Module 7 - Enquiry Learning for the Environment

Based on Draft Module by Debbie Heck and
Saras Reddy and Trials in Fiji, New Zealand,
Thailand and Australia

INTRODUCTION

In recent years people have become increasingly aware of environmental problems at both the local and global level. As a result of media attention to the breadth and severity of environmental problems many people feel they cannot contribute to the solution of these problems. Thus, it is important to develop teaching strtegies that provide students with environmental awareness, knowledge and attitudes and also with skills for critical thinking about the causes of and solutions to, environmental problems.

This workshop focuses on the use of enquiry based teaching as a strategy to develop students' investigative and thinking skills. The development of thinking skills within a formal school setting provide a number of challenges for teachers. An important component of the workshop involves the discussion and identification of the opportunities and constraints teachers might face when developing enquiry based learning by their students.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this workshop are:

to promote an understanding of approaches to enquiry based teaching and learning in environmental education;
to develop an ability to evaluate examples of enquiry based teaching and learning;
to develop an understanding of the skills students and teachers need for enquiry based teaching and learning;
to develop an appreciation of the barriers to the development of enquiry based teaching and learning; and
to develop the ability to plan enquiry based environmental education curricular

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

1. Introduction

The introduction begins with an ice breaker activity followed by an overview of the workshop objectives and outline. The introduction also includes a group discussion to explore the characteristics of enquiry based teaching and learning which participants may have experienced previously.

2. What is Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning?

Workshop participants engage in an example of enquiry based learning. This is followed by a mini-lecture on models of enquiry based teaching. These models are then examined to identify their potential contribution to environmental education.

3. Overcoming Barriers to Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning

This involves participants working in small discussion groups to identify opportunities and constraints for teachers to develop enquiry based teaching and learning for environmental education.

4. Planning for Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning

Participants work in small groups to develop an outline for an enquiry based environmental education unit.

5. Conclusion

The workshop concludes with a summary of the major workshop themes and a review of the workshop objectives.

NOTES FOR FACILITATORS

This module focuses on enquiry learning in classroom situations only, and is particularly concerned with developing cognitive skills for enquiry. Other modules focus on other aspects of enquiry learning, e.g. values and role play (Module 6), experiential learning (Module 3), learning outdoors (Module 3, Module 8 and Module 9) and community problem solving (Module 9). Module 10 emphasises ways of assessing enquiry skills.
The degree of curriculum choice and flexibility for teachers can be very high in certain education systems and countries. However, syllabus and examination requirements can exert a strong influence in other education systems, especially for secondary schools. Workshop facilitators will need to adapt activities and emphasise different aspects of the workshop according to the curriculum contexts and needs of participants.
The depth of treatment and amount of time allocated to each activity will vary according to the background experiences of participants in classroom teaching and in environmental education. The activities may need to be adjusted according to whether participants are experienced environmental educators seeking to update their appreciation of environmental education, experienced teachers who are relatively new to environmental education or pre-service trainees relatively inexperienced in teaching and environmental education.
Facilitators should analyse all resources and activities for educational and cultural relevance and adapt and/or replace any ideas in this module with local examples.
Facilitators should also review their national and local curriculum guidelines to identify the place of enquiry teaching and learning methods in them.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

A. Provided

Overhead Transparencies

OHT 1: Workshop Objectives

OHT 2: Workshop Outline

OHT 3: Enquiry Based Environmental Education

OHT 4: Environmental Education and Action

OHT 5: Learning Process for Enquiry Based Environmental Action

OHT 6: Four Enquiry Questions

OHT 7: Five Step Process for Exploring Issues

OHT 8: Objectives of Environmental Education

OHT 9: Evaluation Matrix

OHT 10: Skills Students Need for Enquiry

OHT 11: General Characteristics for an Effective Teacher

OHT 12: Characteristics of an Effective Teacher as an Enquiry is Developed ...

Resources

Resource 1: Case Studies of Environmental Education Classes

Resource 2: Group Discussion: Is this Enquiry Based Teaching?

Resource 3: Catchment and Coastal Pollution

Resource 4: Pollution Events

Resource 5: Newspaper Reports on Pollution

Resource 6: Questions about the Pollution Events

Resource 7A: Inquiry and Issues in Environmental Education

Resource 7B: A Model of Enquiry Learning Sample Teaching Unit: Animal Testing and Cosmetics

Resource 8: Evaluation Checklist

Resource 9: Opportunities and Constraints

Resource 10: Enquiry Unit Planning

Readings

Reading 1: A Process for Addressing Environmental Issues

B. To Obtain

Activity 1B: Marking pens and chart paper

Activity 1C: Cut up sufficient copies of Resource 1 into four slips and place them in an envelope so that there is one set for each group of four participants.

Activity 2A: Cut up sufficient copies of Resource 4 and place them in an envelope so that there is one set for each group of four participants.

Activity 3: Three - four A4 or sheets of cardboard for each small group, one thick marking pen per group and tape or bluetack.

Activity 4: Resource 10 enlarged to A3 size for each small group and paper.

ADDITIONAL READING

Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools, Gould League, Melbourne.

Naish, M., Rawling, E. and Hart, C. (1987) Geography 16-19: The Contribution of a Curriculum Project to 16-19 Education, Longman Harlow, UK.

Pennock, M.T. and Bardwell, L.V. (1994) Approaching Environmental Issues in the Classroom, National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

ACTIVITIES

1. Introduction

A. Ice Breaker: Introductions in Pairs

The first step in this activity is for participants to find a partner. If there are uneven numbers organise for one group of three. The participants are then given three minutes each to find out something unique or interesting about their partner related to their interest or experience in environmental education.
Participants then introduce their partner to the whole group. If the group is very large it might be necessary to break into smaller groups of around ten people.
This activity will help you, as the facilitator, establish the participants' background, and to introduce yourself to the group.

B. Workshop Overview

Introduce the workshop as "Enquiry Learning for the Environment". Using a brainstorming technique, ask participants to identify what they expect from this workshop. Record responses on a board or chart (retain a copy of these expectaions as an evaluation tool). Identify the overview of the workshop and how this relates to the expectations participants listed for the workshop. A suggested list of objectives and workshop outline are detailed as OHT 1 and OHT 2.

