Science, Technology, and Society Chapter 11 Science, Technology, and Society in the Science...

Science, Technology, and Society

Chapter 11

Science, Technology, and Society in the Science Classroom

399-439


How to Read This Chapter

• STS represents a departure from “traditional” science education, as it tends to see curriculum in an interdisciplinary context, and in the context of personal and social perspectives. As you work with this chapter reflect on your views of science as they related to your science discipline (biology, chemistry, geology, physics) and ask yourself how these disciplines interact with technology and society. There are many interesting strategies of teaching presented in this chapter, and you might want to focus on them. Also you will find a couple of “case studies” of curriculum projects that are based on STS (Education for a Sustainable Future, and Science Education for Public Understanding Program). You might also want to visit the websites of these two projects, as well as some of the other projects identified in the chapter.

400


Invitations to Inquiry

• What are the characteristics of environmental education and science-technology-society programs?

• What strategies do science teachers use to present STS lessons in the classroom?

• What are some of the significant STS themes, and how do teachers present them in the classroom?

• What are some STS curriculum examples used in today's secondary science classrooms?

• How are STS modules evaluated? Are there criteria that science teachers agree on?

400


Chapter 11 MapSTS in the

Science Classroom

Nature of STS

Strategies for

Teaching STS

STS Themes &

How to Teach Them

STS Curriculum Examples

Inquiry 11.1: STS

Population Growth Air Quality

Technological Development

Hazardous Substances

Water Resources

Natural Resources

Environment

Education for

Sustainable Future

SEPUP

ChemCom Inquiry 11.4: STS

Module

Inquiry 11.3: STS

Design

Inquiry 11.2: STS

Issues

399-439


Nature of STS

• The central premise of STS: to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and effective qualities in order to take responsible citizenship action on science and technologically oriented issues (p.400).

• Make a concept map showing the issues that students could learn about from the list of understandings shown here from the National Science Education Standards. Select one of the understandings.

• Now take a look at Table 11.2 and compare your map to the concepts and big ideas for two of the understandings.

Table 11.1. STS Understandings in theNational Science Education Standards*

Grades 5 – 8Students shoulddevelop anunderstanding of:

Grades 9 – 12Students shoulddevelop anunderstanding of:

• Personal health• Populations,

resources, andenvironments

• Natural hazards• Risks and benefits• Science and

technology insociety

• Personal andcommunity health

• Population growth• Natural resources• Environmental

quality• Natural and human-

induced hazards• Science and

technology in local,national, and globalchallenges

*Based on National Research Council. National Science EducationStandards. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1995

400-402


Development of STS

• What is the timeline, and what are the goals for the following reports on infusing STS in school science:

• National Science Teachers Association

• National Science Education Standards

• American Association for the Advancement of Science

400-402


Characteristics of STS and EE Programs

• How do the following elements help educators develop a rationale for including STS in school science?– Problem and Issue Oriented– Interdisciplinary Thinking– Connecting Science to

Society– Global Thinking and the

GAIA Hypothesis– Relevance

402-407

Elements of STS & EE

Problem and Issue Oriented

Interdisciplinary Thinking

Connecting Science to

Society

Global Thinking and the GAIA

Hypothesis

Relevance


Inquiry 11.1: Getting involved in STS

• In this inquiry, you’ll get involved in one of the projects suggested, or create your own STS action project.

• Choose one, carry it out, and report your results via a poster report.

• How can you turn your project into a science lesson plan?

407

Bike/Auto Ratio

AustraliaUnited States

Netherlands

China

Egypt

Mexico

South Korea

India


STS Teaching Cycle

• STS teaching is not simply learning about, its learning for. In STS activities, the idea is to not only have students learn about the relevant science and issues, but to take action for the issue.

• What are some events that could be used as a starting point for an STS teaching cycle? Jot down a few.

• Select one of these, and use the “responsibility cycle” to describe how the event could be turned into a series of STS teaching experiences.

