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The research on the ability to think in systems in education is also minimal, which is why the ability to think in systems in Indonesia has not been optimally trained. Dealing with a system's complexity can be challenging at any age, particularly for students who must apply the system's cognitive capabilities during the learning process. Systems thinking is a key to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competency since it can help learners understand the complexity and dynamics of the world. This research investigates the impact of system thinking on Junior High School students through simple science projects addressing environmental pollution. The study involved 7th-grade students in a private school in Bandung, utilizing a quantitative approach with a one-group pre-test and post-test design; the research aimed to measure the improvement in students' system thinking competency using test items and analyzed the data with SPSS software and Rasch Stacking and Racking. Results from the Wilcoxon test indicated a significant difference after completing learning activities, with a 50% improvement based on Rasch analysis. This underscored the critical role of project-based learning in enhancing system thinking competency. Applying appropriate learning models is expected to enhance students' system thinking competency. The recommendation for future reference to other studies, such as directing the scientific investigation in detail. Design more precisely from the initial stage to the final stage so that the expected learning can be achieved, and students can go through all stages of STEM learning correctly to create a better prototype.

Local leaders are essential for helping Michigan achieve its 30-year water strategy goals. The Michigan Water School is an Extension nonformal educational program to address the knowledge gap of local leaders. We evaluated programs conducted from 2017 to 2019. Results revealed program outcomes in knowledge, attitudes, perceptions of criticalness to work, and stewardship and behavioral intentions aligned to water quality, water quantity, and field experience units. Growth areas for program improvement include water policy, economics, planning, and finance as well as expanding the focus of the program for transformational leadership and to broaden recruitment efforts.

We use novel information about fixture-specific water lead levels (WLLs) in Portland, Oregon schools to explore inequalities in students' potential for exposure to lead in drinking water at school. We find that Black and Hispanic students were in classrooms with higher WLLs than white students primarily because they attended different schools. The elevated exposure of students with non-English first languages was also largely driven by sorting into different schools, although there were marginally significant differences between students within the same school. Our findings underscore the importance of broadly targeted remediation efforts like those implemented in Portland to address environmental injustices.

The incorporation of interdisciplinary education, a topic of significant global interest, is increasingly being recognized as a key aspect of educational innovation in Vietnam. This recognition extends to several fields, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. This research aims to design and implement a STEM situation associated with the context of water protection in Vietnam for 10th-grade students in which students mobilize the knowledge of Physics (specific gravity, Archimedes' principle) and Mathematics (volume) to design a salinometer. This device measures the salinity of the water. The research methodology is based on the observed increase in saline levels in the coastal regions of Vietnam in recent years, which has had a substantial impact on agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of people. This methodology aims to provide realistic scenarios for students to address and resolve these problems. A total of forty students in the 10th grade were involved in a teaching situation that consisted of five distinct phases. Forty 10th-grade students participated in a teaching situation conducted in five phases. The results showed that the situation helped students strengthen and connect their physics and mathematics knowledge, create a vibrant learning atmosphere, enhance communication, and develop problem-solving competency. Furthermore, the teaching situation also needs to be revised regarding the measurement practices of Vietnamese students. The situation contributes to educating students' awareness of current events, protecting Vietnamese water resources, and the importance of sustainable development. In addition, we can use the same teaching process as in this research to develop other STEM teaching situations.