C. Group Discussion: Is this Enquiry Based Teaching?

Divide participants into groups of four. Give each group an envelope containing Resource 1 cut into four slips of paper. Each slip of paper represents a case study of an environmental education class.
Ask participants to read their case study and describe it briefly to other group members.
Provide each group with a copy of Resource 2. These questions provide a framework for small group discussion about the case studies to determine whether they are examples of enquiry based teaching.
As a whole group discuss whether the four case studies represent examples of enquiry based teaching.

2. What is Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning?

This section consists of four activities. Activities A and B involve participants in a classroom activity based on a catchment and coastal pollution issue. Activity C is a mini-lecture that outlines a number of approaches to enquiry based teaching for environmental education. Activity D asks participants to evaluate these models of enquiry based teaching against the objectives of environmental education. The final activity explores a further enquiry based teaching model to determine the skills teachers and students might need to engage in enquiry based teaching.

A. Sample Activity: Catchment and Coastal Pollution

Indicate to participants that the best way to explore enquiry based teaching is to experience it.
Divide participants into groups of 4-5 people. Give each group:
- a copy of the map in Resource 3;
- an envelop containing Resource 4 cut up into small slips. Each slip describes an event that has occurred in the catchment or coastal areas on the map in Resource 3;
- the newspaper reports in Resource 5; and
- the questions in Resource 6.
Ask participants in each group, in turn, to select one slip and to:
- read it aloud to the group;
- identify the corresponding location on the map in Resource 3;
- identify the corresponding newspaper report in Resource 5; and
- answer the questions in the table (Part 1) of Resource 6.

Note to Facilitators
Group members could be allocated the roles of Group Cartographer (to be responsible for Resource 3), Group News Librarian (to be responsible for Resource 5) and Group Secretary (to be responsible for Resource 6).

When all steps form the envelope have been analysed (as above), and the table in Part I of Resource 6 completed, ask each group to develop answers to the "Synthesizing the Data" questions in Part II.
Compare the group's answers in a general discussion and seek to bring out the following generalisations:
- The catchment of a river often drains into a large area of land and anything that happens there can drain into the sea.
- Catchment and coastal pollution is a complex problem because there are so many different kinds and sources of pollution.
- Because pollutants travel downstream to the coast or into inland drainage basins, it is impossible to keep coastal areas clean without dealing with catchment pollution.

B. Debriefing

Use the following questions as the basis for a debriefing following the activity.

How did you feel about the activity?
Would you describe the activity as enquiry learning? Why or why not?
What are the strengths of this approach to teaching and learning?
What are the weaknesses of this approach for teaching and learning?
Could a variation of this activity be used with students you teach?

Note for Facilitators

The questions are based upon the debriefing model in Module 3.
It is important to point out that action was not developed in this activity due to time constraints.

C. Mini-lecture

The purpose of this mini-lecture is to provide participants with a theoretical background for inquiry based curricular appropriate for environmental education. A suggested sequence follows using OHTs 3-9 and Reading 1. Reading 1 is a background reading for the workshop facilitator. This reading could be provided to the participants as a background follow up reading. Use the experiences of participants from the previous activity to highlight points and provide examples throughout the mini-lecture.

OHT 3 introduces the notion that enquiry learning strategies are considered 'best practice' in environmental education.
OHT 4 makes the point that environmental education is important because students need to be able to identify and undertake actions that address the solutions to environmental problems.
Explain that you are now going to illustrate three models that have proven very useful in planning an enquiry based teaching unit.
OHT 5 outlines Model 1 - the five phases of enquiry learning identified by Noel Gough. This provides participants with background knowledge of the learning process which students engage in for an enquiry based teaching unit.
OHT 6 outlines Model 2 - a suggested set of four enquiry questions that can be used to structure an enquiry based teaching unit.
OHT 7 outlines Model 3 - a five step process for exploring issues. This process is described fully in Reading 1.
Ask "Do enquiry or issue based teaching strategies achieve the goals of environmental education?" Use OHT 8 to remind the group of the objectives of environmental education (from Module 1).
Discuss with the group how the four enquiry questions and the Five Step Process for Exploring Issues relate to the objectives of environmental education. OHT 9 can be used as a matrix to guide the discussion of each component. It would be useful for participants to have copies of OHT 6 - 8 for this discussion.

D. Evaluation of an Example of Enquiry Based Teaching

Participants will require a copy of Resource 7A, Resource 7B and Resource 8. Resource 7A is a fourth enquiry learning model. Resource 7B is an example of a unit outline for an enquiry on animal testing and cosmetics. Resource 8 asks participants to consider how well this approach develops the objectives of environmental education and the skills teachers and students would require on developing this unit.

Participants form small groups with each person receiving a copy of Resource 7.
In these small groups participants complete the checklist and questions identified in Resource 8.
Participants reform as a whole group. Facilitate a group discussion on the issues raised according to the following key areas:
- Does this approach achieve the objectives of environmental education?
- What skills would students require to complete this enquiry?
- What skills would teachers require?
Use OHT 8 , OHT 10, OHT 11 and OHT 12 to assist this discussion as required.

3. Overcoming Barriers to Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning

When considering enquiry based teaching and learning it is important to consider both the opportunities and constraints teachers can encounter. These will differ for each individual teacher due to a variety of factors including personal concerns, lack of support structures and issues related to lack of time, equipment and space within the curriculum. This activity needs to be general to suit the needs of specific situations. The facilitators will need to use their understanding of the context of teaching during this discussion.

In small groups participants brainstorm a list of the opportunities and constraints they see for the development of enquiry based environmental education. Participants can base this discussion on their experiences of enquiry learning from the catchment and pollution activity and other examples given during the workshop. Resource 9 can be used for recording. Ask each group to nominate its top three opportunities and constraints and record these on individual A3 sheets of chart paper.
Reassemble as a group. Each group should report back with its top three opportunities and constraints. Use tape to attach these to a wall or whiteboard. Ask the group to consider whether these opportunities can be categorised in any way. For example, are there constraints related to school structures such as timetables? Are there issues related to resources etc.?
Each group should then develop a chart of ideas, on ways to overcome barriers to the development of enquiry based environmental education. Participants may be able to make suggestions from their experiences within schools.

