DIGSDIGSData Sets and Inquiry in Geoscience Data Sets and Inquiry in Geoscience

EducationEducation

Dan Zalles: SRI International

Edys Quellmalz: WestEd

Janice Gobert: Concord Consortium

Amy Pallant: Concord Consortium

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation through contract GEO-0507828This research is supported by the National Science Foundation through contract GEO-0507828

GoalsGoals• Study the impacts on student learning of Study the impacts on student learning of

Web-based supplementary curriculum Web-based supplementary curriculum units and performance assessments that units and performance assessments that engage secondary-level students in inquiry engage secondary-level students in inquiry projects addressing important geoscience projects addressing important geoscience problems. problems.

• Develop design principles and models of Develop design principles and models of the units and performance assessments the units and performance assessments that can be used to guide development for that can be used to guide development for other geoscience standards and topics. other geoscience standards and topics.

StandardsStandards Geoscience concepts and inquiry Geoscience concepts and inquiry

• National Science Education StandardsNational Science Education Standards• AAAS Benchmarks for Science LiteracyAAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy““Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria.Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria.First and foremost, they must be consistent withFirst and foremost, they must be consistent withexperimental and observational evidence aboutexperimental and observational evidence aboutnature, and must make accurate predictions, whennature, and must make accurate predictions, whenappropriate, about systems being studied.”appropriate, about systems being studied.” Nature of Nature ofScience -- NSESScience -- NSES

DIGS Module DesignDIGS Module Design

Development ChallengesDevelopment Challenges• Appropriate number of data sets and visualizations

for short time frame• Accurate representation of the science and the

scientific uncertainty• Appropriate amount of technology use• Appropriate scaffolding for

synthesizing observations across dissimilar data sets and operating technology tools

• Promoting critical thinking about theory and evidence

• Designing inquiry opportunities beyond data analysis.

Technical Quality ProcessTechnical Quality Process

• Advisors’ review of initial specification• shells identifying the alignment of • tasks and questions with standards • Feasibility testing • Teacher and Student Think-alouds• Pilot testing – Round 1• Advisors’ review of student materials • Pilot testing – Round 2 • Scoring and item analysis

On Shaky Ground:On Shaky Ground:

Understanding Earthquake Activity Understanding Earthquake Activity Along Plate BoundariesAlong Plate Boundaries

The CurriculumThe Curriculum• 5 days—4 Days of Curriculum + 1 Day Assessment5 days—4 Days of Curriculum + 1 Day AssessmentInquiry TasksInquiry Tasks• Hypothesizing, Observing Data, Collecting Data, Hypothesizing, Observing Data, Collecting Data,

Analyzing Data and Drawing Conclusions, Applying Analyzing Data and Drawing Conclusions, Applying Understanding, Communicating results, Revisiting Understanding, Communicating results, Revisiting hypotheseshypotheses

Central TaskCentral Task• Comparing Patterns Along Divergent, Convergent Comparing Patterns Along Divergent, Convergent

and Transform Boundaries.and Transform Boundaries.

Overview of Unit:Overview of Unit:• Compare earthquake depth, magnitude, Compare earthquake depth, magnitude,

frequency, and location along the different plate frequency, and location along the different plate types (convergent, divergent, transform) of plate types (convergent, divergent, transform) of plate boundariesboundaries

• Inquire with earthquake data sets Inquire with earthquake data sets • Develop visualizations of plate boundariesDevelop visualizations of plate boundaries• relate interactions of the plates to the emergent relate interactions of the plates to the emergent

pattern of earthquakespattern of earthquakes

Tools and Data VisualizationsTools and Data VisualizationsSeismic Eruption SoftwareSeismic Eruption Software

http://www.geol.binghamton.edu/faculty/jones/#Education

Tools and Data VisualizationsTools and Data VisualizationsStudents Students explain the relationship between the pattern of explain the relationship between the pattern of the earthquakes and movement of the plate along each the earthquakes and movement of the plate along each type of boundarytype of boundary..

Tools and Data VisualizationsTools and Data Visualizations““The data represents two weeks of data along two different types of plate The data represents two weeks of data along two different types of plate

boundaries, examine the data: Can you determine what type of plate boundaries, examine the data: Can you determine what type of plate boundary the data in each table represents? Use the data and give boundary the data in each table represents? Use the data and give three different forms of evidence.”three different forms of evidence.”

Assessment OverviewAssessment Overview • Compare earthquake Compare earthquake depth, magnitude, depth, magnitude, frequency, and location frequency, and location along the different types of along the different types of convergent plate convergent plate boundariesboundaries

• Interpret data and Interpret data and representationsrepresentations

• Relate interactions of the Relate interactions of the plate to emergent pattern.plate to emergent pattern.