Background: Through the human-centered design process (HCD), students, referred to as learners, can use a personal lens to contextualize engineering concepts and solve real-world problems (Goldman and Kabayadondo 2016). The Ignite program, created by the Center for Global Women's Health Technologies (GWHT) at Duke University, integrates the HCD process into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to advance social justice through an iterative research-topractice methodology. Ignite fosters secondary school students' ability to engineer viable solutions to pressing global issues outlined by the United Nations as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Purpose: This work evaluates the efficacy of the Ignite Water curriculum as a scalable and sustainable intervention for STEM opportunity gaps, SDG #4, and clean water, SDG #6. Ultimately, this work investigates the ability of a community-centered design thinking initiative to transform learners' behavioral indicators, including their knowledge, attitude, and awareness. Methods: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (K.A.P.) methodology was used to capture changes in three indicators of behavior change: (1) learners' relevant content knowledge, (2) their attitudes towards STEM and (3) awareness of healthy water management practices. The mixed methods research tabulated survey data and interviews to determine best practices for STEM intervention programs. Of the 697 participants, 523 learners across 6 schools served as a sample population for this study. Results: The innovative Ignite program engaged a diverse population in engineering solutions for water pollution in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. The intervention increased students' knowledge and awareness related to the local water contamination; especially, the causes of contamination and the treatment options. Female learners demonstrated an increase in self-efficacy in engineering careers, while male learners' self-efficacy for math and community problem-solving increased. Overall, learners' knowledge and awareness of water pollution and their attitudes towards STEM improved. Trainers echoed key findings in semi-structured interviews. Conclusions: Ignite, the sustainable and scalable intervention for social impact, integrated the HCD process with the SDGs to promote local problem solving, improve self-efficacy and broaden participation in engineering.

This paper examined the impact of an environmental justice class positioned against the backdrop of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. Students questioned the link between the water crisis and environmental and racial injustice, as Flint citizens are largely African American and reside below the poverty line. The inquiry guiding this research centered on how students might use their voices to garner agency due to their participation in this class. The students' narratives became counter-stories; at the end of the course, their counter-stories highlighted a positive relationship between students' agency and their desire to become involved in the democratic process. The findings illustrate how participatory projects, ones that students direct themselves, can result in students' feelings of anxiety and complicate the role of the teacher in shaping the curriculum. The discussion examines curriculum design and place-based education adjacent to the complex undertaking of civic engagement with students.

Computational models are employed to study and respond to pressing environmental issues such as groundwater contamination. This use of computational models, which often involves algorithms and uncertainty that are hidden to the public, has implications for environmental science literacy. This study applies a design-based research approach to explore how technology-infused science instruction can scaffold secondary students in developing proficiency with computational modeling of groundwater contamination as a facet of environmental science literacy. Descriptions of research-based, technology-infused learning experiences situated within a groundwater contamination issue-based context are shared, and evidence of students' subsequent learning is presented. Findings suggest that student learning may be supported by enacting instructional experiences that scaffold students in (a) developing first concrete then increasingly abstract understanding of groundwater system structure, function, and dynamics; (b) building conceptual connections between multiple types of models and representations of a system; and (c) explicitly engaging with and judging uncertainties associated with system models, model outputs, and associated arguments. Insights are shared concerning how instructional technologies including physical models, two-dimensional representations (e.g., maps and cross-sections), and computational models may be employed in science teaching to support students in developing computational modeling competencies needed for participating in debates and discussions about socioenvironmental problems like groundwater contamination.

Children are often denied science education that engages their emotions and multiple identities. This study focused on ways in which embodied arts-based experiences offer opportunities for such engagement in pedagogical efforts associated with justice-centered science. The conceptual framework that informed the study considers the body as a site of learning, embraces social justice in science education and engages with the dialectical relationship between various structures and children's agency, and frames the transdisciplinarity of imagination. The instrumental case study centered on a fifth-grade class of Latinx students in an urban public school, as they grappled with lead contamination and peoples' rights to clean water through an embodied, arts-based pedagogy in their science class. Analysis of video clips, student work, and other artifacts pointed to three findings on how children engaged with justice-centered science learning via arts-based embodied activities. Through perspective-taking in the dramatizing, children engaged with science ideas intertwined with sociopolitical understandings. Through centering emotions that drama afforded, children experienced empathy and solidarity with others affected by environmental injustices. Through imagined and enacted participation in struggles that the embodiments necessitated, children engaged in actions to resist injustices. These findings suggest that exploring children's arts-based embodied meaning making in science is a robust area of inquiry. Furthermore, the findings compel researchers and practitioners to consider emotions in performing arts, and how they can deepen engagement in, and exploration of, justice-centered science. Recommendations emerged for practitioners poised to explore justice-centered science with children through the arts.