4. Planning for Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning

In small groups participants consider the development of an appropriate enquiry based unit. Participants may decide to form groups based on year levels taught or topic areas of interest. This unit planning will be a general plan, similar to the Animal Testing and Cosmetics example from Resource 7. Resource 10 is a general outline to guide this group planning (it is suggested that Resource 10 be enlarged onto an A3 sheet). Alternatively, general outline sheets can be developed by the facilitator or participants. Depending on the time available, each group may report back on their planning either briefly or in detail.

5. Conclusion

Use the following points to conclude the workshop:

Review the approaches to enquiry based learning suggested in this workshop (OHT 5, OHT 6 and Resource 7).
Reflect on the need for these approaches to achieve the goals of environmental education, in particular the participation objectives (OHT 4 and OHT 8).
Highlight the need for teachers to consider the opportunities and constraints they face in their teaching to develop enquiry based teaching so students can develop skills such as decision making, facilitaion skills, critical thinking and conflict resolution (OHT 10, OHT 11 and OHT 12). Teachers should be encouraged to develop ways of overcoming restraints.
Enquiry is a teaching strategy that allows students to develop a variety of skills for participating in the solutions for environmental problems. (Module 9 on Community Problem Solving develops this theme further).
Take the opportunity to reflect on the workshop expectaions participants identified in the introduction and discuss whether these expectations have been met. Use OHT 1 and OHT 2 as prompts to seek participant comments on the strenths and areas for improvement related to the workshop structure, objectives and teaching strategies. These reflections may form the basis for the revision of this workshop for the future.

OHT 1

Workshop Objectives

The objectives of this workshop are:

To promote an understanding of approaches to enquiry based teaching and learning in environmental education.
To develop an ability to evaluate examples of enquiry based teaching and learning.
To develop an understanding of the skills students and teachers need for enquiry based teaching and learning.
To develop an appreciation of the barriers to the development of enquiry based teaching and learning.
To develop an ability to plan enquiry based environmental education activities.

OHT 2

Workshop Outline

Introduction
1. Ice Breaker: Introductions in Pairs
2. Workshop Overview
3. Group Discussion
What is Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning
1. Activity: Catchment and Coastal Pollution
2. Debriefing of Activity
3. Mini-lecture
4. Evaluation of an Example of Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning
Overcoming Barriers to Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning
Planning Enquiry Based Teaching and Learning
Conclusion

OHT 3

Enquiry Based Environmental Education

Source: Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools, Gould League, Melbourne, p.90.

Much of what is generally regarded as 'good practice' in environmental education is a result of students being encouraged to respond to their own concerns or curiosity to investigate and act upon an environmental problem or issue.

OHT 4

Environmental Education and Action

Source: Adapted from Jensen, B.B. (1993) The Concepts of Action and Action-Competence. Unpublished paper presented at the First International Workshop on the Project 'Children as Catalysts of Global Environmental Change', University of Surrey, p. 2.

Environmental education needs to develop students as active democratic citizens who collectively and individually can take action for a healthier environment. Students need awareness, knowledge, attitudes and skills for participating in the solutions to environmental problems.

OHT 5

Learning Process for Enquiry Based Environmental Education

Source: Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools, Gould League, Melbourne, p.90.

Learning originates in a challenge
After becoming aware of demands, constraints, pressure and/or needs, students reach a state of puzzlement, tension, discord and expectation. At this point students feel challenged to enquire.
Preparation for the task
The problem is dfined or redefined. Students gather resources and work out what they need to know and do. They consider the problem, cast around, imagine, try to predict, work out what they already know and/or assess their ability to succeed.
Searching
They then need to extend their previous knowledge; so they 'have a go'. They question, select, rehearse, talk over, narrow the field, sort, discard, share hypothesis and so on.
Trying out our solution
Eventually students settle on a possible solution and try it out. This is where they make errors and/or have success, modify, consolidate and reassess their plans.
Reflection
Then students need to consider how they achieved what they set out to do. They reflect, confirm, see where to improve, plan new things, celebrate and evaluate.

OHT 6

Four Enquiry Questions

Source: Adapted from Calder, M. and Smith, R. (1992) A Better World For All: Development Education for the Classroom Teacher's Notes, Australian Government Publishing Services, Canberra; and Naish, M., Rawling, E. and Hart, C. (1987) Geography 16-19: The Contribution of a Curriculum Project to 16-19 Education, Longman Harlow, UK.

Description
- What is the question, issue or problem?
- Who does it involve?
- Where is it?
- Why does it occur here?
Evaluation
- What is the significance of this issue or problem to my life, the local community, nation, the world?
- How have factors in the past influenced it?
- How might it be seen by different people?
- What conflicts of interest are there?
- Who gains? Who loses? Who decides?
- How are the relationships between people affected?
- What are the relationships between people and other phenomena?
Reflection
- Are these relationships desirable?
- What happens if these relationships are altered?
- What are the alternatives?
- How can these be evaluated?
- Who gains and who loses from different decisions? Why?
- Who decides? Why?
Action
- What change, if change is thought to be desirable, should be introduced?
- How can we bring about change if we, or others think it is desirable?
- Who could we contact to discuss action projects?
- What action should we take?

OHT 7

Five Step Process for Exploring Issues

Source: Pennock, M.T. and Bardwell, L.V. (1994) Approaching Environmental Issues in the Classroom, National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

OHT 8

Objectives of Environmental Education

Source: UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Experts' Meeting on Overcoming the Barriers to Environmental Eduation through Teacher Education, Griffith University, Brisbane 1993, p. 34.

Awareness
To help individuals groups and societies acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and issues, questions and problems related to environment and development.

Knowledge
To help individuals, groups and societies gain a variety of experience in, and extend current understanding of what is required to create and maintain a sustainable environment.

Attitudes
To help individuals, groups and societies acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment, and motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.

Skills
To help individuals, groups and societies acquire the skills for identifying, anticipating and preventing environmental problems.

Participation
To provide individuals, groups and societies with an opportunity and the motivation to be actively involved at all levels in working toward creating sustainable futures.

