waste reduction – Nutrient mineralization – Pathogen reduction – Faster than microorganisms

Experiments 1&2 Experiment 1: effects of leaves on worms – 4 cups, basic setup plus dried oak leaves Add oak leaves and weigh BEFORE wetting paper – 4 cups without oak leaves Experiment: effects of worms on coliforms – 4 cups, basic setup plus 2 ml sludge No worms – 4 cups, as above but with worms

Experiment 3 Not intended: effects of sludge on worms – 4 cups from experiment 1 With worms Without leaves – 4 cups from experiment 2 With worms With sludge

Results: Experiment 1 One-Way ANOVA (or t-tests) showed that – Fewer worms stayed in the oak leaf treatment 0.05 < P ≤ 0.09 – Leaves had no effect on total worm weight P ≤ – Leaves had no effect on average worm weight P ≤ – Litter and/or paper loss per worm·day differed P ≤ (greater with leaves present)

Results: Experiment 2 TreatmentMass Loss%Std Worms No Worms No effect of worms on % mass loss of paper (P ≤ ) Unfortunately, coliform test strips were expired!

Results: Experiment 3 One-Way ANOVA (or t-tests) showed that – Fewer worms stayed in the sludge treatment P ≤ – Total worm weight was less in sludge P ≤ – Average worm weight did not differ P ≤ – Paper weight loss per worm·day didn’t differ P ≤

Michelle, Lisa, and Mary Lynn’s PBS Unit Driving Question: Would you go swimming in Shanty Creek? Sub Questions: 1. What is in the water? a. Quality Testing b. Living Organism 2. How does it get in there? a. What are watersheds b. Identify Local Systems

Student’s working on PBS unit

FIELD CLASS JUNE 2010 Local “Hot Button” Issue Web Search “Bay Shore Power Plant, Ohio” – Over 283,000 hits – First 4 hits:

Summer Field Class Objectives Scientific: examine patterns of biodiversity in aquatic benthic communities Ecological context: near-shore benthic environment of Lake Erie (preferred) Anthropogenic context: within the thermal plume of Bay Shore power plant Hypothesis: structure of communities and growth of organisms respond to heat

Thermal Plume: 9 September 2002 Plant Outflow Dredging Containment Public Launch LEC Maumee Bay State Park Little Cedar Point

Plant Outflow Dredging Containment Public Launch LEC Maumee Bay State Park Little Cedar Point

Task: Sampling Benthos Ponar grab lowered from pontoon boat to the sediment surface and retrieved Grab materials are collected in a tub Water added and contents gently agitated until the slurry is free of sediment lumps Slurry is poured through sieve bucket and sample washed with water until clean Sample placed in bag, labeled and EtOH added

Substrate Analysis Fine materials lost in washing Coarse sediment analysis – Total weight – Weights by size Remove live invertebrates and place in pre-weighed paper bag, weigh, label and put in drying oven Reweigh next day and weigh by sizes (use screens)

Results: Coarse Sediments

Results Current from outflow sorts sediments – Reduces fine sediments – Increases coarse sediments – Increases rocks Coarse sediment analysis – Mostly shells & fragments – Asian clams within warmer waters (<1000m) – Native unionids in fine AND COARSE sediments Unexpected result

Project Results to Date

A Useful Article

For more information: Dr. Daryl Moorhead Dr. Charlene M. Czerniak