Engagement with socioscientific issues (SSI) is seen as an important citizenship goal of SSI-based science education. In this experimental study, Dutch students (age 8 to 13) participated in lesson series in which they learned about and discussed SSI, such as issues related to the textile industry and wastewater. Attitudes toward SSI indicating engagement were measured among relatively large experimental (n = 236) and control (n = 192) groups prior to and after the intervention. Multilevel analyses showed a positive effect of SSI-based teaching on collective efficacy and no effects on the other seven attitude components. Furthermore, we investigated whether the effects depended on students' SSI-related resources. Students' profiles for use of sources of knowledge (USK) moderated the effect of condition on self-efficacy and--depending on analysis type--on personal relevance, positive feelings, and collective efficacy. The positive impact occurred mainly for students with low USK. We discuss implications thereof for SSI education.

This research focuses on the evaluation of the impact on students' attitudes towards the environment, fostered by their involvement in an educational citizen science project related to the monitoring of physicochemical properties and the detection of (micro)plastics in Portuguese coastal waters. We developed an attitude scale, comprising four dimensions (Collective, Personal, Recycling and Reuse and Microplastics), which was applied, as a pre-test and post-test, to 574 middle school students (aged 12-14): 442 in the experimental group and 132 in the control group. Initially, based on pre-test results, both groups revealed positive attitudes. In the experimental group, the post-test results revealed that significantly positive attitude changes were promoted in all dimensions, whereas, in the control group, this occurred only in the Personal dimension. The control group also exhibited significantly negative attitude changes in the collective dimension. Students' engagement in sustainability-related citizen science projects can enhance environmentally literate society.

As two White, privileged educators and researchers, we have questioned, challenged, and examined how to best operate in diverse classrooms, keeping in mind our joint goals of advancing socially just teaching agendas alongside our desire not to "whitesplain" issues centering on race to students of color. Through narrative case phenomenology and Critical Whiteness Studies frameworks, we analyze separate classroom events in which racialized content was both unexpected and foregrounded. Our responses in these moments, and our ensuing conversations and intellectual discussions, serve as data for this paper. Additionally, these scenarios are ripe for analysis as we have served either as teachers or researchers with distinct priorities and roles. The classroom scenarios we present have caused both our personal introspection and professional growth. Implications for practice include our assessment of antiracist teaching as a moral and ethical issue that belongs in classroom space, no matter the educational circumstances.

The purpose of this study is to examine changes in pre-service science teachers' entrepreneurship mindsets during engineering design-based activities. A holistic single-case study was used in the study. Twenty-eight pre-service teachers carried out engineering design-based activities (five weeks, 20 hours) in the science teaching laboratory practices course. The pre-service teachers' use of Entrepreneurship Mindsets (EM) in solving the water pollution problem during engineering design-based activities was examined in this study. Data were collected via engineering design challenge worksheets and public service announcements. The data were analyzed with the Extended KEEN Student Outcomes (eKSOs) rubric. Frequency tables were created in line with the sub-dimensions of EM (curiosity, connections, creating value, communication, character, and collaboration). As a result of the research, it was found that the pre-service teachers mostly used curiosity, connections, and creating value during the water treatment and wastewater assessment plant design process. Engineering is an important context for the development of EM as it creates various contexts that contribute to the development of these mindsets in pre-service science teacher education.

