Final Report (Required, .pdf format only) : 

ReportASM2009PathwaysWorkingGroup.pdf.pdf

This Working Group session is offered by the newly NSF-funded LTER Math-Science-Partnership (MSP) Pathways to Environmental Literacy project. Presentations by panelists at this session address topics at the intersection of science teaching and learning and the myriad issues of citizenship, equity, diversity, and place. The focus areas of the Pathways project are: Biodiversity, the Water Cycle, and the Carbon Cycle. Short presentations (15 minutes each) will be followed by structured discussion of open questions and current resources at the intersection of citizenship and science. Each presentation/discussion will address one or more of the following:

• developing college science curricula for pre- and in-service teachers that focus on citizenship issues;
• preparing K-20 instructors to teach science equitably to diverse populations;
• bringing place-based learning into the science classroom;
• designing and implementing curricula and assessments that address issues of citizenship in science.

Topics for panelist presentations in this initial LTER-MSP Pathways Working Group session include:

• The nature of the problem: The state of the art in equity and science learning (J. Moore, SGS LTER, Colorado State University; A. Whitmer, SBC LTER & Georgetown University);
• Defining citizenship and civic engagement in science: What it looks like and what the goals are in place-based science (S. Parker, U. Wyoming);
• The importance of quantitative reasoning for civic engagement as issues scale from local to global (R. Mayes & J. Schuttlefield, U. Wyoming).
• Key issues in designing science assessments: Citizenship, quantitative reasoning, and cultural relevance (M. Davis & S. Hauk, U. Northern Colorado).

The goal of the session is to exchange information about science teaching and learning that is rich in opportunities for civic engagement and environmental literacy rooted in local experiences of place. Participation is sought from interested scientists, including those working with science and/or mathematics education researchers, as well as science educators. Topics cover K-20 instruction and professional development.