Ukraine Adventure Integrates Environmental Health Science in Rural Middle School Science and Non-Science Courses

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Ukraine Adventure Integrates Environmental Health
Science in Rural Middle School Science and
Non-Science Courses
Johnson, James Kracht, William Klemm, Deborah
Kochevar, Jon Hunter, Jimmy Lindner, Gary
Wingenbach, Vince Hardy, and Irma Ramos Colleges
of Veterinary Medicine, Education, and
Agriculture and Life Sciences Texas AM University
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Abstract
The long-term goal of the Partnership of
Environmental Education and Rural Health (PEER
http//peer.tamu.edu) is to encourage teachers to
motivate students by showing how mathematics,
English language arts, social studies, and
science relate to real world environmental health
science problems and issues. PEER features
curricular development, professional development,
and scientists visits to rural schools grades
6-8. Rural schools are emphasized because they
typically lack high quality science instruction
due to the lack of adequately prepared teachers
and because rural schools have limited access to
an abundance of instructional resources. Rural
environments also pose special environmental
health hazards (e.g., dust, agricultural
materials and waste). PEER has developed
learning modules that are integrated around
adventure stories which introduce an
environmental health hazard and a problem to be
solved by characters in the story. Social
studies content directs the location and time
(historical or contemporary) of the modules. The
modules focus on world geography in grade 6,
Texas history and geography in grade 7, and
United States history in grade 8. This framework
allows construction of adventures directed at
environmental health science problems in
different eras and locations that exemplify
problems such as contaminated food and water, air
pollution, and contagious or environmentally
transmitted diseases which we have in the U.S.
today. The module illustrated here (Hard River
Escape) is set in the Ukraine. The environmental
health problems include a nuclear reactor
accident, industrial pollution and the resulting
consequences for natural resources and wildlife.
Students must assess the contaminated
environment, formulate a strategy to determine
the source of the contamination, and find ways to
help prevent or reduce exposure to health
hazards. In this process, students read and
answer questions about the adventure and
summarize major points of the story. English
language arts components of all
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adventures include vocabulary, grammar, language
usage, and writing activities. In the Ukraine
adventure, students explore perspective in
writing and are asked to write informative (i.e.,
a newspaper account of the Chernobyl nuclear
accident) and persuasive (i.e., a travel brochure
for Kiev) essays. The students determine
absolute and relative global location of the
Ukraine and take a tour along the Dneiper River
where they learn about local geography,
industrial economy (natural resources),
agricultural crops grown, and how these have
added to growing environmental concerns about
pollution on the river. Other environmental
concerns include air and water pollution,
deforestation, radiation contamination (from the
Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown), and lack of
drinkable water. Scientific evidence of water
pollution includes dead fish in the river, foul
smelling water, pipes dumping factory wastes,
trash floating in the Dneiper River, and deformed
(five legged) frogs. The adventure story gives
clues as to possible causes of the deformed frogs
(wildlife) including nuclear radiation,
industrial wastes, pesticides, oil drilling and
refining, agricultural runoff, and
mining/manufactur-ing operations (coal, iron,
manganese, lead, copper, and mercury), and it
prompts students to consider how deformed frogs
may serve as indicators of human dangers.
Mathematics are used in calculating radiation
dose fractions, distance traveled, river water
flow rates, international money exchange,
environmentally-induced tumor growth, and
calculation of toxicity levels. Finally,
students write a description of their city,
noting environmental challenges and how to clean
up local pollution in their area. Integration of
environmental health science through adventure
stories and PowerPoint slides makes science,
mathematics, social studies, and English language
arts come alive. Students and teachers attest to
the engaging nature and value of the PEER
integrative environmental health science
curriculum. The initial field tests of the PEER
on-line modules (e.g., Water's the Matter), has
provided the research team with valuable
information needed to enhance and expand the PEER
model. Based on pre-test/post-test
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scores, middle school students knowledge
increased 13.65 (average) on the measuring
Dissolved Oxygen and its Effects on Water
Quality section 16.67 on the measuring Mass,
Fluid Volumes, and Concentrations section
12.82 on the measuring Temperature and its
Effects on Water Quality and 1.11 on the
measuring pH and its Effects on Water Quality
section. PEER curricular materials have been
well received by students, based on a preliminary
study of scientists visits. One thousand seven
hundred and twenty-five students evaluated
scientists presentations based on six evaluation
questions. Approximately 93 of the students
thought the presentations contained useful
information and, over 75 of the students
thought the presentations were easy to follow.
Almost 90 of the students learned something new
as a result of attending the presentations.
Approximately 60 of the students indicated that
the presentations caused them to change the way
they thought about the environment and their
health. PEER presentations influenced over 75
of the students to change their beliefs about
environmental education. Finally, almost 80 of
the students would recommend the PEER program to
other students. NIEHS Grant R25
ES10735 Integrating Environmental Health
Science in Rural Schools
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Partnership for Environmental Education and Rural
Health (PEER)
Funded by The National Institute of
Environmental Health Science NIH ES 10735
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PEER Long-term Goals Environmental Health Science
To encourage teachers to motivate students by
showing how mathematics, English language arts,
social studies, and science relate to real world
environmental health science problems and issues.