A survey and exploratory study were conducted to analyze Lake Tempe as a resource for contextual learning (CTL). The first phase of the study included exploring the lake's potential through interviews with the people who live in the lake's coastal region. Quadrat transects were done to identify aquatic plants around the lake. A feasibility analysis was conducted to see the lake's potential as a learning resource. Field data were collected and compared to the environmental biology (EB) curriculum, responses, and learning outcome. The data were analyzed descriptively and tested using a paired sample t-test. The results showed differences in the three stations' physicochemical parameters and decreased quality of the water. It was found that anthropogenic activity had a significant contribution to the lake's pollution. Nine species of six aquatic plant families were found in the lake. The survey revealed that the lake was feasible as a learning resource with criteria easy to access, safety, time efficiency, costs, and the material's suitability for EB courses. The t-test showed a difference in the students' scores between before and after exploration practices. These findings suggest that Lake Tempe can serve as a resource for CTL in EB courses.

A laboratory experiment was designed and implemented in a STEM teaching laboratory at Michigan State University to engage students in an activity that not only introduced an innovative nitrate detection technique but also addressed one of the negative impacts of climate change, that is, the eutrophication of water bodies. The adverse effects of eutrophication on public health due to the presence of cyanotoxins make it crucial to monitor the trophic state of water bodies, which can be assessed by measuring the nitrate and phosphate concentrations. We developed a rapid method to measure nitrate concentrations in freshwater samples using a Hanna Instruments Checker, which was designed to measure nitrate levels in seawater. We identified the sample matrix that would maximize the accuracy of the Checker instrument for freshwater samples and validated the analytical method via ion chromatography. Students gained knowledge of other aspects of laboratory procedures, such as sample collection, sample storage, and material compatibility, which are often ignored during conventional teaching practices.

We describe a short, interactive case-based activity for illustrating cognitive distortions of communication underlying resistance to change. Based on a real-life story, the case describes a failed effort by the mayor of Toowoomba, Australia to fund a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant. After reading the case, students work individually and in small groups to identify examples of cognitive distortions in the communication between the mayor's office and the citizens of Toowoomba and then suggest better approaches based on evidence-based principles of persuasion. The Wastewater case is both engaging and versatile and has proven popular for students in undergraduate, graduate, and executive education courses. We discuss learning objectives, provide step-by-step instructions for running the activity, describe variations and adaptations for online courses, and include suggestions for debriefing the activity.

Secondary schools in Maine and New Hampshire have been involved in a citizen science program called "All About Arsenic" aimed at addressing arsenic contamination of well water, one of the most pressing public health issues in both states. Nearly half of the population of Maine and New Hampshire derive their drinking water from private wells which often have arsenic levels above the EPA limit of 10 ppb. Arsenic exposure can cause cancer, adverse cardiovascular effects, and other health problems. Addressing this issue in schools provides context and motivation for students to engage in scientific inquiry and acquire data literacy skills. This project involves students collecting well water samples for arsenic analysis, entering their data into an online citizen science data portal, Anecdata, and using Tuva online software tools to visualize and interpret their data. Students present their data at public meetings to inform community members of their findings with the goal of moving "data to action". The COVID-19 pandemic presented multiple challenges for teachers engaging their students in this citizen science project. We adapted our program and implemented a series of interventions aimed at supporting teachers in their continued efforts to engage their students the "All About Arsenic" project.

As the use of plastics expands, microplastic concentrations increase in aquatic environments and negatively impact water, soil, and animals inhabiting these areas. Microplastic research frequently incorporates citizen science to assist in data collection and environmental education. These projects provide opportunities for greater societal inclusion in science by involving volunteers and increasing the science capital in individuals with fewer science experiences. Integrating the goals of microplastic citizen science projects through a high school laboratory can increase students' knowledge of this critical issue while incorporating innovative science activities in classrooms. This paper describes three activities designed for high school students to extract, quantify, and observe microplastics from personal care products, water, and sediment samples. Relevant citizen science-inspired activities can increase environmental stewardship and students' science capital while creating a culture of engagement with science-related activities.

