Interested in learning about and conducting local environmental research?

Interested in pedagogical and assessment methods for integrating local environmental research into your classroom?

If you answered yes to these questions then our environmental science professional development program may be for you. 

The Departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Earth and Atmospheric Science, Purdue University have received a grant from the Eisenhower Professional Development Program funds, administered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to implement an Environmental Science Institute for Indiana teachers.  Information about this years institute is found below.  Additional information about the institute may be obtained by clicking on the buttons in the left column.

Participants in the institute will: 

• select and adopt environmental science content to meet the needs and interests of students, providing a personal and social context for learning science;
• develop inquiry and issues-based pedagogy and alternative assessment tasks for use in the classroom;
• use student data, observations of teaching, and interactions with colleagues to reflect on, inform, and improve practice;
• engage students in extended investigations, creating settings that support inquiry and cooperation; and
• use community resources from outside of the school environment.

Teachers will reconvene at Purdue, during the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000 (4 days, 2 in the fall, 1999 and 2 in the spring, 2000), to present results of their teaching using inquiry and issues-based pedagogy, as well as alternative assessment. The academic year workshops will engage participants in reflection on and revision of practice and provide an opportunity to discuss state level environmental resources and issues. Pedagogical and assessment methods will be covered to further enhance participants' inquiry-based and issues-based pedagogy. Teachers will create a poster presentation for the annual HASTI conference.

This year's institute focuses on environmental concepts, issues, and research surrounding the management of wetlands and watersheds. In addition to their ecological significance, wetlands play important and often unappreciated roles in flood reduction, groundwater recharge, water quality protection, and recreation. The destruction of wetlands has numerous environmental impacts, however, once drained, former wetland areas can become highly productive agricultural areas, or prime real estate for development. Participants are learning about wetlands concepts and issues through the Celery Bog case study, a local wetland impacted by agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational land use, and focus of much local debate and community activism. 
 

Burnett Creek in Battle Ground is introducing participants to stream ecology and water quality issues within a watershed.  Like wetlands, streams are located within a watershed.  A watershed is an area of land that drains into a particular stream, like Burnett Creek.  A creek may flow into a river located in a larger watershed.  For example, Burnett Creek flows into the Wabash River.  Thus, large watersheds are comprised of subwatersheds.  In the Lafayette area, the water quality of the Wabash River is impacted not only by water that drains from the surrounding land, but by water that flows into it from other streams like Burnett Creek.  The water quality and ecology of Burnett Creek is influenced by the degree of point source (pollution from a known source or location such as a pipe or sewage treatment facility) and nonpoint source pollution (pollution picked up by rainwater that flows over land as it drains into a stream.  Examples of nonpoint source pollution are debris from construction sites, fertilizers from lawns and agricultural fields, and run off from parking lots) that drains into it from the surrounding land within the watershed.