OHT 9

Evaluation Matrix

Environmental Education Objectives

Four Enquiry Questions

Five Step Process for Exploring Issues

Awareness

Knowledge

Attitudes

Skill

Participation

Four Enquiry Questions

Description - What and Where?
Evaluation - How and Why?
Reflection - What effects?
Action - What can be done?

Five Step Process for Exploring Issues

Choose an issue
Define a problem or issue
Search for a solution
Evaluate options
Take action

OHT 10

Skills Students Need for Enquiry

Source: Pennock, M.T. and Bardwell, L.V. (1994) Approaching Environmental Issues in the Classroom, National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, p.5.

Decision Making
Students need to be able to make appropriate decisions according to each situation. This might include choosing appropriate decision making strategies, such as: consensus, modified consensus, majority rules, two thirds majority and secret ballot.
Facilitation Skills
Students will learn these skills from their teacher role model. Students can begin to use and build upon these skills by facilitating group discussions as part of the enquiry process.
Critical Thinking Skills
Students need to engage in higher level thinking skills, considering both the factual and values components of information. One example is careful consideration of the source of information and possible bias.
Conflict Resolution
Enquiry learning often involves issues that are controversial. Students need well developed communication skills to assist them to deal with conflict.

OHT 11

General Characteristics of an Effective Teacher

An effective teacher will:

Be sensitive to students' needs. They will listen to students' concerns with complete attention. They respect students' feelings and, particularly with young people, err on the side of caution regarding their emotions.
Consider learners' development needs.
Create a learning process where students feel a sense of investment, ownership and empowerment. Effective teachers consider how they can share authority with the students.
Develop a support system of people such as administrators, colleagues, interested parents or community members.
Be enthusiastic about the learning process, the project the students are doing and life in general! It's catching.

OHT 12

Characteristics of an Effective Teacher as as Enquiry is Developed...

They have well articulated goals and rationales. They will encourage parents and others to voice their questions and concerns.
They will share what they know about the issue but also acknowledge what they do not know. They solicit a class effort to look for answers.
They will teach complexity; don't protect students from it. Recognise the difficulty of such complexity, even for adults.
They will teach multiple perspectives and explore several views on issues. They will use disagreement to spur further clarification and research.
They will be aware of their own feelings and opinions about an isssue. They make it clear to learners what their view is and that it is okay if other people disagree (especially students).
They will allow disagreement to be constructive rather than destructive. They let it further the learning process.

Resource 1

Case Studies of Environmental Education Classes

Case Study 1: Class on Camp
The children look like they are having breakfast ... there are about three classes . you notice there are four adults with the children ... the children look about twelve years old ... one group of students are chatting over their breakfast ... Jenny says ... how far do we have to walk today ... all David could say was ... a long way ... Bill wanted to know why all year seven camps have to have such a long walk through the bush in them ... John was preoccupied with checking he had enough food and water to last the long journey ... later everyone was busy packing up the campsite ... the students, teachers and two parents set off for their walk through the bush ... the students had no idea where they were going ... except that this is what everyone does on year seven camp ... they walk through the bush very quickly and stop only occasionally for everyone to have something to eat ... there isn't much time to look ... the children all seem intent on carrying their backpacks and making it to the place where they will sleep that night ...

Case Study 2: Social Studies Class
A year five class ... the room has thirty single desks in it ... the desks are arranged in five rows of six ... the students are all sitting quietly writing in their notebooks ... they are writing down the information from the blackboard ... the teacher talks now and then ... they seem to be writing down information about what a rainforest looks like ... they will soon have to draw a picture ... three students up the back are distracted by something happening outside ... they are told to get back to work ... the students seem to have a lot of things written neatly in their notebooks ... lots of information about things ... they very rarely speak.

Case Study 3: Geography Class
This room is noisy ... it looks really busy ... there are Year 12 students sitting in small groups reading things and really discussing issues ... they are arguing a lot and justifying their reasons for saying things ... each of the groups had a different role ... as farmers, councillor, developer, local residents and so on ... each group has to justify whether an area of farming land on the rural urban fringe of a city should be rezoned for a residential development ... the teacher is talking to different groups as they ask questions ... some students are now leaving the room to go to the library to find out some information ... another student is going to make a phone call to clarify a detail ... these students will soon have a public meeting to discuss the issue ... this is a simulation of a similar case that has happened in the local area ... they will use this study to highlight the things groups do in response to environmental issues.

Case Study 4: Science Class
A junior science class ... the science lab ... their normal lab ... they aren't there ... they are making their way across the school oval and down to the local creek ... follow them down ... they are going to test the water because they are concerned that the new industrial estate has been dumping things into the creek ... some of the students used to swim in the stream and now they say it smells funny ... they have organised a range of tests to do today to check out the situation and then decide what they can do about it ... the teacher has helped them decide what tests to do and how to analyse the results ... she helps them keep track of where they are going ... Karen says she always makes sure we choose a few things to do well rather than heaps of things half done ... Jill says she wants to go to council and tell them all about what they find out ... they need to know that this is happening and we need to work out how to stop it ... it will take us a bit of time to get all the information we need before we can go down and see them.

Resource 2

Group Discussion: Is This Enquiry Based Teaching

Please Discuss the Following Questions:

If you were a student, which class would you like to be in? Why?
As a teacher, which class do you think might take the most time to prepare for?
Which class would you like to teach in? Why?
What makes the learning different in these classes?
In which class(es) do you feel the teacher was using enquiry based learning? Why?

Resource 3

Catchment and Coastal Pollution

Source: Fien, J. and Paden, M. (1997) The Australian Teacher's Guide to World Resources, Griffith University, Brisbane, Module 9.

Resource 4

Pollution Events

Source: Fien, J. and Paden, M. (1997) The Australian Teacher's Guide to World Resources, Griffith University, Brisbane, Module 9.

1. Tests reveal high lead levels in the soil of a central riverside residential district.

11. Ballast water being pumped from the bilges of visiting ships has introduced several unwanted species into our waters.

