The K-12 standards conundrum: Math, ecology, and authentic research

Background/Question/Methods

Teaching the scientific method and scientific reasoning is a central goal in K-12 education. With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), students are expected to analyze data from experiments they design and implement; and determine if results support hypotheses. It is incumbent to develop authentic tasks that challenge students to generate their own questions, decide what variables to manipulate, and determine what parameters to quantify.

Three research projects representing classes of scientific inquiry commonly used by ecologists will be highlighted. Project 1: A field survey tested if physical characteristics of saguaro cacti differ with geographic location (desert, south or north facing slope). We quantified the elevation and physical characteristics of each saguaro. Project 2: A review of over 30 articles, many with decades of data, assessed how rangeland management practices affect aboveground herbaceous production. Project 3: The impact of the amount (open versus shaded environment) and quality (no UV or full UV) of radiant energy on leaf litter decomposition was measured in a one-year field experiment in the Sonoran Desert. We will present a method for teachers implementing the CCSSI standards to utilize these projects as examples of the interplay between theoretical and applied sciences.

Results/Conclusions

Project 1: In certain cases, the means and the standard of deviations support the hypothesis that saguaro differ with geographic location. The measurements can be presented visually (GIS format) with software available to the students. Students could work in small groups to investigate patterns based on geographical location in arms versus height data and epidermal browning versus location data.

Project 2: Precipitation regime was an important regulator of herbaceous response to brush management. The student will compare and contrast various management practices and will be asked to discuss whether some were more effective than others. The analyses will illustrate the role of precipitation in determining and constraining ecosystem response to land management practices in semi-arid ecosystems.

Project 3: Decomposition was strongly influenced by overall levels of radiant energy exposure, but was not affected by UV wavelengths; and rates and dynamics of mass loss were closely related to the amount of and timing of rainfall in both open and shaded environments. A case study based on this field experiment was developed. Students will read the case study, graph the data, and evaluate the hypothesis presented as well as experimental design.