The 9th grade ARISE students at Glenbard North High School have completed almost an entire year of integrated science. The have learned about science and scientific processes in thematic units which are not compartmentalized into "biology," "chemistry," "physics," or "earth science." Rather, their first year of high school science has been arranged into universal scientific themes such as measurement and energy. Now they are ready to take on a societal issue with important implications for them now and in the future. They will become the "experts" in their field, and they will report their findings to the class, as well as to each other, and then to their local county board and lastly they will publish their ideas and opinions on the World Wide Web.
The weather was starting to warm up. Along with the temperature, the students' spirits were rising as well! They would love to go outside, maybe their science teacher would let them, if they could just talk him into it!
"Hey, Mr. Chamberlain! When are you taking us outside?"
"What do you want to do out there?"
"Nothing...you know just enjoy the day."
"How can I justify that to my department chair and the principal?"
"Make it a field trip - let's go somewhere!"
"Okay, we'll go next week."
"Where are we going?"
"To the landfill?"
"What's a landfill?"
"Good question, let's find out!"
Mr. Chamberlain then led the students through a discussion of what a landfill was and where the nearest one was located. As it turns out, the local landfill, Mallard Lake, was only about two miles away and it was set to be closed in the next year or two. This was major news in the community; it presented a big problem - what would be done with the garbage when the landfill closed?
The class then decided (with some prodding from their teacher) that they really needed to learn more before they went to the landfill. So they brain stormed a list of topics related to landfills which could be investigated:
We then took these subtopics and divided the class into heterogeneous groups of 3-4 students. Each group took one of the topics to research, they would become the experts in this area. The class then went to the landfill. They took soil and water samples from many different areas in and around the landfill. They talked to the workers and managers of the landfill about how the landfill works and what the future might hold for Mallard Lake. Other students studied the flora and fauna of the area, they took samples and did a diversity study.
When the students returned to school the next day, they got busy doing more research on their topics. Each group was required to contact an expert in the field. E-mail gave the students instant access and a quick response time for the answers to their questions. The internet gave the groups access to the latest facts and figures as well as the information which is put out by different special interest groups. The library and CD-ROMS were also useful for obtaining some background information.
We took a day out of our busy schedules to discuss how the Internet could help us in our study. Strategies and specifics of where to look were discussed, then we talked about who was putting information on "the Net" and how reliable it is. The main point of the discussion that the class took away was that anybody can publish on the Web and that not all of the information found there can be taken as fact.
The landfill construction group got on the Web and looked at as many sites as they could find on the different types of landfills, their histories, and the safety measures which are taken to protect the environment. They traded e-mail with the site manager at Mallard Lake whenever specific questions arose.
The water and soil group took their samples from Mallard Lake and tested them in the lab. They tested for the presence of microorganisms as well as factors which affect living organisms such as pH, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, and for the presence of toxins. The group consulted with geologists and university researchers, as well as the Illinois EPA about their findings.
The wildlife group compared their data to other areas in DuPage county. They consulted with the DuPage County Forest Preserve to find out how "healthy" the landfill ecology at Mallard Lake is.
The landfill alternatives group went to the DuPage County recycling center to find out what percentage of the garbage in the county is recycled. They also wanted to know what could be done to increase recycling efforts in DuPage county. The Internet was a valuable resource to learn about other landfill alternatives.
The major focus of the next group was the so-called NIMBY's, people who say "Not in My Back Yard" when it comes to landfill construction. This is a powerful special interest group which can thwart the efforts of many counties which try to build landfills. With this attitude prevalent in DuPage and many surrounding counties, what can be done when Mallard Lake closes? This group was in contact with County Board members who are trying to resolve this very question.
The last group checked into what will happen to Mallard Lake when it closes. The latest proposal is that it be covered up and turned into a ski hill. This group researched into the feasibility of this proposal as well as many others. They conducted a survey which they gave to a sample of residents in DuPage county, they then passed the results on to the County Board.
After conducting their individual investigations, the class came together to draw some conclusions from their research. The groups each presented their information to one another orally. From these presentations, the class tried to come to a consensus for what they would present to the DuPage County Board. The groups each prepared a written report which they presented to the Board and then they published their reports on the Internet.
The class was assessed in many different ways. The individual students assessed themselves, and their group members. The groups then evaluated one another during their presentations and the teacher evaluated the groups. The students came up with rubrics which they used to do the evaluations.