Event leads

to...Self-

Understanding

(I)

STS Issues

Study and

Reflection (II)

Responsible

Social Action

(IV)

Decision-

Making (III)

Responsibility

Cycle

Integration

(V)

Figure 11.5: STS Responsibility Cycle

408


STS Methods

• Which of the following STS methods would you use to help students deal with this issue: The local community want to fill in a small pond that is adjacent to their school because it causing an “eye-sore” to the environment.

• STS Value Dilemma Sheet

• STS Action Dramas

• Action Voting

• Online Dilemma Discussion

• Think Piece

• Action Project

409-412


Case Study

Case StudiesIs a Mars Sample Return Mission Too Risky?Should Dinosaurs be "Cloned" from AncientDNA?Selecting the Perfect Baby: Prenatal GeneticDiagnosisMorgan: A Case of DiabetesThe Tokaimura Accident: Nuclear Energy andReactor Safety

Source: National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, StateUniversity of New York at Buffalo

• Case studies enable students to learn about issues important to them, and also to develop high level thinking skills in a debate environment.

• You can combine this strategy with the Structured Controversy presented in Chapter 9.

• Visit the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science and sketch out how you would implement one of the case in a middle or high school science course.

410

http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/ubcase.htm

http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/ubcase.htm


Action Projects

• Use the information in the text, p. 412 and the cycle shown here to design an action project for one of the following topics:– Waste disposal– Pollution problems and control– Recycling efforts and

conservation– Zoning of land– Energy issues– Environmental protection– Local endangered wildlife

concerns

411-412

leads to

leads to

leads to

leads to

Leads to

Problem Identification

Fact-Finding

Problem Selection and

Definition

Brainstorming Solutions

Evaluating Solutions

Taking Action

Action Project Cycle


STS Dilemma Sheet

• By use of a provocative statement (or illustration), an issue is raised that has implications for students to consider.

• Photocopy or project the dilemma shown here to the class. Read the dilemma aloud as the class follows along. Pair students off, and have them respond in writing to the two questions shown here (there are more questions--refer to p. 409-410).

• Conduct a class discussion using the two questions as a guide.

Nuclear Power Plant Dilemma SheetThe Dilemma

On April 26, 1986, in what was the world’s largestnuclear disaster ever, a reactor at the Chernobylnuclear power plant in the Soviet Union exploded,releasing vast quantities of radioactive material intothe atmosphere. Clouds of fallout covered large areasof Europe, contaminating food supplies andincreasing the rate of cancer in human beings. Theongoing clean up has cost $14 billion so far, and over250 people have died. Consult this site for furtherinformation:http://www.nucleartourist.com/events/chernobl.htm.Following the Chernobyl disaster, one NRC memberestimated the chance of an accident in the U.S. as bigor bigger occurring by 2005 to be as high as 45percent. In 1989, citizens of Sacramento, Californiavoted to shut down the publicly owned Rancho Seconuclear power plant because it was unsafe anduneconomical.

Dilemma Questions1. Some people think that nuclear power plants areunsafe not because of an accident might happen, butbecause the nuclear industry has not figured out asafe method for discarding the radioactive wasteproducts produced by nuclear plants. Discuss yourfeelings on this matter.2. Would you buy a house or take a job that waswithin a mile of a nuclear power plant?

http://www.nucleartourist.com/events/chernobl.htm


STS Module Design

• Using the details of the STS Module design in the Art of Teaching Science and the cycle shown here, develop the outline for a module on one of these topics:– Skin Cancer

– Ground-level ozone

– Acid rain

– Biological terrorism

– Tornado preparedness

– Drinking water

412-414

Goal Plan

My goal is: Design an STS Module

Completion date: 4 Weeks

1 What is the first step? Level I: STS Foundations

Target completion date: Week 1

2 What should come next? Level II: STS Issue Awareness


3 What is the third step?: Level III: Issue Investigation


4 Next step? Level IV: Action Skills Development


5 Final step? Make Responsible Decision and Takes Action

Target completion date: Week 4Design source: Harold Hungerford, University

of Southern Illinois


Inquiry 11.2: STS Issues in Science Textbooks

• This inquiry will give you a good idea about the kinds of STS issues presented in modern science textbooks.