2. Another major fish kill has been reported in a river that has suffered from agricultural toxins before

12. A large cargo ship breaking up in rough seas off the coast has poured fuel oil into the sea.

3. Community effort has resulted in a large, unspoiled tract of mangrove and marsh being protected as a wetland reserve.

13. Sewage plants at well sites are discharging wastes into rivers and fish kills are being reported.

4. The collision of two ships results in a large, unspoiled tract of mangrove and marsh being protected as a wetland reserve.

14. The reduction of native habitat continued as forest, only metres from trees occupied by fauna, was pushed over to create housing lots.

5. National and local politicians are in dispute over the continued dredging and clearing of mangroves for an island resort.

15. A criminal investigation into alleged organised dumping by industry of toxic wastes down storm water drains has been initiated.

6. Unacceptable high heavy metal contamination was still present even after a mining company's river bed clean-up.

16. Water reclaimed from sewage has been successfully used to grow trees in an arid area thus reducing pollution and producing a valuable product at the same time.

7. A research team from two universities has made significant advances in the bacterial treatment of sewage.

17. Pollution, overuse and poor management are destroying many riviers.

8. The collapse of a major urban sewer has, for the second time, caused heavy contamination of the receiving river and nearby beaches.

18. A bright orange, strong acrid smelling pollutant flowed from an urban storm water drain into the local creek for over an hour.

9. The removal of trees and bushes has left this island with severe soil salinity.

19. A major city applying only primary treatment to its sewage has polluted its own beaches with fecal coliforms.

10. The pilot research project of an artificial wetland to treat effluent has been so successful that others have been started.

20. The fishing industry is fighting a plan by a pulp mill that wants to pump its toxic wastes into the sea.

Resource 5

Newspaper Reports on Pollution Events

Source: Fien, J. and Paden, M. (1997) The Australian Teacher's Guide to World Resources, Griffith University, Brisbane, Module 9.

Tests Find High Lead Levels. Silt in the river has tested positive for high lead levels resulting in some residents having precautionary blood tests. A spokesman for the environment Minister said there was no immediate evidence of a major health risk.
Dead Fish Prompt River Poison Tests. The river was poisoned wonce before with endosulfan, a chemical used in agriculture, and is now poisoned again. The kill reported by residents took place in one of the few remaining deep ponds in the drought affected river.
700 Hectare Wteland Reserve. Community energy, organisation and commitment has culminated in the declaration of an unspoiled area of tidal flats, salt marshes, mangroves, melaleuca forest and grass lands as a reserve, thus saving it from development.
Bay Oil Spill. On 30 August, the bay suffered the largest oil spill in recent history when, as a result of a collision at sea, 295 tonnes of fuel oil escaped from a tanker into the shallow gulf waters and ultimately the tidal creeks of the opposite shore. The area is a significant nursery for prawns.
Controversy Again! The national and local governments are locked in a bitter dispute and an 11th hour decision to allow or stop further mangrove clearing and channel dredging for a resort development.
Toxic at Clean-up Site. A chemist has reported that levels of lead and cadmium were still unnacceptably high after a clean-up operation in a river bed situation leaving it contaminated.
Team Takes Bugs out of Sewage Treatment. A team from the university studying bacterial diversity has made advances that could revoultionise the treatment of sewage and prevent extensive environmental damage every year.
Collapsed Sewer Wreaks Havoc. For the second time recent months a major sewer has collapsed in the metropolitan area causing heavy contamination of the river and pollution of inner city bayside beaches.
Trees and Salt. Extensive soil salinity is directly related to excessive removal of native trees and bushes. Large tracts of the region suffer such extreme erosion that only bedrock is left.
Wetlands Used for Treating Effluent. The successful use of an artificial wetland started today as one of several pilot projects researching the treatment of effluent. The project started in 1993 and is now treating approximately 30% of the city's output.
Ballast Water: The Scourge of Oceans. At least 14 exotic species have arrived in ballast water and other micro-organisms such as viruses, protozoans and various bacteria are yet to be tested for but may very well be present in ballast water discharged into waters.
Stricken Carrier in Oil Spill Crisis. The Iron Baron ore carrier breaking up off the coastis among our worst marine disasters as her fuel pours into the sea.
Local Pllution Shame. Well-site sewage plants being run outside licensing requirements are discharging waste into rivers and estuaries. Fish kills were becoming regular events.
Habitat Threatened by Tree-felling say Locals. Bulldozers were knocking down trees within 50 metres of a fauna reserve to provide property blocks for 35 homes.
Toxic Dumps Bribe Probe. This is our first major investigation into organised environmental crime and involves the dumping of toxic waste down storm water and sewage drains. It is reported that truck loads of upto 17 000 litres of waste materials have been dumped into the drainage systems.
Forest Project Turns Tide on Sea-bound Sewage. A forest is surviving on water that has been reclaimed from city sewage. The project is being assessed to decide if thousands more hectares should be planted. It is an attempt to reduce the nutrient-spurred algal destruction of the sea grass habitat due to effluent discharge.
Death of a Lifeline. Pollution, overuse and poor management are killing local rivers.
Orange Pollution. A bright orange liquid with a strong chemical smell was witnessed flowing from a drain outlet into the river for an hour and a half. The drain runs under an industrial area.
Dirty Surf. Fecal coliforms are present on our beaches from the city's sewage that receives primary treatment only. Both the fish and oysters show heavy metal contamination.
Fishermen Concerned for their Catch. A plan for a $60 million ocean outfall pipeling that would pump a projected 3000 tonnes of organo-chloride pulp mill effluent off the coast is meeting stiff resistance from the fishing industry.

Resource 6

Questions About the Pollution Events

Source: Fien, J. and Paden, M. (1997) The Australian Teacher's Guide to World Resources, Griffith University, Brisbane, Module 9.

Part I: Use the following table to analyse each of the events shown on the map in Resource 3

Event Number

Question 1
Area Affected?

Question 2
Effect on Environmental Quality

Question 3
Degree of Impact

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Part II: Synthesising the Data

How many different kinds of pollution are entering the sea?
How many different sources of pollution can you identify?
Which instances of water pollution are accidental?
Which events might have the most effect (i) on the catchment, and (ii) on the coast and sea?
Which upstream events affect downstream and coastal environments?
How do upstream events affect downstream and coastal environments?
What can be done to protect water quality at the wetlands? At the beach?

