Grades Levels: 9-12 Subjects Addressed: biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, toxicology, environmental science, health, language arts, mathematics, and social studies
Project Description
The Hydroville Curriculum Project (HCP) has created problem-based curricula for high school students focusing on issues in environmental health science. The problems occur in the fictitious town of Hydroville, which has to deal with one of three environmental health scenarios: a pesticide spill, a problem with air quality at a local middle school, and a water quality problem. The Hydroville curricula are based on real-life case studies and use real data. The town of Hydroville could be a town anywhere in America.
The Hydroville Curricula feature hands-on activities designed to equip students with the concepts and skills they will need to recommend a solution to the environmental health problem. The goal of the Project is to help students develop knowledge in a wide range of disciplines, to help them meet nationwide educational standards, and to help them gain the scientific literacy they will need to negotiate the complicated problems of today’s society.
Each of the Hydroville curricula is developed around a unique learning framework that models scientific inquiry. The curricula take a nine week quarter to complete and provide an excellent culminating activity for 9th grade physical science (pesticide spill), 10th grade biology (indoor air quality problem) and chemistry or environmental science (water quality problem)
Students participate in a series of background activities to develop a basic knowledge of the specific concepts and skills involved in solving these problems. The solution requires the integration of skills from several disciplines: science, language arts, social studies, mathematics, technology, and health. Students assume the roles of experts on a team brought in to solve the problem. As a team, they must develop and formally present a solution based on data collected through laboratory experiments, interviews, research, and interaction with experts. The curricula are structured to help students understand the complexity of environmental health issues and to emphasize that many real-world issues have no single correct answer.
The Hydroville Curricula are based on sound science and current educational research on effective teaching. The concepts and skills needed to solve the problems in Hydroville were first identified by an advisory group of scientists and professionals. Background activities were then developed around these concepts and skills by a team of master high school teachers in science, language arts, mathematics and social studies. Pilot school teachers were selected from across the state of Oregon and each team of pilot school teachers attended Summer Institutes to understand the focus and the problem-based approach of the curriculum. The pilot teachers taught the curricula in their high school classrooms and their feedback was used to revise the curricula for publication.
The Hydroville Curriculum Project website (www.hydroville.org) provides information about the curricula and supplemental information for teachers using the Hydroville curricula. Sample activities from each of the curricula are available for downloading. Resources and references are directly related to the Hydroville activities are kept current and maintained on the Hydroville website. In 2006, the Hydroville website received an average of 1200 visitors per month, and visitors downloaded an average of 650 documents per month.
With additional outside funding, an affiliated website was also created to provide more technical information about the analytical instruments and techniques used in the Hydroville investigations. Launched in January 2005, the Unsolved Mysteries of Human Health website (www.unsolvedmysteries.oregonstate.edu) contains interactive animations of a flow cytometer, gas chromatography mass spectrometer, and microarray technology. The website highlights the research and facilities of OSU EHSC investigators allowing students as well as the general public to contact investigators directly.
Student Outcomes
Results of student pre/post test analyses show that students who participate in the Hydroville curriculum become reasoned decision makers. They have learned about toxicology concepts and can discern that exposure doesn’t always bring harm but depends upon individual susceptibility and the nature of the hazard. Students view themselves in a different way. They believe that they can work together with others to find solutions to environmental health problems. They feel more confident about their ability to design a scientific study, prepare a written report, and present an oral report to large audiences.
Thus, the overall success of the Hydroville curricula emanates from the effective melding of “school skills” (acquiring content knowledge) into a process of acquiring “real-world skills” (independent thinking, teamwork, high level problem solving, and written and oral communication) that will prepare students for success in the work world of the 21st century.
Teacher Outcomes
Qualitative analysis of the teacher debrief interviews has revealed the following themes and trends among teachers who have used Hydroville Curricula. Teachers characterize the curricula as
Being meaningful for students
Based on inquiry
Developing higher order thinking skills
Emphasizing reading and writing
More importantly, teachers report the following observed effects on student learning
Increased awareness and knowledge of environmental health issues
Ability to do scientific inquiry around a complex problem
Development of teamwork skills which position students for success in future jobs
Increased sense of accomplishment and self confidence
Change from passive to active participants in their learning
IAQ Curriculum Awards
In 2005, two Pilot school teachers and their students won the EPA Tools for Schools Special Achievement Award for their implementation of the HCP IAQ curriculum.