• Near transferNear transfer

Student Example from Student Example from Assessment:Assessment:

Students draw the location Students draw the location of the earthquakes along of the earthquakes along each boundary type.each boundary type.

Student Example from Assessment:Student Example from Assessment:

““At a continental-continental At a continental-continental boundary, there are many boundary, there are many earthquakes, although these earthquakes, although these earthquakes are smaller than earthquakes are smaller than other convergent boundaries, other convergent boundaries, the earthquakes occur farther the earthquakes occur farther from the boundary. The from the boundary. The earthquakes here are also very earthquakes here are also very shallow.”shallow.”

Testing:Testing:• Four students involved in think aloud task, Four students involved in think aloud task,

feasibility tests collected one on one.feasibility tests collected one on one.• Changes: scaffolding Changes: scaffolding Seismic EruptionSeismic Eruption tool tool• First pilot tested in two 9First pilot tested in two 9 thth grade classes in a public grade classes in a public

high school in suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. high school in suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. • Changes: new context, scaffolding inquiry Changes: new context, scaffolding inquiry • A second round of pilot testing was conducted in A second round of pilot testing was conducted in

15 classes of 815 classes of 8thth grade students in a district near grade students in a district near Boston. Boston.

Challenges:Challenges:• Incorporating the appropriate amount of Incorporating the appropriate amount of

scaffolding for running the seismic eruption scaffolding for running the seismic eruption simulationssimulations

• Designing multiple inquiry opportunities Designing multiple inquiry opportunities beyond data analysisbeyond data analysis

The Heat is On:The Heat is On:

Understanding Local Climate Understanding Local Climate Change Change

The CurriculumThe Curriculum• 7 days—5 Days of Curriculum + 1-2 Day Assessment7 days—5 Days of Curriculum + 1-2 Day AssessmentInquiry TasksInquiry Tasks• Representing, reducing, and observing data to detect Representing, reducing, and observing data to detect

trends, synthesizing differently structured data sets, trends, synthesizing differently structured data sets, drawing conclusions, communicating conclusions and drawing conclusions, communicating conclusions and supporting evidence, identifying uncertainty, posing supporting evidence, identifying uncertainty, posing alternative explanations, planning evaluative researchalternative explanations, planning evaluative research

Driving questions:Driving questions:

The people in ___ think it’s getting The people in ___ think it’s getting warmer there. warmer there.

• Is it?Is it?• Why?Why?• What can they do about it?What can they do about it?• How can they tell if the changes they make are How can they tell if the changes they make are

effective?effective?• How certain are you of all of this? How certain are you of all of this?

Tools and Data VisualizationsTools and Data VisualizationsYear-by-year monthly minimum and maximum temperaturesYear-by-year monthly minimum and maximum temperatures

   MeanMean JanJan FebFeb MarMar AprilApril MayMay JuneJune JulyJuly AugAug SeptSept OctOct NovNov DecDec

19481948

10.410.4-0.4-0.4 1.71.7 3.53.5 9.49.4 12.512.5 17.917.9 22.622.6 22.822.8 18.918.9 13.213.2 1.81.8 1.51.5

1949194911.411.4 0.10.1 1.81.8 5.35.3 10.810.8 13.513.5 20.020.0 23.723.7 20.620.6 21.221.2 10.910.9 7.17.1 2.02.0

1950195011.511.5 0.30.3 5.05.0 6.76.7 11.711.7 12.912.9 17.817.8 23.623.6 21.121.1 16.716.7 13.413.4 6.26.2 2.62.6

1951195111.211.2 0.60.6 3.63.6 5.55.5 9.79.7 13.913.9 17.017.0 24.024.0 21.921.9 17.617.6 11.811.8 6.06.0 2.62.6

1952195211.611.6 1.41.4 2.42.4 4.34.3 10.710.7 15.515.5 18.018.0 22.422.4 23.723.7 20.120.1 13.213.2 5.25.2 2.22.2

1953195311.311.3 2.82.8 1.91.9 6.96.9 10.310.3 11.711.7 18.518.5 24.924.9 22.722.7 17.817.8 12.012.0 6.66.6 0.20.2

1954195412.712.7 2.32.3 6.36.3 6.56.5 12.012.0 15.515.5 18.918.9 24.724.7 22.322.3 20.320.3 13.513.5 7.27.2 2.62.6

1955195511.411.4 2.02.0 1.31.3 6.16.1 8.58.5 14.214.2 18.418.4 21.821.8 23.023.0 18.318.3 14.014.0 5.65.6 3.73.7

1956195611.511.5 4.14.1 1.41.4 5.75.7 9.89.8 15.215.2 21.421.4 23.723.7 21.321.3 19.719.7 11.311.3 3.63.6 1.11.1

