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Originally appears in the Summer 2019 issue.

IN THE MODERN SCIENCE classroom, inquiry-based instruction (or science inquiry) has become a fundamental approach in effective teaching with considerable evidence suggesting its positive effects on cognitive attainment, conceptual understanding, critical thinking skills, and even general feelings towards science.1 This approach, taken in environmental education, can spark interest in nature among students and foster stronger environmental stewardship, leading to long-term commitments to conservation.2 Promoting awareness and action through inquiry-based hands-on lessons has taught my middle school students lessons reaching far beyond any textbook — lessons that create environmental awareness and strong knowledge of real-life environmental issues and problems.

At Sutherland Elementary School — located on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois — my seventh- and eighth-graders participate in an environmental conservation unit that allows them to not only connect with nature, but also gain the necessary skills needed to problem-solve. My students gain the ability to solve real-world problems that are leading to major environmental issues, such as a lack of biodiversity and climate change. They understand these issues through a number of avenues, such as watching documentaries, conducting field research reports on endangered species, and tending to our school gardens. These types of experiences are essential for our youth as they learn to make informed decisions and then take responsible actions to impact environmental awareness.

Laying the groundwork
Mass extinction
A major goal of the unit’s summative project is to understand how a decline in biodiversity in recent years has been impacted tremendously by humans. Current extinction rates are dangerously high with human-induced species loss leading to a possible sixth mass extinction.3 In the past, species have taken thousands of years to become extinct. With many species going extinct every single day, experts estimate that now we are losing species at a rate that is 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than in the past.4 It is important for students to understand humans’ role in the increased rate of extinction so that they can connect actions such as deforestation, animal harvesting, and global warming to current mass extinctions. In this project, students read about the mass extinctions of the past and then discuss the major difference between past mass extinctions and our current possible mass extinction. My students then complete a reflection paper about how humans might be able to live differently in order to stop the rising extinction rate of species on Earth.

Climate change
Students next take part in lessons pertaining to climate change. Within the last 50 years, Earth has warmed at the most rapid rate in recorded history due to numerous human actions. These actions, such as agriculture, logging, and use of fossil fuels, are greatly increasing the production of greenhouse gases, therefore increasing the rate at which the Earth is warming. If temperatures continue to rise at the current rates, the consequences could be catastrophic for all life on Earth.5 Some people misunderstand the true causes of climate change, making it more difficult to make changes that can positively impact the environment by slowing global warming.6 Without true understanding of what does and does not cause climate change, we are unable to effectively research and decide which politicians or political groups will in fact pass government policies that protect our environment and effectively mitigate climate change.

A common misconception among my students is believing the notion that one person cannot make lifestyle changes significant enough to truly make a difference. In actuality, studies have shown that local, actionable learning experiences involving climate change — such as those outlined in our project — result in an increase in knowledge as well as pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.7 With effective education, young people can become equipped to motivate peers, family members, and even community members to make positive environmental decisions that minimize the effects of climate change.8 & 9 With that being said, Bofferding and Kloser elaborate by saying that surveys done within their study showed that many young people now do not correctly separate climate change mitigation strategies from those of other unassociated environmental problems. As such, we need to remind adolescents that partaking in a particular environmentally-friendly action does not necessarily effectively mitigate climate change; climate change mitigation strategies, specifically, are required.

Invasive species
The unit then focuses on the numerous environmental threats posed by invasive species. Invasive species are organisms that are not native to the area in which they are living, and their introduction causes harm to the ecosystem. Following the inquiry-based learning model, the students partake in lessons which include education on invasive species and proper management of those invasive species, as well as participation in a mini-project on an invasive species of each student’s choice. Discussions can be tailored around invasives currently impacting their area to instill the notion that invasives are impacting ecosystems all over the world, many closer to home than many students realize. Discussions with my students are often focused on invasives like Asian carps or Zebra Mussels that are currently impacting Great Lakes ecosystems, as many people in the Chicago area have become aware of these threats. Students often show more concern for threats that could possibly impact their own livelihoods.

Environmental Service Project
As the unit progresses and students wrap their heads around many of the largest issues our environment currently faces, it is important to give them hope that making positive lifestyle changes can make a difference. While it is essential to help young people understand major environmental issues, we must not foster a culture of hopelessness. As educators, we must balance realism and hope, as this is essential in promoting pro-environmental behaviors among young people. This hope for my students is often brought about by the completion of the Environmental Service Project. The project requires students to take ownership of their choices and their own education, while instilling a positive mindset about making a difference. Its overall objective is for students to become active in conservation so that they can help reverse negative impacts on Earth’s environment and biodiversity. Specifically, students gain a deeper understanding of critical environmental issues covered throughout the unit by becoming active in the community and joining a conservation effort. Students plan and implement an environmental conservation action and describe what environmental issue they are impacting. As an educator, we must encourage our students to choose an issue about which students are passionate so that they can then engage in a related action that is attainable yet challenging. Actions that my students have become involved in cover a wide spectrum, from walking to school and becoming more conscious recyclers, to starting petitions for laws regarding greenhouse gas emissions and planning and implementing school-wide recycling contests.

