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Sheryl MebaneUC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education

Daniel Quach Berkeley High School

North American Association for Environmental Education’s 35th Annual Conference

October 14, 2006

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Chemistry Literacy Literature Review

Premise: Science education and environmental challenges can be met through synergy.

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NAAEE,Tran, Hungerford, Lieberman; Anderson; Payne, Steele, Ladson-Billings, Barton

Core Traditions

Environmental Education • InterdisciplinaryScience Education Context • Meaningful science learning may close achievement gaps.Education and Equity • Progressive theories better direct research toward achieving equity. • Power dynamics matter.

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NAAEE,Tran, Hungerford, Lieberman; Anderson; Payne, Steele, Ladson-Billings, Barton

Anastas, Poliakoff, Woodhouse

Core Traditions

Environmental Education • InterdisciplinaryScience Education Context • Meaningful science learning may close achievement gaps.Education and Equity • Progressive theories better direct research toward achieving equity. • Power dynamics matter.

Green and Environmental Chemistry Research • Disseminate principles through shared goals and real-world problem-solving.

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NAAEE,Tran, Hungerford, Lieberman; Anderson; Payne, Steele, Ladson-Billings, Barton

Anastas, Poliakoff, Woodhouse

Bailey; Schiele; Patton; Ringquist, Uyeki, Jhaveri, Roach

Core Traditions

Environmental Education • InterdisciplinaryScience Education Context • Meaningful science learning may close achievement gaps.Education and Equity • Progressive theories better direct research toward achieving equity. • Power dynamics matter.

Green and Environmental Chemistry Research • Disseminate principles through shared goals and real-world problem-solving.

Network DevelopmentDiverse Communities • Cultural competenceEvaluation • TimeEnvironmental Justice • Ameliorate inequities by engaging students and marginalized groups.

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Chemistry Literacy Connections

Service-learning • Increase community impact and measure learning gains.

Organizing in Education • engaged institutions • curricular reform

Informal/formal education alignmentAction and Participatory Research

Seymour; Butin, Fritz, Draper; Ashcraft, Binder; Farnsworth; Arcury

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Chemistry Literacy Principles

Synergy Principles • Interdisciplinary • Overlapped goals • Ideas on overcoming complex hurdles in real-world contexts

Network Principles • Culturally savvy organizational tenets • Organizational development • Time • Organizational competencies  

Research Methodology Principles • Progressive educational research analytical frameworks • Action and participatory research • Service-learning

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Chemistry Literacy Project

Chemistry Literacy Network chemlit.berkeley.edu

Research Methods

Research Questions • What is the experience for chemistry students in out-of-school learning environments?

• How do laypeople engage with chemistry?

• How do community empowerment projects support learning in chemistry?

• What does more widespread chemistry literacy contribute to the US, underrepresented minority communities and science education?

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CLP CollaboratorsPesticide Action Network’s Drift Catcher program• www.panna.org

• Students collected air samples and shared results publicly.

• Strengthen conceptual chemistry understanding.

Summerbridge Sacramento• www.summerbridge.org/

• Earth science students connected to the local environment. Chemistry students experimented.

• Expand evaluation to gauge community impact & track progress in chemistry education.

Summer Ventures at North Carolina Central University• www.summerventures.org/

• Chemistry students were engaged in research projects, including environmental projects.

• Enhance school-year and community impact.

Mr. Daniel Morales-Doyle at Chicago’s Social Justice High School• http://sj.lvlhs.org/

• Diverse env. science students committed to service-learning & community empowerment.

• Expand the environmental perspective throughout the chemistry class.

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Partnerships with

colleges & universities

CLP Course Development: Method

Thematic units (Soil, Water and

Air)

Align to content

standards.

Is it relevant for

students?

Outcomes and AssessmentReflection

Curricular planning and collaboration with K12 teachers: Scope, sequence and relevance

Community involvement

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Target Characteristics• one-year introductory course or supplemental source

• student research connected to the community

Goals• Students learn core concepts in chemistry, expand their ability to make decisions

relating to the environment and apply their knowledge meaningfully.

• Instructors enhance their own engagement and conceptual understanding in chemistry.

Current Projects• course overview• air quality sampling

Timeline• Address research questions and explore principles in classes, afterschool and in

weekend programs in fall 2006.

• Pilot units in summer 2007.

CLP Course Development: Overview

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CLP Course OutlineDevelop a plan for strategic goal-setting, situation assessment and decision-making.Explore problem-solving approaches, especially assessment of life cycle.

Unit 1: Introduce soil chemistry.What is matter? How is matter arranged? What properties are of interest?ex. Analyze soil samples.  

Unit 2: Introduce solution chemistry. How does molecular structure relate to bonding? How do we arrange matter the way we desire?ex. Compare the atom economy of common reactions.

Unit 3: Introduce atmospheric chemistry. What are the macroscopic and microscopic natures of the phases of matter?ex. Explore and explain how the greenhouse effect works, including gases involved and

their main sources.

Unit 4: Introduce energy. How do we develop the systems we desire?ex. Research the design, current use and potential for solar devices.

Class ProjectDevelop a chemically relevant hypothesis or goal and test or pursue it.Create poster, paper or other means of communication.

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Acknowledgements

• Prof. Bernard Gifford (Graduate School of Education, UCB)

• Prof. Angelica Stacy (Chemistry, UCB) & her research group

• Office of the Chancellor’s Program for Academic Diversity (UCB)

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Chemistry Literacy Networkhttp://chemlit.berkeley.edu/ Contact: chemlit@berkeley.edu (510) 644 3600 x110