With water shortage and increasing demand for water, education may have an important role in promoting the sustainable management of water resources. Educational curricula are the key resources used by teachers for students' teaching and training purposes. This study assessed water culture and water education-related criteria and standards in programmes and school curricula for Primary, Middle and upper Secondary school education in Morocco. It also investigated teachers for suggestions and views regarding methods for water-related topics and concepts implementation. The main tools used consisted of a content analysis grid for programmes and educational guidelines. A questionnaire and interviews were administered to 95 teachers of different subject areas, belonging to the three investigated school levels. Findings showed that the occurrence of water education criteria and standards is weak in school curricula of the investigated school levels. They were explicitly or implicitly addressed depending on the subject areas. The main topics consisted of water cycle definition, water as a vital source, water pollution sources, water economy interest. However, no reference has been made to water law, its accessibility, aesthetics and water-related professions.

This study investigated the implementation of a place-based socioscientific issue curricular unit designed to improve rising middle school students' abilities to think critically about the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing and engage in evidence-based reasoning on whether the practice should be banned in Massachusetts. Forty-three rising middle school students from a summer enrichment program for science, mathematics, reading and writing operated by a non-profit organization in the northeastern United States participated in this study. The instructional unit exposed the students to information and activities on hydraulic fracturing for five consecutive days (50 minutes each day). The findings from this study showed that through productive socioscientific issues pedagogy, the students used the evidence collected from their investigation to engage in evidence-based reasoning about the cost and benefits of hydraulic fracturing on the public health, economy, and the environment. The students used their understanding of the science and engineering practices to construct valid arguments on whether or not hydraulic fracturing should be allowed in their state. The results further indicate that the use of socioscientific issues as a critical pedagogical strategy can equip students with the skills necessary for them to become better advocates for themselves and their communities.

Silver and its compounds have been widely used in experimental teaching, industrial production, and other fields. In these processes, a large amount of wastewater containing silver is usually produced, which might contribute to environmental pollution. Therefore, recycling silver from wastewater not only has good economic value but also meets the requirements of sustainable development, which is also a hot topic emerging in chemical teaching. In this demonstration, polyaniline is used to efficiently recover silver ions from simulated wastewater. Through the regulation of time, temperature, and the morphology of polyaniline particles, a series of silver with rich morphology is obtained, showing the beauty of chemistry and arousing students' interest in chemistry. This demonstration can cultivate audiences awareness of resource recycling and environmental protection and guide them to enjoy the fun of chemistry.

Biosphere contamination is a current environmental and social issue that must be included in the school programme. It is essential that students recognise their responsibility, and be knowledgeable about the generation and reduction of environmental pollution. Dyes are usually used in school activities and discharged into household effluents, constituting potential toxic agents. To offer solutions to this problem, it was proposed to evaluate the ability of "Lemna" sp. plants to remove synthetic dyes. For this, activities that require accessible resources and minimum safety precautions were designed, which could be carried out by students at home in the virtual education modality imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The practical experience integrated theoretical-practical contents from different disciplines, achieving a true interdisciplinary dialogue. The use of "Lemna" sp. secured a fast and significant dye decolourisation, demonstrating the importance of biodiversity in the attenuation of environmental changes due to anthropogenic activities. This experience allowed us to arrive at an interdisciplinary, significant and situated learning experience through the implementation of the scientific method.

Purpose: This study explores whether farmers across England believe that advice on diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) which is currently provided for free at the point of delivery is credible, relevant, and legitimate ('CRELE') enough to justify paying towards. Methodology: A mixed-methods study consisting of an online questionnaire survey (n = 225) and telephone interviews of farmers (n = 60) and farm advisors (n = 50) was conducted. Findings: Across all methods (n = 330), 63.3% of participants (n = 208) responded negatively to the prospect of paying towards DWPA advice, with just 10% expressing a clear willingness to contribute. The main negative themes related to categorical unwillingness, financial constraints, the presence of alternative sources of advice, the accountability of farmers, and exclusion risk. Factors which may increase willingness included the delivery of high quality, farm-salient advice, or where compliance requires engagement. Practical implications: This paper concludes that governments should continue to provide free advice on DWPA if water quality goals are to be met. Originality/value: This is the first known European study which explores farmer willingness to pay towards advice for DWPA. Theoretical implications: The use of the 'CRELE' framework is novel as it is typically used to explore science-policy interfaces.

