The LEO EnviroSci Inquiry Web site is an innovative, inquiry-based
science resource that utilizes the interactive technologies of a Web
browser to explore earth and environmental science. LEO EnviroSci Inquiry
is aligned to the National Science Education
Standards, The AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks, the Pennsylvania Science
and Technology Standards, and the Pennsylvania Environment and Ecology
Standards. Activities also align to the
National Geography Standards, and the National
Educational Technology Standards.
While this Web site has been designed specifically for curricular enhancement
of existing Environmental Science components of an elementary, middle
school, or upper secondary science curriculum, it may be used in different
curricular areas. For example, many activities in the
Environmental Issues section can be integrated into a social sciences
curricula. Many other activities throughout the Web site can be incorporated
into geography, language arts, and media studies.
LEO EnviroSci Inquiry can be used by primary, middle school, and upper
secondary students with different levels of ability. Current research
theory and best practices have guided the development of this Web site
to enable all learners to use this Web site to learn science.
We believe that one instructional model does not accommodate every learner,
classroom teacher's pedagogical style, or classroom learning environment.
As you explore LEO EnviroSci Inquiry, you will find many different types
of activities ranging from very structured guided inquiry investigations
to open-ended activities where students generate their own questions
for investigations.
A main goal of this Web site is to present science to K-12 students
in a historical perspective by engaging in a detailed study of the Lehigh
River watershed. This watershed has a very rich history. The American
industrial revolution began here. The Lehigh River watershed presents
all learners with a unique opportunity to observe how industry has impacted
the environment over time. This Web site presents many stories that
enable students to explore science from a historical perspective and
see how science and technology can impact society over time.
Teachers and students can use this Web site independently or as a class
using a number of different teaching strategies:
- open-ended inquiries
- guided inquiries
- independent research
- cooperative group learning
Here are specific teaching suggestions for incorporating the LEO EnviroSci
Inquiry Web site into:
Primary School Suggestions (K-5)
Have students explore the
Lehigh River Watershed Photojournal. Guide students in the comparison
of the physical characteristics of the different regions of the river.
Use the following guiding questions to engage students:
How is the river different at the headwaters areas compared to areas
where the river approaches the Easton?
What types of animals would you expect to find living in these areas?
Why do you think that?
What things do you observe that are "man made" in the watershed?
Do you think these things are good for the environment or harmful?
Have students learn about hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, and the
greenhouse effect using a series of guided inquiry Web-based Explorations
of unique weather phenomena in the Phenomenal
Weather Explorations section. After the students have explored
this Web-based activity, have them compare these unique natural phenomena.
Have students write science journals that tell a story about living
through a severe weather storm.
Use the Bits of Biome
section to compare climatic data across different geographical regions.
A variety of Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans to designed specifically
for this curricular unit can be found here.
Have students record daily climatic data in their school yard for the
entire school year. Have students graph their data and then analyze
their data for patterns. Student data can then be compared to the weather
station data from the LEO WeatherNet stations.
Have students explore interactive
GIS maps from the Lehigh River watershed on the Web.
Have students look at historical
photographs of the Lehigh River watershed and then compare these
photographs to current ones.
Have students explore the QuickTime Virtual Reality panoramas and digital
images of the dinosaur fossil bones at the Dinosaur National Monument
quarry in Dino Inquiry. Have
students examine the characteristics of the dinosaur fossils. Have students
predict a bone's function based on their structural observations of
the dinosaur fossils.
Have students explore different geological features that are present
in the 360 degree QuickTime panoramas and digital photographs in
Geologic Explorations. Have students compare these geologic features
to geologic features outside their classroom window. Use guiding questions
to encourage students to think about similarities and differences. Have
students predict what types of animals they would expect to live in
each location featured on the Web site.
Middle School Suggestions (6-8)
Have students monitor the water quality of a nearby river or tributary
over the course of the school year. Students can record data, analyze
the water quality of their local watershed, and create a database of
their information. The Water
Quality Background section of the Web site contains information
on different chemical parameters. The Water
Quality Data Collection Procedures section contains protocols for
data collection. Students can compare their water quality data with
those in different regions of the Lehigh River watershed and other US
watersheds in the Water
Quality Data Links section. A variety of different watershed curricular
units, activities, and links to investigational computational lab tools
are available in the Curricular Activities section of
the Web site.
Have students explore the
Lehigh River Watershed Photojournal. Have students create a data
chart that they can use to compare the physical characteristics of the
different regions of the river. Have students examine their data chart
for similarities and differences within the watershed areas. As an extension
to this activity, students can examine flow rate patterns in the different
areas of the watershed using the real-time and archived Lehigh
River Watershed USGS data.
Have students create their own questions about the Lehigh River watershed
to investigate. Have students explore interactive
GIS maps from the Lehigh River watershed and other data collected
from the LEO hydroprobes, weather stations,
and seismic stations to assist in their investigations.
Have students explore the History
of the Lehigh River Watershed. Instruct students to create "a
day in the life story" that explores how science has influenced
technological development in the watershed.
Have students compare the Lehigh
River watershed with the
Neuse River watershed. Use guiding questions to focus students'
investigations to compare man-made influences in these watersheds, describe
how industrial development has changed these watersheds, and note other
changes that have occurred over time.
