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The University of Southern California’s (USC) Joint Educational Project’s STEM Education Programs hosted a three-day summer workshop focused on marine microbiology and coastal deoxygenation for high school educators. To increase ocean literacy in high school students from Title I schools, topical marine science research was translated into four lesson plans appropriate for classrooms that teach biology and environmental science. The lesson plans focus on how marine microbes affect and are affected by the dissolved oxygen content of seawater but covered diverse oceanography topics including microbial ecology, nutrient cycling, physical ocean dynamics, and climate change. This education framework was designed to promote and facilitate hands on discovery-based learning and making observations about the natural world. The workshop and lesson plan development were executed in partnership with faculty and graduate students researching marine microbes and oceanography from USC’s Marine and Environmental Biology department to provide scientific expertise on the subject matter. At the workshop, educators were guided through each lesson plan and given classroom sets of materials to complete each of the experiments in their own classrooms. Educators also had the opportunity to experience the academic research process at both USC and the Wrigley Institute of Environmental Studies on Catalina Island, California. Teachers valued this interactive experience to learn from professional scientists and STEM educators. They left the workshop equipped with the knowledge and confidence to teach these marine microbiology and biogeochemistry concepts in their classrooms.
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At the Intersection of Science and Education: The Process of Scientists and Educators Co‐developing Authentic Learning Experiences for K‐16 Students
Abstract Students lose interest in science as they progress from elementary to high school. There is a need for authentic, place‐based science learning experiences that can increase students' interest in science. Scientists have unique skillsets that can complement the work of educators to create exciting experiences that are grounded in pedagogy and science practices. As scientists and educators, we co‐developed a lesson plan for high school students on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, a historically underserved coastal area, that demonstrated realistic scientific practices in students' local estuaries. After implementation of the lesson plan, we observed that students had a deeper understanding of ecosystem processes compared to their peers who had not been involved, were enthusiastic about sharing their experiences, and had a more well‐rounded ability to think like a scientist than before the lesson plan. We share our experiences and five best practices that can serve as a framework for scientists and educators who are motivated to do similar work. Through collaboration, scientists and educators have the potential to bolster student science identities and increase student participation in future scientific endeavors.
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- PAR ID:
- 10498925
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin
- ISSN:
- 1539-607X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1002/lob.10627