1957195712.912.9 5.45.4 8.08.0 8.08.0 10.010.0 13.713.7 20.920.9 25.125.1 23.323.3 18.218.2 13.713.7 5.05.0 3.13.1

1958195813.213.2 1.71.7 6.06.0 6.16.1 9.89.8 17.617.6 21.521.5 24.624.6 24.824.8 20.920.9 15.515.5 6.86.8 3.23.2

1959195913.113.1 2.92.9 3.63.6 7.07.0 12.912.9 14.514.5 22.222.2 25.925.9 24.024.0 19.119.1 13.013.0 7.77.7 4.54.5

Source: Global Historical Climate NetworkSource: Global Historical Climate Network

Tools and Data VisualizationsTools and Data VisualizationsExcelExcel  

Spatial distributionsSpatial distributions30-year mean temp.changes

Anthropogenic carbon emissions

New Scientist. Vol. 191., Number 2571, September 30, 2006

World Watcher data set from Climatology Interdisciplinary Data Collection. Displayed in My

World™ software.

Assessment OverviewAssessment Overview

Applying similar analyses to a new cityApplying similar analyses to a new city

(Chicago) with similarities and differences to(Chicago) with similarities and differences to

the city studied in the unit (different growth,the city studied in the unit (different growth,

different climate)different climate)

Student workStudent work• The average The average

minimum minimum temperature in temperature in Phoenix in 1948 was Phoenix in 1948 was 10.4 degrees Celsius 10.4 degrees Celsius The average The average minimum minimum temperature in 2003 temperature in 2003 was 13.6 degrees was 13.6 degrees CelsiusCelsius- The minimum - The minimum

temperature temperature increased increased around 3.2 around 3.2 degrees degrees Celsius ( a very Celsius ( a very large amount)large amount)

• At no points on the At no points on the graph was the graph was the temperature greater temperature greater in 1948, at only one in 1948, at only one point it was samepoint it was same

Minium Pheonix Temperature in Pheonix in 1948 and 2003

-5.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Months

Tem

pera

ture

(C) 1948

2003

Student workStudent workWhat we know from the data: What we know from the data:

We know that carbon emissions and green We know that carbon emissions and green house gas emissions contribute to global house gas emissions contribute to global warming. We also know that Phoenix, as the warming. We also know that Phoenix, as the sixth largest city in the US, is a major emitter of sixth largest city in the US, is a major emitter of these gases. Last, the average minimum these gases. Last, the average minimum temperature has been increasing gradually. The temperature has been increasing gradually. The arid climate of Phoenix isn’t going to produce a arid climate of Phoenix isn’t going to produce a significant rise in maximum temperature, so the significant rise in maximum temperature, so the minimum is actually more telling of a minimum is actually more telling of a temperature increase.temperature increase.

Student workStudent work

What we don’t know from the data: What we don’t know from the data: • Though we are aware of the heat island effect, we cannot Though we are aware of the heat island effect, we cannot

determine from the data how much of the warming in determine from the data how much of the warming in Phoenix is due to the city and it’s increase in size.Phoenix is due to the city and it’s increase in size.

• Though carbon is the most significant of the greenhouse Though carbon is the most significant of the greenhouse gases, there are others that are not taken into account by gases, there are others that are not taken into account by the data.the data.

TestingTesting• Feasibility testing with 3 individual students Feasibility testing with 3 individual students • and1 pair of studentsand1 pair of students• Round 1: 99 11Round 1: 99 11thth and 12 and 12thth grade students in a grade students in a• California public high schoolCalifornia public high school• Observation of and interviews with 4 pilot Observation of and interviews with 4 pilot • studentsstudents• Changes: less text, clearer directions Changes: less text, clearer directions • Round 2: 4 more 11Round 2: 4 more 11thth and 12 and 12thth grade classes in grade classes in• a different California public high school (May,a different California public high school (May,• 2007)2007)

Student challengesStudent challenges• Differentiating between the concepts of carbon Differentiating between the concepts of carbon

emission and carbon accumulation emission and carbon accumulation • Understanding how daily minimum and maximum Understanding how daily minimum and maximum

monthly temperature readings carry different monthly temperature readings carry different significances for understanding local climate significances for understanding local climate trends trends

• Arguing conclusions based on scientific evidenceArguing conclusions based on scientific evidence• Recognizing the importance of collecting Recognizing the importance of collecting

counterfactual data when evaluating outcomes of counterfactual data when evaluating outcomes of interventions.interventions.

Web Site (in development)Web Site (in development)

ContactContact

Climate Module andClimate Module andGeneral Information:General Information:danieldaniel..zalleszalles@@srisri.com.com650-859-5248650-859-5248

Plates Module andPlates Module andGeneral Information:General Information:apallant@concord.orgapallant@concord.org978-371-1337978-371-1337