Resource 7A

A Model of Inquiry Learning

Source: Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools, Gould League, Melbourne.

Tuning In

Questions

Steps of Inquiry

Activities

Why should we investigate this? What do we already know?
How does this affect us?
What do we want to find out? What feelings or opinions do you have?
What is the issue?

Identifying and defining the issue. This involves activities designed to:
- generate interest
- establish current knowledge
- draw on past experiences
- identify possible aspects for investigating.

Examining an artifact or document
A field trip
Discussing a value dilemma
Having a visitor to the class
Predicting about a given situation
Considering a challenging question
Considering a case study
Studying maps, photos, posters, cartoons
Performing a task, game or role-play
Word associations

Deciding Directions

Questions

Steps of Inquiry

Activities

What would happen if ...?
Wt guess could we make about... ?
What are we likely to see when...?
How can we explain...?
What do we want to focus on...?
What questions do we need to ask?
Why is this happening?

Formulation of hypotheses involving:
- chosing a focus
- extending the scope
- identifying and refining questions

Brainstorming for suggestions
Posing solutions to problems
Predicting outcomes or consequences
Formulating propositions
Hypothesising
Identifying questions to guide investigation
Developing tentative explanations

Organising Ourselves

Questions

Steps of Inquiry

Activities

How are we going to conduct our inquiry?
How can we plan to do it?
What type of information do we need and how do we find and collect it?
What is the best way of allocating tasks?

Organising an approach to the inquiry is crucial and relates closely to the Deciding Directions stage

Setting contracts
Drawing up a plan
Forming small groups
Setting appropriate tasks
Creating an individual project
Locating resources
Drawing a time line

Sorting Out

Questions

Steps of Inquiry

Activities

How might we sort our information?
What similarities and differences can we see?
How can we categorise this information?
How does this information compare or contrast with other situations?
What connections can we see?
What inferences or conclusions can we draw?
Does the information change our view of the issue?

Data collection, processing and analysis
Refining the issues
This involves:
- organising and presenting data
- forming or modifying concepts through classification strategies
- comparing and contrasting findings
- discussing the issue and hypotheses
- evaluating

Recording impressions through art, music, personal journals and stories
Drafting and editing
Grouping and labelling
Making and interpreting graphs, charts
Small group discussion
Values clarification and analysis
Statistical analysis
Identifying bias
Assessing validity of sources of information
Using computer simulations and data bases

Drawing Conclusions

Questions

Steps of Inquiry

Activities

What can we now say about...?
Have you changed your thinking about?
What differences and similarities did you notice?
What general conclusions can you make?
What evidence do you have to support this?
How does this relate to our earlier questions and hypotheses?

Drawing conclusions requires students to express their understandings and communicate them to others.
This involves
- interpreting information
- developing and modifying generalisations
- explaining similarities and differences
- establishing connections
- confirming, rejecting or modifying hypotheses and predictions
- suggesting solutions to problems

Making a model or mural
Presenting a role play
Giving a report or talk
Writing a story
Making a video or audio tape
Devising a play
Holding a debate
Making summary statements
Preparing a display
Reassessing the hypotheses

Considering Social Action

Questions

Steps of Inquiry

Activities

How can we contribute to decisions made in the classroom or school?
What could be done about this issue?
What would happen if these things were done?
How might we make others aware of what we know?
How can we contribute to or influence decisions made in the community and society?
What should be done about this?

Social action requires that students be active in decision making during their inquiry and its conclusion.
This involves:
- identifiying action that could be an outcome of the inquiry
- implementing if appropriate

Involving students in decision making
Negotiating how the investigation will be conducted
Identifying realistic alternatives
Evaluating decisions made
Presenting findings to wider audiences
Considering possible courses of action
Contacting community groups
Goal-based action e.g. new school facility

Resource 7B

Sample Teaching Unit: Animal Testing and Cosmetics

Source: Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools, Gould League, Melbourne.

Tuning In

Questions

Activities

What do you think animal testing is?
What do you think happens during these tests?
What animals are used?
Is it ever acceptable to use specific animals e.g. rabbits, mice?
Who does animal tests?
How do you feel about these tests?
Which animals do you think can be used for tests?
Why these animals and not others?
What do you think of these animals?

Place a series of photos of various animals around the room:
Cluster 1: animals typically used in tests, e.g. rabbit, mouse, rat, monkey
Cluster 2: domestic pets, e.g. cat, dog
Cluster 3: humans, e.g. baby, teenager, adult
Students draw up three columns:
Animal Testing OK or not OK? Reasons
Discussion of reasons, values/conflicting opinions.

Possible Directions

Questions

Activities

Why have animals been used for scientific experiments?
What have been the benefits of animal testing?
What justifications have been used?
Are today's approaches to testing different from the past?

Historical overview

How are these tests performed?
Do cosmetics get tested on particular parts of an animal's body?
Which animals are used for testing?

Students describe tests on the basis of research, writing to animal liberationist groupd and cosmetic companies.

What are the arguments?
Who is on each side of the argument?
Assessing the arguments: are they rational?
Public opinion: do people really care?

What are the arguments for and against the testing of cosmetics on animals? Students write to cosmetic companies and animal liberation groups, use interviews or questionnaires to monitor public opinion, e.g. interview people from the Body Shop.

Why have some companies gone against animal testing?
What alternatives exist?
Why isn't every cosmetics company using them?
What are the problems of using the alternatives?

What are the alternatives?
Further inquiries to various sources as above.

Organising Ourselves

Questions

Activities

Who will I work with (or will I work by myself)?
Which direction interests me/them? Do we take a side?
What aspects of the topic should we cover?
Where can we get our information from?
Which type of presentation will best convey our message?
What do we want to show everyone else?

Students decide on whether to work in groups or individually, which direction to take, a plan of approaching the topic and presentation.

Finding Out

Questions

Activities

What are we going to do with information?
What other information is available?
What other information do we need?
What are the most appropriate means of presenting our findings?

Students spend class time looking at library resources, videos, newspapers, etc.
After-school vist libraries and resource centres.
Students begin receiving information from various organistions.