The EPA funded Science Research Club advisors, Debbie Cooper and Mark Geren, Westview High School, Beaverton, OR, attended the IAQ Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington DC on January 12-14, 2006, along with three high school students who were members of the research club (Jose Perez, Josean Perez, and Julio Montano). The Science Research Club received a Special Achievement Award and the students were also invited to present at a session, "Kids Making a Difference". The IAQ curriculum stimulated these students to undertake their research project, "A Study of the Effects of Thermal Comfort on Student Attention Spans"
Kaye Martin, Springfield School District, Springfield, Oregon received a Special Achievement Award for her implementation of the IAQ Curricula in her Young Parent Program in the Springfield, OR school district. Kaye was also an invited speaker at the general session, “Kids Making a Difference”. As a Pilot School teacher for all four of the Hydroville Curricula, Kaye eloquently described how the HCP has positively impacted her students. Kaye also wrote an article for the Washington State University Extension Energy Program: Indoor Air Quality in Northwest Schools Newsletter (Winter 2006) titled "Hydroville Curriculum Focuses on Environmental Health".
Indoor Air Quality Scenario(http://www.hydroville.org/air/) The local school board has received complaints of illness at the newly renovated Hydroville Middle School. Many people believe that this is due to poor indoor air quality. High school students participating in this problem act as a team of environmental consults to determine if there really is an indoor air quality problem in the school. Student teams present their findings at the next school board meeting. Keywords: indoor air quality, indoor air quality in schools, environmental health, inquiry-based, integrated curriculum, problem-based, science careers Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science, Geography, Health & fitness
HCP
9-12
Illness outbreak
Mysterious Illness Outbreak Scenario(http://www.hydroville.org/illness/) Students form teams that take on the roles of the professionals on the Hydroville Health Department team involved in determining the cause and control of an outbreak. Students follow the steps of an epidemiology investigation. They collect data, develop a case definition, and form a hypothesis about the cause of the outbreak. They learn data collection and analysis techniques used by such investigators, analyze simulated data, modify their case definition based on this analysis, and present their results in a press release and press conference format. Keywords: illness outbreak, epidemiology, pesticides, environmental health, inquiry-based, integrated curriculum, problem-based, science careers Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Geography, Health & fitness
HCP
9-12
Pesticides
Pesticide Spill Scenario(http://www.hydroville.org/spill/) Students involved in the Hydroville Pesticide Spill Scenario act as members of the team of scientists and engineers that are sent to the site of a pesticide spill. Their task is to remove the liquid, evaluate the risk posed to the citizens of Hydroville, develop a proposal for complete cleanup of the site, and make a presentation about their proposal to an open meeting of the Hydroville Town Council. Keywords: pesticides, toxicology, dose response, integrated, environmental health, problem-based, science careers Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Mathematics, Science, Social studies, Geography, Health & fitness
HCP
9-12
Water quality
Water Quality Scenario(http://www.hydroville.org/water/) The town of Hydroville is experiencing some of the social, political, and environmental problems associated with rapid growth and development. The drinking water report shows that certain pollutants in the water supply have increased significantly.Students teams investigate possible causes of the increase in contaminants in the water supply and develop remediation options that will protect the drinking water from further contamination. Students report their findings to the city council through presentations and to the community through newspaper articles and public service announcements. Keywords: water quality, drinking water, groundwater pollution, groundwater remediation, environmental health, inquiry-based, integrated curriculum, problem- based, science careers Subjects: Reading, Writing, Communication, Science, Social studies, Geography, Health & fitness
The Hydroville Curriculum Project (HCP) has created problem-based curricula for high school students focusing on issues in environmental health science. The problems occur in the fictitious town of Hydroville, which has to deal with one of three environmental health scenarios: a pesticide spill, a problem with air quality at a local middle school, and a water quality problem. The Hydroville curricula are based on real-life case studies and use real data. The town of Hydroville could be a town anywhere in America.
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