Freshwater, which is present on land, is covered in Hydrography issues within the field of Geography. Hydrography course helps students to understand and interpret the mechanism, importance, distribution, relationship with other earth systems and living life. The importance of freshwater resources, which have been affected by climate changes or climatic irregularities and which have dwindled as a result of the misuse of humans, is increasing day by day. Failed to reach a significant portion of the world's population with clean fresh water, hydroelectric power plants and dams negative impacts on the ecosystem of waste due to contaminated water, biodiversity could not be protected, drought-bound migrations, and wrong water use in agriculture, flood and water damage issues such as waste, water, depending on is one of the major problems facing our world today. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the awareness of the students taking Hydrography courses on the conservation of freshwater resources. To this end, it is designed with the method of qualitative research and as descriptive work. The working group consists of 40 students who take Hydrography courses at Karabük University Faculty of Letters Department of Geography. The participants were selected from Geography Department students whose knowledge of Hydrography course was fresh. The data was collected through an open-ended questionnaire and the findings were analyzed descriptive. According to the findings of the study, the students stated that the distribution of freshwater on the Earth is not stable and adequate, the species in the water is damaged, future investments in water should be planned in advance, and waste should be returned to the economy by recycling instead of pouring into streams and lakes. As a result of the study, it was found that students were aware of problems with freshwater, but believed that their ability to do so individually was limited, and generally expected the solution from the state. According to these results, it may be suggested that it would be beneficial for students to be encouraged to participate in social work practices, Non-Governmental Organizations and projects in which they can take an active role.

The territory of Indonesia is dominated by vast oceans. Therefore, Indonesian citizens should be equipped with a deep understanding about sea currents and sea pollution. This study aims to identify the conceptions held by pre-service primary school teachers about both sea currents and sea pollutant migration. The study also aims to identify whether pre-service primary school teachers see a relationship occurring between those conceptions. The study involved 147 pre-service primary school teachers from one of Indonesia's teacher training institutions. Four-tier diagnostic tests were used to gather data about the conceptions of pre-service primary teachers. The data were interpreted and analyzed in a descriptive quantitative method. The results showed that pre-service primary school teachers' conceptions about sea currents and sea pollutant migration were mostly in the category of 'misconception' and 'have no conception'. The correlation test about the ability of pre-service primary school teachers to explain the concepts of sea currents and sea pollutant migration was also not significant. The results of this study indicate a need to improve the quality of teaching and learning for pre-service primary school teachers about convection by linking it to sea currents and sea pollutant migration.

Cognitive development is a part of neuroscience related with development of human being. The study aimed to assess the effect of consumed arsenic contaminated ground water on the developmental aspects of children in Jorhat, Assam. In this case-control study, 225 primary school children from 20 schools of Jorhat, Assam, India, participated who consumed expected moderate and low levels of arsenic contaminated groundwater getting from tube well both inside and outside the school campus. The amount of arsenic present in the sample was determined through spectrophotometer and arsenic assessment kits. The complex relationship among the latent constructs and their behaviour influenced due to the effect of arsenic in the groundwater level was analyzed through path analysis by using AMOS version 21. It was resulted that there was a significant positive relationship between arsenic and the developmental phenomena of primary school children.

