Michelle Kinzel: Using Ocean Sustainability in GEO 101 — Introduction to Physical Geography at Southwestern College
About this Course
An introductory course for non-majors.
26
students
One 3-hour lab per week.
Geo 101 Course Syllabus (Acrobat (PDF) 406kB Aug5 16)
Provides laboratory exercises to solidify concepts learned in physical geography GEOG 100. This lab course is designed for students who are currently enrolled (or completed) in physical geography class. We will complete a number of hands-on exercises using computer programs, measurements, and observations made around the school campus and in the classroom.
This course satisfies natural and physical science requirements for A.A. degrees and transfer articulation agreements with universities. The course contains subject matter content focused on hands-on laboratory exercises, with a formal assessment at the conclusion of the course.
A Success Story in Building Student Engagement
This module was piloted with a dynamic and enthusiastic group of non-majors students in a science course. These students began the semester with trepidation and a fear of science, and after completing this unit, they were confident in speaking and writing about ocean sciences and issues of sustainability. I am confident these modules help develop strong environmental stewards who are empowered to make good citizen decisions regarding our oceans.
"Students became more interested and engaged in ways and means to sustain our oceans as the units progressed. They expected to learn about science and they were delighted to learn about their roles as stewards of the ocean environment. It made the science real and applicable to their own lives."
My Experience Teaching with InTeGrateMaterials
I modified this module for time in my courses. Since I had the leisure of using these modules in a three-hour laboratory course, I was able to present homework, preparatory materials as well as wrap-up or follow-up materials in the same class session. For some modules, I taught two on the same day.
Relationship of InTeGrate Materials to my Course
My Geography 101 course is a 16-week long course, and covers basic physical geography on all spheres, atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. Because the Ocean Sustainability Module included a focus on climate change, the information learned in the units was referenced in many other labs and class periods.
Unit 1
I allowed students to work on the worksheets in this unit, and I spent a considerable amount of time visiting the groups and correcting misconceptions as they went along. I also left some of the PowerPoint images on the screen in the front of the classroom for reference as the students were working (map of currents).
Unit 2
For this unit, the handouts I made of the pH and CO2 graphs were in black and white, and I showed the color versions from the PowerPoint in the front of the room. I also visited the groups at their computer stations and previewed their graphs and Excel sheets as they were plotting them.
Unit 3
We had an issue with the pace of the video, as it went very quickly. Because I had flexibility with time, we discussed the questions as a group after watching the video one time, and then we watched in through a second time. This is not practical for all classes, and this has been addressed in the revisions for this unit. Before we started the class, I also introduced some of the ecology terms they would encounter in the video.
Unit 4
This was one of the units I authored, and I was very familiar with the materials. This unit involved a great deal of coordination, and I found the first time I taught it that while it was clear to me, the students were confused at first as to what to do. They did not initially understand that they were to switch stations and perform only a piece of work at each station. By revising the unit, we have guided the instructors to have printed directions at each station to accompany the oral instructions, and encourage the instructor to prepare and read the materials with extra scrutiny before the class time.
Unit 5
This unit seemed to go very smoothly. With a combination of my experience, my authoring this unit, and the students becoming accustomed to the style of the InTeGrate Materials, the students formed their jigsaw groups and began summarizing the scientific charts and graphs very quickly. There was a struggle to complete the amount of writing in the break-out groups, and this has been addressed by having the students complete this task as homework, with more flexibility in their time on that task.
Unit 6
I think students were most surprised by this unit, as the idea of geoengineering was a big and novel concept for most of my students. They were surprised that human actions could have such large-scale events, and they were encouraged by exploring the types of scientific approaches being used to address climate changes. Most of the students had heard about climate change before, but none had heard about geoengineering and were enthusiastic about the topic and the unit.
Assessments
I used many of the assessments included with each unit, including the worksheets and posters created during the gallery walk. Because I had flexibility with my class time, I had students elect a delegate when they completed group work, and the delegate shared the major findings and conclusions orally with the class. For a summative assessment, I assigned them to complete concept sketches as part of their final exam, and allowed them to summarize all six units in diagrams out of class. The concept sketches were not successful overall, and have been replaced with a fact sheet that will be a clearer and more engaging activity for all students.
Outcomes
I had great expectations for the module. By participating in all stages of the units, either authoring, editing, or both, I had a very comprehensive and cohesive idea about the content of the module and how it addressed the learning goals. I was quite pleased with the results, on a weekly basis during the activities and overall with the summative assessments. The students enjoyed the units and provided terrific feedback for areas that just did not work in the classroom or with non-science majors. I had hoped to instill in my students a sense of empowerment to accompany a college-level knowledge base regarding climate change; I wanted them to know what was happening and more importantly, what role they, as consumers and global citizens, could play in the present and future. I was very satisfied with the feedback and results. I am confident my students will make wise consumer decisions based on their experiences with this unit.
Explore other InTeGrate Instructor Stories
Learn More
Hide
Download
Download a zip file that includes all the web pages and downloadable files from the instructor's materials
