STEM in Secondary Education

Quantitative Literacy in Population Ecology

Nan Ketpura-Ching

Davilla Riddle

Kevin Takayama

Overview of Presentation
Introduction Rationale and Need Target Audience Objectives Development Process Weekly Modules and Content Example of Activities Reflection and Recommendation

Why STEM? Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

If America is to maintain our high standard of living, we must continue to innovate. We are competing with nations many times our size. We dont have a single brain to waste. Math and science are the engines of innovation. With these engines we can lead the world. We must demystify math and science so that all students feel the joy that follows understanding.
Dr. Michael Brown
Former Nobel Prize winner for medicine and the Paul J. Thomas Professor of Molecular Genetics and Director of the Jonsson Center for Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/resources/quotes

What is Quantitative Literacy?

Quantitative reasoning capabilities required of citizens in today's information age Fluency in reading and writing mathematical data Ability to reason and to apply simple numerical concept Analysis of data, including

arithmetic equations, percentages, ratios, simple algebra, measurement, estimation, logic, data analysis, and geometric reasoning

Rationale from research

Over a decade ago, national and international studies showed that most U.S. students left high school with far below even minimum expectations for mathematical and quantitative literacy (Steen, 1999).

Students did not have the technical and quantitative skills needed to compete in the employment world. According to Steen, despite years of study and experience in an environment drenched in data, many educated adults remained innumerate (1999).

They did not have a basic foundation for collecting, analyzing and presenting data. Now with the massive amount of distributed content and data via the Internet, the need to establish levels of quantitative literacy becomes ever more important (Steen, 2002).

Meeting the need

Increased need for students to demonstrate quantitative literacy For high school student to be able to analyze and interpret data. This mini course aims to provide a solution for increasing quantitative literacy via online instruction delivery using Laulima and Wikispaces.

Target Audience
9th Grade Biology students at Punahou School Student have laptops connected to the schools wireless network. Digital natives with prior experience navigating through the schools Moodle course websites in middle school.
This hybrid (both F2F and online) mini course is designed to supplement the current 9th grade Biology curriculum at Punahou School. Students will go through the steps of collecting, analyzing and presenting data from a given set of scientific data in population ecology.

Objectives
Students will be able to: Describe physiological, ecological, and behavioral strategies used for successful population growth. Compare random sampling with data obtained by an actual count. Construct a basic graph with provided data. Predict the impact of environmental changes on the organisms in an environment. Interpret data given a table or graph and describe trends regarding population relationship. Propose a possible solution for conservation and sustainability of an organism in an ecosystem.

Development Process
Appropriately integrates math and science Relevant and engaging 3 of the 5 weeks encompass coral reefs Lots of videos and interactive activities Interact with classmates Self introduction and discussion posts Working in pairs on final project Lessons flow from week to week Math goes hand-in-hand with science

Laulima

Wikispaces

http://etec632s12stem.wikispaces.com/

Weekly Modules
Week Dates 1 2 April 2 - 8 April 9 - 15 Module Coral Reef Biology Scientific Data I: Random Sampling, Data Table, and Graphs 3 4 April 16 - 22 April 23 - 29 Coral Reef Ecosystems Scientific Data II: Interpreting tables and graphs 5 April 30 - May 6 Coral Reef Conservation

Week 1: Coral Reef Biology

Module pre/post survey

View coral reefs presentation/Cornell notes View Nature video for reinforcement

Use NOAA's Interactive Reef website to research and answer discussion questions

Week 2: Random Sampling, Data Tables...

Watch three iTunesU presentations

Complete online random sampling activity

Answer random sampling practice questions

Week 3: Coral Reef Ecosystem

Watch Coral Reef Ecosystem Presentation Read articles on Ocean Acidification Watch videos on Carbon Dioxide in water Post reflection into Discussion on Laulima

Week 3 Activity: Understanding Ocean Acidification

Students can change the following variables Time Water Temperature Atmospheric CO2 Then see effect on:

Graph Picture of
Coral Reef

http://www.dataintheclassroom.org/content/oa/simulation.html

Week 4: Scientific II: Interpreting Tables and Graphs

Watch YouTube video on interpreting graphs Deer Population Growth activity Interpreting tables and graphs practice questions Week 4: Quiz 2

Week 4 Activity: Deer Population Growth

Students... graph deer (prey) population in one color graph wolf (predator) population in another color analyze the predator vs prey balance

How do you determine when an ecosystem is in "balance?"

http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/predator_prey_graphing.html

Week 5 - Coral Reef Conservation

Watch YouTube video on Coral Reef Conservation Read NOAA article about current hazards threatening coral reefs Play Coral Reef Game
http://www.ausarabexplore.info/interactives/coral/coral.html

Week 5 Activity: Conservation Poster Project

Use Glogster EDU (http://edu.glogster.com/) to create a poster on a given area of coral reef around the world Use data published in State of the Reef Report from NOAA Finished multimedia poster are to be embedded into the course Wikispace

Example of Conservation Poster

Requirements:

Map of area Examples of types of corals and organisms Existing threats Current conservation activities Team's proposed conservation ideas Citations

Expected Results

After the course, student will able to be more familiar with interpreting and analyzing data. describe how ecosystems are affected by changes in the environment show quantitative literacy by creating basic tables and graphs from a given set of scientific data in population ecology

Reflection:
What worked well

Skype and e-mail for communication Google Docs for collaboration Wikispaces for delivering content Each member was responsible for a series of tasks at each step Content came together fairly well A good mix of math and science content

Recommendation:
What we would do differently
One person designated as Project Manager
Set up internal timeline for each portion

of the course Regular meetings (every other week) to check in for updates More interactions built into the weekly modules

Questions?