The chemistry laboratory is an impactful platform for introducing inquiry and developing science practice skills. We designed a short lab course to introduce incremental levels of inquiry, also to interconnect and integrate different domains of chemistry. Indigo dye was the central theme of this short course wherein students synthesized indigo, dyed the yarns, analyzed the generated wastewater, and, finally, devised a treatment plan. This article describes the implementation of this short course as an explorative case study with 12 first-year undergraduate participants (4 small groups). Our study aimed to understand how science practice skills could be developed through the incremental approach to inquiry levels. The lab task sheet, lab reports, and transcripts of the group discussion were used as the data for qualitative analysis. Additionally, responses in the questionnaire were analyzed to understand students' perceptions and their experiences in this course. The results indicate that introducing inquiry at an incremental level is a promising approach to help students develop science practice skills. The first two experiments helped students to learn to formulate a hypothesis. The third and fourth experiments helped students to learn to design experiments. The quality of the hypothesis and explanation offered for observations enhanced with the progress of the course. The lab report pointers helped students to communicate their results systematically and helped to establish a connection between the hypothesis, data, and explanations, favoring the engagement with science practice skills.

In response to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, USA, early childhood education was one of the targets of intervention and prevention for children who were exposed to lead poisoning, because high-quality child care could potentially help improve their developmental trajectories. The Provider Empowerment Program used human-centered design (HCD) to uncover unmet and overlooked needs among child care providers. We discuss the theoretical framework that guided the project and led to a focus on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care providers. We also present three examples of solutions that were uniquely shaped to meet the needs of FFN child care providers in Flint. Each solution was developed by a process that included taking the perspective of the people who faced the problem, spending time to understand the context of the problem, and uncovering the underlying problem which was not apparent at first. Recommendations for use of HCD in community-based problem-solving are discussed.

Recent calls for reform in K-12 science education and the National Academy of Engineering's Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century emphasize improving science teaching, students' engagement, and learning. In this study, we designed and implemented a curriculum unit for sixth-grade students (i = 1305). The curriculum unit integrated science and engineering content and practices to teach ecology, water pollution, and engineering design. We investigated the designed integrated STEM unit's effectiveness in students' science learning outcomes on pre-, post-, and delayed post-assessments. We collected pre-and post-assessment data of students' science learning outcomes for both the baseline group (taught via existing district-adopted curriculum) and an intervention group (taught with integrated life science and engineering curriculum). We used a quasi-experimental research design and examined differences between baseline and intervention groups. We used ANCOVA to explore differences in students' learning in baseline and intervention groups. Furthermore, for students in the intervention group, we conducted repeated-measures ANOVA to investigate knowledge retention. Our analyses also accounted for students' gender and People of Color (POC) status. We conducted multiple regression analyses to explore the relationship between students' gender, POC status, and their learning outcomes. The results indicated that the intervention group students performed significantly better than the students in the baseline group. The repeated measures ANOVA showed that students in the intervention group retained science knowledge after 8 weeks of instruction. Finally, the regression analysis for the baseline group showed that gender and POC status were not significant predictors of their post-assessment scores. However, POC status was a significant predictor of post-assessment scores and knowledge retention for the intervention group. Overall, this study provides valuable findings on how an integrated STEM curriculum designed with engineering design and practices improves students' science learning outcomes.

Nearly a decade ago, the "Framework for K-12 Science Education" argued for the need to intertwine science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts in performance expectations. However, there are few empirical examples for how intertwining three dimensions facilitates learning. In this study, we used a learning progressions approach to examine how student engagement in computational thinking (science and engineering practice) intertwines with learning about the flow of water through environmental systems (disciplinary core ideas) and understanding of systems and system models (crosscutting concept). We developed three secondary-level curriculum units situated in current groundwater contamination and urban flooding contexts. Units included specially designed NetLogo computational models. Post-assessments measured student performances in computational thinking processes and understanding of hydrologic systems. Using item response theory in our analysis, we identified distinct levels of performance on a learning progression. At the lower end, literal model users interacted with models and manipulated model interfaces to achieve a specified goal. In the middle, Model Technicians used computational models to solve real-world problems. At the upper end, principle-based model users used computational thinking processes and principles related to systems modeling and hydrology to explain how the models worked to predict water flow. Differences between performances of literal model users, model technicians, and principle-based model users reflected shifts in how students made sense of the systems and system models crosscutting concept. These shifts in performances aligned with progress in computational thinking practices and finally with use of hydrology disciplinary core ideas. These findings contribute to understanding of how science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts intertwine during learning; how computational thinking practices develop; and how computational thinking about system models facilitates learning for environmental science literacy.