• You will use the results of a research study to analyze the nature and extent of STS issues in science texts.

• What STS issues are emphasized in the texts you studied? How does that compare with others who did the inquiry?

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Source: Holt, Rinehard & Winston, Dallas,Texas; Life Science text, grades 6-8


STS Themes & How to Teach Them

• There are many potential themes for STS topics. In this section of the Art of Teaching Science, the following are presented:

– Population Growth– Air Quality and Atmosphere– Energy – Effects of Technological

Development– Hazardous Substances– Water Resources– Utilization of Natural Resources– Environment

Rank order in descending order of importance or make a concept mapshowing the relationships among the STS themes shown to the left.

Rank Order:

linking wordslinking words

linking words

linking words

linking words

linking words

linking words

linking words

STS

Themes

414-425


Note About the Themes

• Each theme is presented via:– Background information– A specific topic is identified– STS actions are described for

the theme– Resources

• The material presented here can be used to develop individual STS lessons, or develop a complete 3 - 5 week unit of study.

414-425

About STS Themes


Theme: Air Quality & Atmosphere

• There are many opportunities to involve students in this STS Theme. The text material presents information on acid rain, and includes some STS actions.

• You can also visit online projects such as GLOBE and see not only how they investigate the atmosphere, but other topics as well.

• Following this slide are five slides that take you through an international projects on clean air--studying ground-level ozone

417-418

http://www.globe.gov/


International Clean Air Project

The location of schools participatingin the clean air project.


Researching Ozone Locally

Reading Ozone Level What’s the wind speed?Using simple tools at the school level to monitor the air


EcobadgeThe Ecobadge is a card that changes color in the presence of ground-level ozone. The card shown on the left is used to read the ozone level in parts per billion. Order from Vistanomics

http://www.vistanomics.com/


Posting Data

A class data table used by the students to post data over a three day period.


Class Discussions

A teacher leading a discussion on the nature of theOzone molecule.


Presenting ConclusionsTeams of students present their findings to the rest of the class. Their results included Recommendations for making the air cleaner.


Inquiry 11.3: STS Module Design

• In this inquiry you will make use of the the information on creating STS modules, as well as the section on STS issues and how to teach them.

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STS Curriculum Examples

• In this section you will find a review of a few STS curricula and an associated web site, as well as criteria and an Inquiry Activity for evaluating STS curricula.

• The following curriculum projects are presented:

– Education for a Sustainable Future (ESF)

– Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP)

– ChemCom– Project Learning Tree (PLT)– BSCS Modules– Eco-Connections– Project Wild– Sustainability Education Project

425-431


Education for a Sustainable Future ESF

• This is a case study of one project. It was developed by the Concord Consortium and the Cobb and Fulton County School Districts (Georgia).

• Read the case on this innovative project. Identify the following:

– The goals of ESF– How the project was developed– Technology contributions of the

project– The scope and sequence of the

project– How the project was evaluated– The ESF web site

426-428

http://www.concord.org/

http://csf.concord.org/esf/


Inquiry 11.4: Evaluating an STS Module or Project

• This inquiry is designed for the purpose of evaluating an STS module or project.

• You might use it to evaluate the ESF project, or if you created an STS module, use it to review your work.

• Use the STS criteria outlined in the chapter and listed in the Inquiry to make your assessment.

• What are the results of your evaluation?

430-431


Think Pieces

• Why should STS be part of all science courses?

• In your opinion what are the ten most significant global STS issues facing the planet today? How are they related to each other?

• What is global thinking?• What qualities should be

included in STS modules?

431


Science Education Literature: Education for Environmental Sustainability by

David L. Haury• Read Haury’s article

and use it to develop a rationale for teaching environmental sustainability in a K-12 school district.

433-435

Science, Technology, and Society Chapter 11 Science, Technology, and Society in the Science...

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