Action plan
When students have found a topic of interest, it is time for an action plan. They are advised to write down a conservation action of their choice, along with the issue that sparked their interest in the particular action they have chosen. This information allows the teacher to meet with students briefly to ensure they are meeting the expectations of the project and can move forward with their plans. For the action plan, each student explains who is partaking in the action (e.g., family, friends, classmates), what the conservation action is, where and when it will take place, why they have chosen it, and how they plan to implement it. For example, students have taken this time to lay out plans for a pollinator garden, a meal plan for going vegetarian, or a plan on how they might create awareness using social media.

Research
Next, bring on the research! This tends to be the students’ least favorite portion of the project. Reminding students of how useful research and citation skills are to their future is vitally important. Share with them that they will continue to use these skills in their careers and in future educational endeavors. Each research paper should address the environmental issue that inspired the chosen action. For example, if a student chooses to create awareness to help an endangered species, they will research and write about both the consequences of losing that species and of declining biodiversity in most ecosystems worldwide. If a student chooses to help remove invasive plants in their community, they will research and write about invasive species and their negative effects on the environment.

When implementing this project, the research paper must be at least two pages in length and include at least three sources cited according to American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines. Any aspect of the project can be altered to meet the needs of any student or even an entire class that might need accommodations or modifications.

Giving students lists to choose from, changing research paper guidelines for struggling students, and even assigning an entire class to the same research issue are just some of the accommodations and modifications that might help students better meet expectations. Meeting one-on-one with diverse learners and creating an outline of key information pertaining to the environmental issue they have chosen to research (rather than having them complete a research paper) is another alternative option.

Journaling
Throughout the entire project, students keep a process journal, in which they document every time they work on any aspect of the project. For each entry, the date and details of what they have worked on should be recorded. They can also use this space to document proof of their action, if necessary. Furthermore, students can use the process journal to post pictures, parent letters, meal plans, garden plans, receipts, or any other documentation proving their conservation efforts. To ensure that the students are working consistently throughout the specified timeframe rather than completing all sections of this project at the last minute, process journals can be checked regularly throughout the project.

Reflection
Students are then expected to reflect on their learning experience by answering the following questions:
What is the action you plan on taking?
How can science/technology be used to further aid in the solutions for the environmental concern being addressed?
How will the action you have chosen positively affect conservation efforts in the area of concern you have researched?
The answers to all reflection questions must include scientific language that has been covered in class throughout the unit.
Presenting the findings
At the end of the project, you can have students share what they have learned by presenting a slideshow, video, or poster mapping out their experience. The presentation should consist of a summary of research, answers to reflection questions, a description of experiences with the evidence they have provided for completing their actions, and ideas on how others can help their cause. The research paper can be evaluated based on a research-focused writing rubrics, while the other parts of the project can be evaluated based on completion. I have students turn in the action plan/journal (25 points) and reflection (25 points), as well as proof they have completed the project for 50 points, and the research paper with citations for the other 50 points, totaling 100 possible points for the entire project.

Sharing with the community
My students share their experiences with each other, parents, and other community members through an “Environmental Night,” where visual aids (as mentioned above) are utilized to teach others about the various conservation efforts. The presentations often spark insightful, empowering discussions, bringing the unit to a perfect close.

*****

This unit, specifically the project, reaches students beyond simply impacting their academic abilities. I have had students come back and express pride in continuing with pro-environmental behaviors that were gained while completing their Environmental Service Project. Through this initiative, they become stronger at research skills and citing sources, but more importantly, many leave the unit wanting to make a change, even if a small one, that will positively impact conservation of our environment.

Michelle Muir grew up in Chicago where she attended private elementary and high schools before attending Eastern Illinois University. She completed the Advanced Inquiry Program that Miami University offers in partnership with Brookfield Zoo to receive a Master’s in Teaching. She has been teaching young people how to be inquirers and to value nature and its resources as a Chicago Public School teacher since 2009.

Endnotes:

1. Rönnebeck, S., Bernholt, S., & Ropohl, M. (2016). Searching for a common ground–A literature review of empirical research on scientific inquiry activities. Studies in science education, 52(2), 161-197.
2. Dresner, M., & Fischer, K. A. (2013). Environmental stewardship outcomes from year-long invasive species restoration projects in middle school. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 6(3), 444-448.
3. Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., Barnosky, A. D., García, A., Pringle, R. M., & Palmer, T. M. (2015). Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction. Science advances, 1(5), e1400253.
4. Chivian, E. and A. Bernstein (2008). Sustaining life: How human health depends on biodiversity. Center for Health and the Global Environment. Oxford University Press, New York.
5. Stern, N. (2007). The economics of climate change: the Stern review. Cambridge University Press.
6. Bord, R. J., O’Connor, R. E., & Fisher, A. (2000). In what sense does the public need to understand global climate change?. Public understanding of science, 9(3), 205-218.
7. Anderson, A. (2012). Climate change education for mitigation and adaptation. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 6(2), 191-206.
8. Bofferding, L., & Kloser, M. (2015). Middle and high school students’ conceptions of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Environmental Education Research, 21(2), 275-294.
9. Stevenson, K. T., Peterson, M. N., Bondell, H. D., Moore, S. E., & Carrier, S. J. (2014). Overcoming skepticism with education: interacting influences of worldview and climate change knowledge on perceived climate change risk among adolescents. Climatic change, 126(3-4), 293-304.

Additional Reference:

Rideout, V. J., Foehr, U. G., & Roberts, D. F. (2010). Generation M [superscript 2]: Media in the Lives of 8-to 18-Year-Olds. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.