Sorting Out

Questions

Activities

Is this the most effective means of communicating our ideas and conclusions?
Do we have all the information we require?

Teacher advises students on further possibilities for inquiry but encourages students to decide for themselves, e.g.
- writing essay, leaflet, talk, slide notes, etc.
- organising videos i.e. dubbing, adding sound
- drawing pictures and graphs, making models
- organising information

Drawing Conclusions

Questions

Activities

What are all the sides to the issue?
Is it a matter of animal testing being right or wrong?
Whose choice is it
Does it matter to you?
How are the tests performed?
Which animals and why these animals?
Are the alternatives any good - what are they?
Public opinion - where does the public stand on the issue?
Can many conclusions be drawn? If so, what are they?

Students present assignments to the class with explanations and answer class questions. Students perform a role play, conduct a debate or have a class discussion.

Considering Social Action

Questions

Activities

Do we need to undertake social action? Why?
How are we going to go about it? e.g. leaflets, lobbying governments, letters to the media.
How can we find out which companies do and do not animal test?

Designing leaflets
Only buying non-animal tested products
Writing to governments urging that cosmetic companies be made to state ingredients and testing procedures on the box.

Future Directions

Questions

Activities

How are the products used in cosmetics obtained?
If meat is murder, what about leather shoes?
Are dissection and vivisection justifiable? On what grounds?

Investigate products used in cosemetics, e.g. placenta liposomes.
Extend study to issues concerning animal skins and furs for clothing.
Extend study to other issues concerning animals in science, e.g. dissection and vivisection.

Resource 8

Evaluation Checklist

1. Complete the checklist below by identifying whether the Model of Inquiry Learning (Resource 7A and Resource 7B) achieves the objectives of environmental education. Give reasons for your responses.

Environmental Education Objectives

Model of Inquiry Learning

Awareness
To help individuals, groups and societies acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and issues, questions and problems related to environment and development.

:

Knowledge
To help individuals, groups and societies gain a variety of experience in, and extend current understanding of what is required to create and maintain sustainable futures.

:

Attitudes
To help individuals, groups and societies acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment, and motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.

:

Skills
To help individuals, groups and societies acquire the skills for identifying, participating and preventing environmental problems.

:

Participation
To provide individuals, social groups and societies with an opportunity and the motivation to be actively involved at all levels in working toward creating sustainable futures.

:

2. Brainstorm a list of skills students might require to complete the sample unit, "Animal Testing and Cosmetics" in Resource 7B. Identify from you list the five most important skills?

3. List the skills teachers might require when teaching this unit of work? Identify from your list the five most important skills?

Resource 9

Opportunities and Constraints

1. In small groups brainstorm a list of opportunities and constraints for the development of enquiry based environmental education.

Opportunities

Constraints

:

:

2. Now select for your group the three most important opportunities and constraints from your brainstormed list.

Opportunities

Constraints

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

Resource 10

Enquiry Unit Planning

Enquiry Question or Topic: _____________________________________________________________

Enquiry Questions

Activities

Resources

Description

Evaluation

Reflection

Action

Reading 1

A Process for Addressing Environmental Issues

Source: Adapted from Pennock, M.T. and Bardwell, L.V. (1994) Approaching Environmental Issues in the Classroom, National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, pp. 6-10.

To incorporate environmental issues in our classrooms we need to recognise some basic characteristics of environmental issues.

Environmental issues are complex. Their elements and ramifications can be economic, social, cultural, scientific and political as well as environmental.
There are usually more than two sides to an issue; often, there are multiple perspectives.
It takes more than facts to understand environmental issues. It also requires understanding for the context, seeing the problem from various perspectives and exploring possibilities.
There is rarely only one way to resolve an environmental issue.
Solving environmental issues is an ongoing process - as we progress toward positive change, we encounter new challenges and more information.

Of the many ways for teachers to approach environmental issues with their students all are reflected in the simple, fundamental, problem-solving process described in the next section. By following this process, teachers are less likely to be subjected to accusations of bias and indoctrination, because their students will have explored several dimensions and discovered how to make careful decisions.

Five Step Process for Problem Solving

Most complex problems are solved with the same basic steps. Once the learners have selected an issue for focus (Step 1) they must define the problem if they are to understand it fully (Step 2). When they have in-depth understanding of the nature of the problem and different viewpoints, they can consider a variety of solutions (Step 3). They need to analyse and evaluate those options (Step 4); this sometimes creates an interplay between creating solutions, evaluating them and recreating them. The final step, Step 5, is to put that idea into practice - to consider some type of actual change.

These steps are shown in OHT 7.

Teahers need not start at the beginning of the process and stop at the end. Good programs and solid educational opportunities may involve fewer than five steps or may jump and skip among them.

The following examples illustrate this flexibility:

Teachers who focus on an issue-investgation process, involve students in Step 2, Define a Problem.
Teachers who instill hope from analysing success stories involve students in Step 3, Search for Solutions, and Step 4, Evaluate Options.
Teachers who empower students with an action-taking process involve students in Steps 2-5: Define, Search, Evaluate and Act. They could have begun the process by evaluating existing alternatives and then going back to collect more information.

Using the entire five-step process can also be appropriate to current trends in education reform, which emphasise problem solving and critical thinking. This emphasis reflects the growing awareness that students need to be able to assess and manage information more creatively, handle and solve actual problems they will encounter. These skills are built into the five-step model.

Step 1: Choosing the Issue

The first step in addressing an issue is choosing an appropriate one to investigate. Students often need guidance on how to best choose an issue to investigate. The list below offers some options.

Generating Ideas to Pursue

Identify student concerns
Review local newspaper stories for one month
Brainstorm and rank ideas
Tour the neighbourhood
Interview other students
Ask parents or other adults

Choosing an Issue

Vote with two-thirds agreement
Vote with simple majority
Vote with simple majority but record the minority opinion
Allow students to lobby each other, then vote
Reach 100 percent agreement
Use artwork to explore feelings about issues
Examine the issue against established criteria: time, interest, access, complexity, significance etc.

