Break a Sweat

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Measuring Your Response to Exercise

by Ben Higgins, Caleb Bryce and Sarah Baumgart

Will walking create the same cardiac response as running? Physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits, even modest levels of physical activity (Janssen & Leblanc, 2010; Strong et al., 2005). However, many students remain largely inactive. This module is designed to promote student-specific physical activity as a health promotion strategy by introducing the concepts of vital signs and target heart rate training. Ideally, students will discover an enjoyable type of exercise and/or learn how to self-assess their cardiovascular responses (i.e. vital signs) to exercise to most effectively train.

Students learn: 1) How to measure basic vital signs, 2) How to calculate their own target heart rate, 3) To design their own workout plans, and 3) How exercise duration and intesnsity affect performance.

Docs: fulltext.docx intro.pptx wksht.docx
Keywords: exercise physiology, heart rate, HS-LS1, human health, investigations, stability, structure, vital signs

Argument from Evidence

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Assessing Argumentation Using the Topic of Fracking

by Jeff Jenkins, Chrissy MacLean and Dawn Krenz

Students living in rural communities impacted by ongoing and proposed extractive mineral development (fossil fuels and mining) will gain a greater appreciation and understanding for how different segments of society (government, corporate, and community) produce information to serve their own interests and how ‘factual’ information is often contested between these groups.

Students learn: 1) How to summarize the key points of an argument, 2) How to question the validity and subjectivity of information, and 3) How to summarize and convey a broad set of information in a succinct fashion.

Docs: fulltext.pdf worksheet.docx
Keywords: communication, energy, facts, fossil fuels, fracking, governance, HS-LS2, models, patterns, structure, subjective

Spinning Tops

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Experiencing the Scientific Process

by Kristin deNesnera and Max Tarjan

Independently planning and conducting investigations can be a daunting process for students. This module prepares students to carry out a study from beginning to end and to experience the feeling of ownership that makse the process more exciting. For students who are considering doing a science fair project, this mini-module will give them a better sense of their responsibilities as a science fair participant.

Students learn: 1) How to carry out an investigative study from start to finish, 2) How to perform skills needed for the scientific process and 3) What skills are needed to perform an independent science project (like a school science fair project).

Docs: fulltext.docx StudentWorksheet.docx TeacherTips.docx Worksheet_Espanol.docx
Keywords: argument, cause, data, explanations, investigations, models, patterns, HS-PS2.A, questions, science fair, scientific process, structure

Oil Pollution Solutions

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Oil Pollution in the Marine Environment

by Kristin deNesnera and Satina Ciandro

In this “hands-on” module, students learn about: sources of oil pollution in the marine environment; the effects of oil pollution on marine life, human health, and economies; examples of major oil spills; and the challenges involved in responding to and cleaning up an oil spill.

Students learn: 1) How human activities cause oil pollution, 2) How oil pollution affects marine resources, the environment, 3) About various oil spill clean-up technologies and sorbent materials absorptivity, and 4) About the challenges related to oil spill clean-up.

Docs: fulltext.pdf lecture.pdf activity.docx costchart.docx
Keywords: clean up, data, engineering, HS-ESS3.A, HS-ESS3.C, HS-ETS1.C, HS-ETS2.B, explanations, investigations, marine, math, models, oil pollution, HS-PS1.A, questions, scale, stability, structure, systems

What’s Stomata With You?

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Using Leaf Epidermal Peels to Determine Stomatal Density

by Catherine Wade and William Callahan

This module provides an opportunity for students to observe leaf stomata and make predictions about interactions between plants and environmental conditions. After introducing students to the basic form and function of stomata and discussing photosynthesis and transpiration, students will hypothesize about the distribution of stomata on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Then, they make wet mount slides of leaf epidermal peels to view stomata under a microscope and calculate average stomatal densities for the top and bottom of the leaf.

Docs: fulltext.docx worksheet.docx
Keywords: argument, communication, data, explanations, investigations, HS-LS1.A, HS-LS1.C, math, plants, prediction, questions, stability, stomata, structure, transpiration

A Matter of Human Proportions

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Are You Vitruvian?

by Vikram Baliga and Sarah Baumgart

This module is an opportunity for students to learn: 1) How to use the metric system to measure linear distances; 2) Whether proportions that exist between parts of the human body are consistent across individuals; and 3) How to form a hypothesis, analyze data, and argue whether evidence supports the hypothesis.
Docs: fulltext.docx metric.pdf worksheet.docx instructions.docx handout.pdf stats.pdf
Keywords: argument, communication, data, evidence, explanations, human anatomy, hypothesis, investigations, HS-LS1.A, HS-LS1.B, HS-LS3.B, math, models, patterns, proportions, questions, structure, systems, vitruvian man

What’s Your Walk Score

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Walkable Neighborhoods as Healthy, Social and Safe Communities

by Jeff Jenkins and Sarah Baumgart

Students in low income communities are increasingly faced with poor nutrition and limited exercise options. One way to combat this is to teach about walkable communities. Teaching about walkable communities will also get students to think about land use in their own neighborhood, will make them more aware of their surroundings, and will provide direction for improving their communities.

