An Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Community Resources

1. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Community Resources Dr. Dennis Kubasko, Jr. Dr. Angelia Reid-Griffin University of North Carolina Wilmington http://www.uncw.edu/ed/informal/ NSTA, St. Louis, MO 3/31/07

3. The Presenters • Angelia • Assistant Professor of Science Education (6-12) • North Carolina Middle/High School Science Teacher • Dennis • Assistant Professor of Secondary Science Education • High School Biology Teacher for seven years • 1996 Pennsylvania New Teacher of the Year

4. Overview • This presentation showcases instructional approaches faculty used to help students develop inquiry-based lessons using community resources. • Experiences are for K-16 learners

5. Movie

6. Purpose Battleship NC Objectives (Math, Social Studies and Science) • Realize that informal learning settings exist throughout every community and each can add a true contextual experience to the Standard Course of Study, if integrated appropriately. • Gain experience planning an interdisciplinary lesson with teachers outside your content domain. • Be able to design and implement an effective field trip.

7. Background Literature • Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy • “Informal science learning experiences offer teachers a powerful means to enhance both professional and personal development in science content knowledge and accessibility to unique resources.” • National Science Education Standards • “A growing body of research documents the power of informal learning experiences to spark curiosity and engage interest in the sciences during school years and throughout a lifetime.” • NSTA (http://www.nsta.org/positionstatement&psid=13)

8. Standard Course of Study

9. Our Position (Bill of rights) • Learning does take place outside the classroom. • Students need a plurality of learning opportunities. • Informal settings (Museums, Aquariums, Zoo’s) provide rich contexts for authentic learning. • Field trips provide motivation for STEM related endeavors as a career choices. • Students need to become aware of connections within multiple disciplines

10. Context for an informal experience Battleship NC Agenda • Arrival – tour the exhibition hall • 5:00 – 5:30 (Introduction) • Meet in lobby • View the introductory film (12 minutes) • Handout informational materials • Begin Instruction • 5:30 – 6:00 (Group Orientation) • Self-directed and guided tours of the USS NC • 6:00 – 6:30 (Discipline Orientation) • Discipline areas meet with respective students to discuss and generate content specific themes. • For example, science students discuss PBL at informal science sites. 

11. Context for an informal experience Battleship NC Agenda (cont.) • 6:30 – 7:00 (Curator instruction) • Battleship curators share primary artifacts and resources. • For example, a team will focus on the medical aspects of the ship. • Whole group conversation about interdisciplinary education. • Share an example of a prior year experience. • 7:00 – 7:45 (Primary artifacts) • Break into teams to work on interdisciplinary projects. • Guided tours to departments and/or other relevant areas of the ship. • 7:45 – 8:00 (Conclusions) • A second visit to the Battleship is strongly encouraged

12. Interdisciplinary Content Addressed • Social Studies content • Historical aspects (WWII as a time period) • Primary artifacts (Access to logs and manuals) • Sociology (Life of a sailor, journals) • Math content • Geometry (projectile trajectory, navigation) • Algebra (moving ships relative to another) • Statistics (Food preparation)

13. Interdisciplinary Content Addressed • Science content • Physical science – Archimedes principle (Buoyancy) • Chemistry – Water quality characteristics • Biology – Disease prevention (STD’s, scurvy, etc.) • Physics – Projectile motion and trajectory • Earth and environmental science – Navigation (stars as guidance) • Ill-Structured Problem • Example

14. Transformational Applications • Pre-service teachers need a theoretical framework (inquiry, PBL, etc.) to guide the practical experience • In-service teachers need to be involved with the selection of content goals, the planning of curricula to meet their needs, and the training for integration of lessons. • Middle and secondary students need well designed task-orientated activities

15. Practical Applications • Lesson Plans

16. Limitations • Adapting a formal school structure to an informal experience • Developing a partnership with an informal setting • Time for very difficult planning and implementation • Administrative costs for travel, services rendered, and resources consumed (loss of integrity) • Working with your interdisciplinary peers

17. Conclusions • With the advent of school restructuring (i.e. Gates foundation), the opportunities exist for thematic approaches. • Motivation across populations (students, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, university faculty) • Tie informal settings with the missions and curriculum goals of schools

18. Future Endeavors • Does modeling appropriate pedagogy translate into effective school-based practice? • http://www.uncw.edu/ed/informal/

19. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Using Community Resources Dr. Dennis Kubasko, Jr. (Science) Dr. Angelia Reid-Griffin (Science) Dr. Robert Smith (Social Studies) Dr. Denise Terry (Math) University of North Carolina Wilmington Dr. Joseph Feinberg (Social Studies) Georgia State University