Issues often present themselves as well. For example, three students from one primary class may have seen a television show on the depletion of the dugong. They shared their concerns with their teacher, and that issue and that issue becomes the focus of a group project. In another case, a teacher who was teaching a class on environmental issues learned about an upcoming plan to limit highrise development on the foreshore. She offered the topic as a possibility for the class to study. Together, they discussed the reasons for and against choosing that issue and identified what it would take to study the issue in depth. The students voted to go ahead and they ended up making presentations. Even though the teacher presented the idea, the decision was left up to the students.

The process for deciding upon an issue can set the tone for the entire experience. If the teacher selects the issue, students might not be very interested in it unless it is relevant to them or they see why it is important. When students pick the issue, the teacher needs to help them choose one they can take on with some measure of success: one that coincides with their capabilities and resources. In either case, students need to make an investment in their problem. Ultimately, they will realise insight to contribute to addressing the problem.

Step 2: Defining the Problem

Although the ultimate aim of problem solving is coming up with a solutionm, the problem-definition phase is extremely important; good solutions require a solid understanding of the problem. Until students have experience, they may have trouble focusing on the problem definition. Instead, they will want to get to work on a solution. They may find it frustrating not knowing what to do next and being told "Don't worry about solutions, yet!" in order to pursue a more systematic analysis. Stress that this step is necessary and should not be slighted for the more glamorous steps of coosing a solution and taking action.

Teachers will know the problem is well-defined and understood if the students can:

identify the organisations and groups with an interest in it;
explain how those groups perceive the problem and what assumptions they made about it;
identify the values and social interests that sustain the groups' involvement in the issue
identify their own interests and concerns about the problem or issue; and
understand the issue well enough to be able to frame it in several ways based on different assumptions and perspectives.

The process of defining the problem will ultimately require gathering information from several resources, clarifying biases, challenging assumptions and thinking critically about the consequences.

Step 3: Searching for Solutions

Searching for solutions involves understanding alternative views and the range of alternative solutions. It requires time to understand the scope of a problem and to experiment with several solutions. It means encouraging great creativity and then going back to the definition stage to learn more about what the solution might entail. This often happens by giving examples and exchanging ideas.

Additional Criteria Teachers May Want to Consider

What skills do students need to address the issue?
Do these skills match curriculum objectives?
What level of complexity are the students ready for? Can this issue be explored in a way to match this level of complexity?
Can the issue be adequately addressed in the time we have?
What is the probability of success if students try to take action?
How meaningful is the issue to the students?
What is the teacher's role - information provider, facilitator, adviser? What skills does the teacher need to play these roles?

We often become 'stuck' when we cannot see other solutions. Examples, analogies and practice can help build the skills for creative thinking. Teachers may encourage students to move from searching to defining several times as more information leads students to consider new potential solutions. Students may also develop a personal vision of how the issue can be resolved and negotiate a consensus view of the future with classmates. This provides students with an opportunity to imagine what kind of future they would like with regard to this issue, and how they can work toward it. This can also be a powerful way to work at the problem definition.

Searching for solutions can occur at two levels: identifying broad solutions to an issue (such as international agreements to protect whales) and identifying solutions to which the class can contribute (publicising brands that are 'dolpin friendly). In both cases, students can gather and generate ideas from things they have read, people they have talked with and their own good thinking.

Step 4: Evaluating Options

Once students identify a range of solutions, teachers can help them consider the constraints and possibilities of each and the values and interests they serve. Here are some questions you can use to direct this process.

What are the values and interests served by each solution?
What possible outcomes does each solution hold?
For each solution, what constraints might stand in the way of the desired outcome?
Is the solution win-win or win-lose?
Who gains and who might lose form each solution?
Do the solutions directly relate to the problem as the students defined it?
To which solutions could the class make a meaningful contribution?
What resources and time would be required?

At this point the role of the teacher is to support students in the evaluation process. One method is to provide a tructure for evaluating the options. For instance, the teacher's questions can guide written work, small group discussions and oral reports. Another form of support is encouragement. Answering these questions can be hard work - even many adults have not learned how to evaluate solutions well. Imagery through examples is also helpful. Finally, teachers should give students adequate time and explain that it takes practice to learn to evaluate solutions.

Step 5: Taking Action

Taking action has to do with understanding what types of changes are possible to resolve the problem, how one can contribute to these changes, and, if appropriate, doing so. The five steps each involve different skills. For instance, the problem-definition step requires critical reflection and analysis; identifying and evaluating solutions involves looking at possible outcomes; taking action involves students in bringing certain possibilities to life.

Teachers and students can be involved in the action-taking step in personal, educational or political ways. You can increase students' understanding of the breadth of possibilities by using these examples to give them some imagery:

Students can share what they learned with others.
Students can make personal commitments to contribute to a solution.
Students can help other organisations work toward environmental change by raising money, distributing flyers, putting up posters or surveying the community.
Students can conduct direct action projects in their school or community with assistance from teachers.

The following guidelines are especially useful for teachers involved in community-based action projects.

Allow students to 'own' the process as much as possible. Ask them what they need and how you can help. Ask questions such as 'Have you considered ...' rather than just issuing directions.
As much as possible, let students facilitate meetings and decisions. Use the action project as an opportunity for them to learn and practice key organising skills.
Encourage students to consider who might disagree with them and ask these people to speak to them. Listen to their concerns and consider them while solutions are being evaluated.
Realise that students are not always realistic about time. When they identify a project, help them think through the tasks and responsibilities involved.
Remember that the process is as important as the product. Students with a narrrow view of success may have quite a few disappointments in store. If you give them time to work through differences of opinion, the groups' efforts will be stronger.

What if the personal, educational or direct-action approaches do not seem appropriate for a particular group? The teacher can still use other strategies: providing imagery about how students could take action, sharing information about adult and youth groups that have taken action to affect change or having the class offer support to established groups working to effect change.

However teachers choose to accomplish it, the action step is a powerful way to move students' feelings about critical environmental issues from hopelessness to despair to hope and possibility. Young people can be influenced by simply knowing there are adults and other youth working to solve problems and create positive change. Teachers have a responsibility not to leave young people in despair about their future. The action step also lends itself to the ultimate goal of environmental education: learning how to participate in resolving environmental issues.