Have students use an open-ended inquiry approach to investigate a fish
kill. Fish Kills
is an activity that provides students the opportunity to formulate their
own research questions, explore and locate information, assess their
findings, and present their information.
Have students use topographic maps and QuickTime VR panoramas to determine
map orientations by examining physical features in Which Way Is North?
Have students plot different physical features on a map using the digital
images, QuickTime VR, and GPS positions provided in Geologic Explorations.
Use the Shell Island Dilemma
to engage students in an Science-Technology-Society (STS) issues-based
approach simulation debate. Your students' objective is to investigate
the issues concerning the fate of the Shell Island Resort and then debate
its future. As your students engage in the investigation, they will
identify the social, political, and scientific issues with which different
stakeholders must deal. Students should place themselves into the role
of one of the stakeholders and complete a Position Statement Handout
during their investigation. A Student Record Sheet Assessment is provided
for each individual student to complete at the conclusion of the debate.
Have students explore the QuickTime Virtual Reality panoramas and digital
images of the dinosaur fossil bones at the Dinosaur National Monument
quarry in Dino Inquiry. Have
students examine the characteristics of the dinosaur fossils. Have students
predict a bone's function based on their structural observations of
the preserved bones.
Use the Family Dilemma - Whole
Hog classroom simulation exercise to engage students in a debate
on hog farm issues. Using selected web resources, students investigate
the hog industry and related issues from the perspective of various
stakeholders. Then they discuss and debate the issues before a simulated
"family" which, in turn, makes the decision. During a follow-up discussion,
students express their own opinions on what the family should do.
Have students use the Bits
of Biomes activity to investigate characteristics of different biomes.
In this activity, students explore climatic differences, populations,
and ecosystems in terrestrial biomes. Students collect climatic data
on selected cities within each biome. They use spreadsheets to explore
their patterns in their climatic data. Climatic data in different biomes
are compared. Student groups research characteristics of their biome.
These include people and culture, animal life (vertebrates and invertebrates),
plant life, and economic conditions. Each student group contributes
a section to a class "World Travel Book." The "World Travel Book" can
be a class Web site, a hypermedia artifact, or a traditional paper artifact.
Have students use Phenomenal
Weather Explorations to guide their inquiry into unique weather
phenomena such hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, and the greenhouse
effect.
Upper Secondary School Suggestions (9-12)
Have students develop their own driving question to investigate a water
quality parameter in their watershed area. Have students monitor the
water quality of a nearby river or tributary over the course of the
school year. Students can record data, analyze the water quality of
their local watershed, and create a database of their information. The
Water Quality Background
section of the Web site contains information on different chemical parameters.
The Water Quality Data
Collection Procedures section contains protocols for data collection.
Students can compare their water quality data with those in different
regions of the Lehigh River watershed in the Water
Quality Data Links section.
Have students explore the
Lehigh River Watershed Photojournal. Have students create a data
chart that they can use to compare the physical characteristics of the
different regions of the river. Have students examine their data chart
for similarities and differences within the watershed areas. As an extension
to this activity, students can examine flow rate patterns in the different
areas of the watershed using the real-time and archived Lehigh
River Watershed USGS data.
Use the Shell Island Dilemma
to engage students in an inquiry simulation debate. Your students' objective
is to investigate the issues concerning the fate of the Shell Island
Resort and then debate its future. As your students engage in the investigation,
they will identify the social, political, and scientific issues with
which different stakeholders must deal. Students should place themselves
into the role of one of the stakeholders and complete a Position Statement
Handout during their investigation. A Student Record Sheet Assessment
is provided for each individual student to complete at the conclusion
of the debate.
Use the Shell Island Dilemma
to have students create a multimedia presentation such as a HyperStudio
stack in which they predict the fate of the Shell Island Resort.
Use the Family Dilemma -Whole Hog
classroom simulation exercise to engage students in a debate on hog
farm issues. Using selected Web resources, students investigate the
hog industry and related issues from the perspective of various stakeholders.
Then they discuss and debate the issues before a simulated "family"
which, in turn, makes the decision. During a follow-up discussion, students
express their own opinions on what the family should do.
Have students use topographic maps and QuickTime VR to determine map
orientations by examining physical features in Which Way Is North?
Use the Internet to locate photographs of other watershed areas in
the world and compare these to the
Lehigh River watershed. Focus on the presence and absence of "man
made" structures. How do these impact the environment?
Have students explore current research in the earth and environmental
science fields through LEO Data Collection
Activities in the areas of water quality, seismology, and meteorology.
Use Abandoned Mine Drainage
in Pennsylvania to engage your students in a science-technology-society
(STS) role playing debate simulation. In this activity, learners investigate
the AMD issue from differing perspectives. In their investigations,
they identify AMD problems, search for a solution, evaluate options,
and decide on a course of action to treat and clean up AMD in Pennsylvania.
Students view authentic resources and prepare a statement indicating
what they believe is the best course of action for treating abandoned
mine drainage in Pennsylvania. A debate in the form of a town meeting
for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania is held. Suggested answers to the
Position Statement Handout and AMD
Assessment Sheet are provided.
