Redefining Progress Ecological Footprint Workshop 10/22/05

Redefining Progress Ecological Footprint Workshop Integration and Implementation Documentation Mary Kahl – Redman February 20, 2006

1) ATTENDANCE: I attended the RP Ecological Footprint workshop on Saturday, October 22, 2005, in Sacramento, CA.

2) EVALUATION: Attached is a hard copy of my on-line evaluation.

3) NARRATIVE: I first became aware of Redefining Progress and the EF website when I was researching material for my new AP Environmental Science class. At the time, I was writing the syllabus and study guide for my fourth unit of study, Human Population Dynamics. I happened upon the EF website via pure serendipity (I think it was a link from the ZPG website), but was very excited by the content, because I immediately saw its application to both my new APES class as well as my established Biology course. Although the workshop literature said the event was open only to History/Social Science teachers, I emailed and asked of I could attend, and my request was accepted.

Interestingly, another teacher from my school site was also in attendance at the same small workshop. I believe she knew about the workshop because publicity for the workshop was aimed specifically at History/Social Science teachers, which she is, whereas I was not aware of the event except by accident. I believe that many science teachers would probably be really interested in this workshop. Perhaps, in the future, RP’s publicity for teacher workshops could be provided through either the California Science Teachers’ Association (CSTA) or the National Science Teachers’ Association (NSTA).

So far, I have used the majority of the materials I received from the fall workshop in my AP classroom. I plan to use the remainder of the materials in the last couple of units yet to go. I also plan to use the Intro to EF lesson in my Bio class this spring. In neither case will I be using the RP materials as a single, discrete unit of study. Rather, I have used or will be incorporating pieces of the overall RP unit into preexisting units of study. I have collected student work on the first couple of activities that I used, but after I missed the due date for turning stuff in to RP for credit (units and stipend) on the first of December, quite honestly I stopped collecting the posters (ex. for the Columbian Exchange lesson) and turned student work back to students.

I have listed below which RP materials I have used already and which I plan to use yet this year. I have also attached copies of syllabi as documentation of the integration of the RP materials into my classroom curricula. I have also given a brief evaluation of how things went with the materials I have already used. I can provide feedback on the materials I have yet to use at the end of the school year in June, if you are interested. Finally, I have described a couple of adjustments to timing of the materials in my final paragraph. In my APES class, I have used or plan to use RP materials in the following units. The portions in italics are materials that I have yet to use but plan to, either later this year (2005-2006) or next year (2006-2007).

My unit of study Content Objective RP materials from workshop Unit #4: Introduction to concept of  EF quiz website Human Population Ecological Footprint  Transparencies, pp. 9-15 of Teacher’s Manual Dynamics  Venetoulis, Jason, et. al. (2004). Ecological Footprints of Nations  Living Planet Report 2002, ed. by Jonathan Loh Components of EF:  Transparencies, pp. 10 – 20 of TM Human Population Dynamics  Reading: “What About Population?” from RP website Unit #5: Components of EF:  Potato & Orange Production lesson Natural Resources I: Mobility Footprint  Transparencies, pp. 4 –8 and 21-22 of TM Energy Components of EF:  Reading: “Hamburger, fries and a cola: What did Energy Footprint it take to produce this favorite American meal?”  Reading: “Energy Footprints,” from RP website  “Energy Footprint,” Living Planet Report 2002, ed. By Jonathan Loh, pp.14-15 Unit #7: Components of EF:  Transparencies, pp. 23-28 of TM Natural Resources II: Food Footprint  Columbian Exchange lesson Biodiversity, Land &  Reading: “Introduction,” Seeds of Change Food  Reading: “Eating Up the Earth: How Sustainable Food Systems Shrink Our Ecological Footprint,” from RP website Components of EF:  “Ecological Footprint,” Living Planet Report Ecological Footprint 2002, ed. By Jonathan Loh, pp. 4-5 Components of EF:  “Cropland Footprint,” “Grazingland Footprint,” Shelter Footprint “Forest Footprint,” Fishing Ground Footprint,” Living Planet Report 2002, ed. By Jonathan Loh, pp. 6-13  When the Chips Are Down lesson Unit #10: Components of EF: Environmental Goods & Services Footprint Concerns III: Solid Waste Unit #11: Revisit overall EF;  Transparencies, pp. 14-15, 19 of TM Sustainability I: Focus on principles Principles Unit #12: Revisit overall EF;  Reading: “Think Globally, Eat Locally,” Boston Sustainability I: Focus on individual action Globe Personal Involvement Unit #1: Introduction Introduction to Ecological  EF quiz website to Environmental Footprint (move from unit #4  Transparencies, pp. 9-15 of Teacher’s Manual Science to unit #1) Unit #3: Ecological Cycling of materials:  Transparencies, pp. 1-3 Principles II: The sources and sinks (move Physical Environment from unit #11 to unit #1) 3) NARRRATIVE (continued): I would say the things I found most useful, in terms of my own preparation time, would be the EF Quiz site and Teacher’s Manual transparencies that go with that; the copy of the WWF Living Planet 2002 book, which I made into transparencies; and the Columbian Exchange lesson and Seeds of Change reading, which I used together. I added Chocolate to the Columbian Exchange lesson, and also an extension whereby the class designed a meal with these foods, which we ate the morning of the semester final exam. Potato, sugar, corn, coffee, tomato and chocolate became a breakfast of hot chocolate, coffee, hash brown potatoes, and egg burritos made with salsa and corn tortillas – yum! We tried to make Aztec chocolate, but cheated and put sugar in it, as it was pretty bitter without it.