Students learn: 1) Why safe and healthy communities are related to walkability, 2) How walkability of neighborhoods/schools can be assessed through a walk score, 3) How to think about, interpret, and communicate spatial information, and 4) What factors in their community can be improved to increase walkability.

Docs: fulltext.docx worksheet.docx
Keywords: communication, community, health, HS-LS2.A, HS-LS2.D, models, patterns, structure, sustainability, urban design, walk score, walkability

Ecosystem in a Jar

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Experimenting With Plant Growth

by Kristin McCully and Jack Horner

Students, as a class, develop, conduct, and analyze an experiment to determine what affects the growth of an “ecosystem in a jar.” “Ecosystems” include soil, water, plant seeds, and other items decided by the class in glass jars. Discussion should focus on experimental design and analysis, but instructor can incorporate ecosystem ecology, biodiversity, food chains and webs, photosynthesis and respiration, and other concepts of ecology and biology.

Docs: fulltext.pdf
Keywords: cause, communication, data, ecosystem, experimental design, investigations, jar, HS-LS2.A, HS-LS2.D, math, models, patterns, photosynthesis, plants, questions, respiration, stability, structure, systems

Spit Lab

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Macromolecules and Environmental Effects on Enzymes

by Jenn Yost and Erin Mejía

In this module students will do an activity and a lab. A cut-out activity illustrates the anabolic and catabolic functions of enzymes, enzyme specificity, and the individual components of macromolecules. Students then test the effects of temperature on enzymatic activity in spit.

Docs: fulltext.pdf module.doc worksheet.doc enzymes.pdf lab.doc lablecture.pdf enzymelecture.pdf
Keywords: cause, enzymes, investigations, HS-LS1.A, macromolecules, math, models, HS-PS1.B, spit, structure, systems

Vanishing Shells

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Life

by Tara Cornelisse and Bill Callahan

This project is an opportunity for students to learn how increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreases the ocean’s pH and negatively affects shelled marine organisms. Students start with short informational videos and news readings, and then a real-life problem (an oyster business) as the context for designing questions, hypotheses, and investigating this phenomenon through hands-on experiments.

Docs: fulltext.pdf labworksheet.pdf labkey.pdf
Keywords: atmosphere, carbon dioxide, cause, data, HS-ESS3.C, HS-ESS3.D, explanations, investigations, marine, ocean acidification, oysters, pH, HS-PS1.B, questions, shells, stability, structure

Rocks Rock!

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Rock cycle and igneous rock formation

by Tara Cornelisse

In this 1-day module, students use Houghton-Mifflin’s interactive online textbook, Exploring Earth, to learn about the rock cycle, the different types of rocks and how rocks are formed. They then look specifically at igneous rocks and learn how crystals develop and vary with temperature of cooling. Based on observations of cooling crystals, students develop a hypothesis, in groups, and carry out experiments to test their hypotheses. Students then compare real samples of different igneous rocks, using their results to interpret how the rock samples were cooled, answering questions about intrusive and extrusive rock formation processes.

Docs: Fulltext.pdf RockLab.pdf IgneousLab.pdf IgneousKey.pdf
Keywords: data, HS-ESS3.A, explanations, geology, igneous, investigations, patterns, HS-PS1.A, questions, rock cycle, rock formation, rocks, structure

The Highest Tide

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Scientific, Comic, and Poetic Species Descriptions

by Tara Cornelisse

Using passages from The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch, students learn that there are different ways to describe an object or an organism, and that these may have different effects on readers, but all of them can include plenty of detailed information. Students first listen to several of Lynch’s most vivid and creative descriptions of marine organisms, and take turns in teams drawing those organisms as they visualize them, and attempting to categorize the descriptions as scientific, comic, or poetic–or as combinations–locating key words or phrases that convey humor, feeling, and extensive, factual information. Then they research and describe a marine specimen organism in detail three times, in response to three short prompts, which emphasize the three respective purposes: scientific, poetic, and comic.

Docs: Fulltext.pdf
Keywords: communication, description, ecology, highest tide, investigation, marine, models, structure

Vehicles Powered on Waste

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dbard

Producing Biodiesel from Used Vegetable Oil

by Jennie Liss Ohayon, Mark Sterrett and Ryan Kuntz

In this lab, students learn how to think about what makes the energy in vegetable oil available to use for vehicle engines. They learn about the chemical reactions that produce biodiesel, and why these chemical reactions are needed to produce vehicle-ready fuel. They practice making biodiesel, and compare the results when they use different amounts of catalyst, and when they use either new or used vegetable oil.

Docs: fulltext.pdf
Keywords: biodiesel, catalyst, chemical reactions, data, energy, HS-ESS3.B, HS-ETS1.B, explanations, investigations, HS-PS3.A, HS-PS3.D, questions, structure, vegetable oil

SCWIBLES

An NSF-funded GK-12 program (Santa Cruz-Watsonville Inquiry-Based Learning in Environmental Science)

Tag Archives: structure

Break a Sweat

Spinning Tops

What’s Stomata With You?

Ecosystem in a Jar

Spit Lab

Vanishing Shells

Rocks Rock!

The Highest Tide

Vehicles Powered on Waste