The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Education call on students to build an understanding of disciplinary core ideas through science and engineering practices and cross-cutting concepts. Unlike other disciplines, the spatial and temporal distribution of many ecological phenomena prohibits teachers from teaching many ecology-related disciplinary core ideas through direct observation and study. We report on a case study of 201 students to investigate the question: In the traditional classroom, which strategies will most successfully engage sixth graders in ecology through science and engineering practices? Students participated in an eight-week, NGSS-aligned pilot unit on population dynamics and invasive species. Some lessons in the unit were designed with emphasis on analysis and discussion of real-world data from scientific literature, while others were designed with emphasis on hands-on experimentation, generation of simulated data, or student roleplay. Feedback was collected from teachers through weekly semi-structured interviews, daily online surveys, and informal communication with unit developers. These data were analyzed to identify patterns of student engagement with lesson materials.
Results/Conclusions
Teachers reported that student engagement increased substantially in lessons designed to allow for student movement and data generation. Such experiences included computer simulations, physical simulations, classical “experiments”, and carefully chosen videos illustrating ecological phenomena. Students were also highly engaged during opportunities to apply their ideas in lifelike interaction with their peers. One of the most successful lessons of the unit was a roleplay in which students took the role of various stakeholder groups who came together at a “town hall” meeting to choose a method for managing an invasive species in a hypothetical local nature preserve. For practical reasons it would have been challenging or impossible for the pilot teachers to have their students investigate many of the unit’s phenomena, such as fluctuations in wildlife populations, using science practices in the field. In lieu of direct study, however, students engaged deeply both in their learning and in science practices by generating their own data, explanations, and arguments. Although there are limitations on how students can investigate many ecological phenomena, this experience shows that educators may achieve high levels of student engagement through classroom activities in which students simulate their own data and apply their understanding through meaningful interaction with peers.