I enjoyed teaching the Potato and Orange Production lesson, but it seemed that my students didn’t quite grasp the intention of this lesson (although they did like eating the backyard tangerine, store-bought orange, orange juice and canned orange slices!). I think I need to tighten the design of that lesson, and introduce the concept of sources and sinks before that particular lesson instead of the same day – too much information. Also, I did not use the Chips Are Down lesson during the portion of my curriculum on land use, although it would fit nicely there, because I had other materials to use already and too little time. I plan to try it out next year.

Students reported liking both the EF quiz and lesson, and the Columbian Exchange lesson, very much. I think they attained the objectives of these lessons easily. They also reported liking the Orange Production lesson but said they were lost on the Potato portion. However, I do not think they grasped the idea of this lesson, even though the class is two-thirds seniors who should be getting this stuff in Economics. I think I need more background in Economics to do this lesson justice. Maybe some Econ background in the lesson materials would help the science majors you educate (I don’t suppose the History teachers would need it, but maybe your elementary teachers would benefit, also).

Finally, I plan to use the Intro to EF lesson, including the on-line quiz, during my last Biology unit of the year. This three-week unit, Ecology, culminates with a week’s worth of instruction that is an overview of Environmental Science. Previously, I have used my own “test” of environmentally-conscious attitudes and behaviors. Student gave me the idea write this tool after the first time I taught Environmental Science 9 years ago. I plan to substitute the RP EF Quiz website and Teacher’s Manual materials for my own quiz.

4) STUDENT SAMPLES: Attached I have included copies of student work from the Intro to EF and the Orange Production lessons. As stated previously, I no longer have the student materials from the Columbian Exchange lesson, and have yet to teach the Chips Are Down lesson. I can collect samples this spring when we implement the Intro to EF lesson into Biology if you let me know you can use them.

5) PEER TRAINING: I already team-teach Biology with another teacher, and work closely with the rest of my department, so sharing the RP materials has been pretty simple. We plan to substitute the RP Intro to EF lesson materials from the Teacher’s Manual, and the EF Quiz website, this spring into the Ecology unit of all three Life Science courses: college-prep Biology, college-prep Honors Biology, and non-college-prep Life Science. I can let you know how it goes and how the other two teachers perceived the materials in June, when we are finished teaching them, if you would like.

Overall, I would say that the materials and instruction I received at the workshop last October have been very valuable, especially in my APES class, and I would welcome any more materials RP generates in the future. Thanks very much.

Mary Kahl - Redman Teacher Natomas High School 3301 Fong Ranch Road Sacramento, CA 95831 (916) 641 – 4960, x1105 [email protected] LESSON PLAN Introduction to Ecological Footprint

Overview:

Standards:

Learning Objective:

Lesson Elements: Anticipatory Set Input Guided Practice Closure Independent Practice: HW unit #

LESSON PLAN The Columbian Exchange

Overview:

Standards:

Learning Objective:

Lesson Elements: Prior to Day of lesson 1. Students read “Introduction” to Seeds of Change. 2. Teacher post signs: on right side of room, post Old World continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. On left side of room, post New World continents of North America, Mesoamerica, and South America. Day of lesson Anticipatory Set: Given 3x5” card with name of a common crop, each student categorizes this crop as indigenous to Old or New World (stand at appropriate sign). Each student shares his/her crop. All students copy table of crops and continents generated by this activity. Input: As whole class,

10. HW unit #7, Q #14: Choose one food item from the following list, and describe the history of the distribution of this food item. Also tell at least one environmental and one social or economic impact of this distribution history.