English Language Arts
Science
EnvironmentalHealth Science
Social Studies
Mathematics
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Approach to Goals
Rural schools grades 6-8th
Curricular Development
Scientists Visits to Schools
Professional Development
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World, Texas, and USA
Social studies content directs the location and
time (historical or contemporary) of the
curricular modules, focusing on
World geography in grade 6 Texas history
and geography in grade 7 United States history
in grade 8
(e.g., Industrial Pollution and Air Quality)
(e.g., Agricultural Waste and Influenza Epidemic)
(e.g., Bioterrorism and Vaccinations)
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Relate to Common Hazards
A social studies framework allows construction of
adventures directed at environmental health
science problems in different eras and locations
that exemplify problems such as contaminated food
and water, air pollution, and contagious or
environmentally transmitted diseases.
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Curriculum - Relates World Hazards to USA
Learning modules are integrated around adventure
stories which introduce an environmental health
hazard (e.g., air pollution), a science problem
to be solved by characters in the story, and
application to the USA.
Beijing
Houston
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Science and Non-Science Courses
This module uses an adventure in Ukraine to
integrate environmental health
science into science
and non-science
classes.
Social Studies
Science
Mathematics
English Language Arts
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Social Studies
Students determine absolute and relative global
location of the Ukraine and take a tour along the
Dneiper Riverwhere they learn about local
geography, industrial economy (natural
resources),
agricultural
crops grown, and how these have
added to growing environ-
mental concerns about
pollution on the river.
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Science Hazard and Wildlife
Environmental health problems include a nuclear
reactor accident, industrial pollution, and the
resulting consequences for natural resources and
wildlife.
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Science Strategy
Students must assess the contaminated
environment, formulate a strategy to determine
the source of the contamination, and find ways to
help prevent or reduce exposure to health
hazards.
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Practice English Language Arts
English language arts components of adventures
include vocabulary, grammar, language usage, and
writing activities.
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Being Persuasive
In the Ukraine adventure, students explore
perspectives in writing and are asked to write
informative (i.e., a news- paper account of
the Chernobyl nuclear accident) and persuasive
(i.e., a travel brochure for Kiev) essays.
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Scientific Clues
The adventure story gives clues as to possible
causes of the deformed frogs (wildlife)
including parasites, nuclear radiation,
industrialwastes, pesticides, oil drilling and
refining, agricultural runoff, and mining/
manufacturing operations (coal, iron, manganese,
lead, copper, and mercury).
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Scientific Evidence
Scientific evidence of water pollution includes
dead fish in the river, foul smelling water,
pipes dumping factory wastes, trash in the
Dneiper River, and deformed (five legged) frogs.
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Mathematics Indicate Significance
Mathematics are used in calculating radiation
dose fractions, distance traveled, river water
flow rates, international money exchange,
environmentally-induced tumor growth, and
calculation of toxicity levels.

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Mathematics and Science
Mathematics and science are used to
calculate environmental risk.
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English Language Arts gives Application
Finally, students write a description of their
city, noting environmental challenges and how to
clean up local pollution in their area.
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Integrative Curriculum Workshops
Regional workshops provide teachers with tech-
nology training (Microsoft PowerPoint) and cur-
riculum integration of environmental health
science into science, math, English language
arts, and social studies.
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Integrative Curriculum Workshops
Teachers receive continuing education credit and
up to 200 for travel and lodging expense.
Workshop Location Date College Station,
TX June 5-6, 2003 Edinburg, TX June 10-11,
2003 Victoria, TX June 12-13,
2003 Huntsville, TX June 17-18, 2003 Temple,
TX June 30-July 1, 2003 Mt. Pleasant,
TX July 17-18, 2003 El Paso, TX July 22-23,
2003 Lubbock, TX July 24-25, 2003
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Scientists Visits to Middle Schools
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Wings Across Texas Experiential Learning for
Middle School Students
By using a small, single-engine aircraft,
scientists have been able to make scientific
presentations at schools that are remotely
located.
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Evaluation of PEER Scientists Visits
93 of 1725 students learned useful
information. 90 learned something new. 60
changed the way they thought about the
environment and health. 75 changed their beliefs
about environmental education. 79 planned to
share what they learned with others. 80 would
recommend the PEER program to other students.
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Evaluation of Students Beliefs and Career
Choices
Beliefs about Science (n395)
91 said science careers are not just for
males. 81 said ethnic minorities can succeed in
science. 77 said science careers would not be
boring.
Information Sources affecting Science Career
Choices (n395)
77 said parent or guardian. 72 said teacher.
68 said family. 54 said celebrity. 52 said
school counselor.