An integrated laboratory experience using metal--organic frameworks (MOFs), a nanoporous and crystalline extended solid material composed of metal cations and organic linkers, was developed and adopted for upper-division, major-level chemistry and biochemistry students. In this laboratory, students were guided through the facile solvothermal synthesis of four MOFs: UiO-66, UiO-66-NH[subscript 2], ZIF-8, and ZIF-67. Characterization, specifically powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) were used to evaluate the crystallinity, morphology, and composition of the MOFs, respectively. Students then investigated the effects of measurement conditions (MOF dosage, MOF surface charge, and charge density of dye counterions) on the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions using the synthesized MOFs. Through the utilization of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV-vis spectroscopy, students confirmed the binding of dyes and quantified the amounts of dye removed from solution. Students found that all four porous and crystalline MOFs removed acid orange 7 and malachite green from water, but ZIF-67 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity of 30 mg of acid orange 7 per gram of ZIF-67 at a dosage of 5 mg. This laboratory experience allows students to apply and connect concepts found in general, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry while simultaneously getting introduced to various instrumentation and lab techniques within a growing field in materials chemistry. Exposure to this field can help stimulate student interest, expose them to sustainability problems and potential solutions, and implement strategies to help solve these challenges.

The objective in this study was to explore factors that shape how residents manage their home landscapes, and we applied Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations to understand fertilizer practices and implications for Extension programming to address non-point source pollution. Data were drawn from a statewide survey of 1,197 Floridians. We identified the extent to which Floridians were using 10 residential fertilizer best practices, how Floridians' perceived characteristics of fertilizer innovations related to adoption, and evaluated how the educational needs pertaining to fertilizer use differed among non-innovative and innovative individuals. Respondents were most engaged in practices such as reading fertilizer packages and labels to apply the correct amount and least engaged in soil testing to inform fertilizer applications as well as asking their landscape professional about training. Floridians perceived the five characteristics of fertilizer best practices at a moderate level overall, and of these, characteristics, compatibility, trialability, and relative advantage predicted adoption. Innovative individuals were more interested in learning from colleagues, neighbors, and public organizations such as Cooperative Extension and government organizations. They were also more interested in learning by visiting an Extension office or through social media than those who were non-innovative. This study may inform policy-making such as local landscape ordinances and planning of Extension behavior change programs.

Chemical solubility and equilibria are paramount for understanding everyday systems. Recent events have led to more interest by the general public in chemical equilibria that occur in drinking water systems. This presents a great opportunity to increase student interest and engagement in the more complicated aspects of chemical equilibria. Shiny Apps allow exploration of complex equilibria without requiring that students (or instructors) get buried in the minutia. The application presented here, https://bazilio.shinyapps.io/LeadSolubilityCaseStudy/, can be used for instruction in chemistry or environmental science and only uses an internet browser such as Safari or Chrome; it is compatible with mobile browsers. Students are assigned a case study on the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis which guides them through lead sulfate, chloride, phosphate, and hydroxide equilibria, using the app to explore their intuitions about this complex chemical system.

We describe here a 4 hour experimental session based on reaction monitoring of the degradation of an organic pollutant via a Fenton-like reaction. An aqueous solution of p-nitrophenol is treated with hydrogen peroxide and magnetite, and the progress of the reaction is monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometry and/or gas chromatography using an internal standard. During that session, undergraduate students discovered a new scope of heterogeneous catalysis, namely, a green process for water depollution. Behind the simplicity of setting up the Fenton-like reaction, they were challenged by the requirements of replicability and precision of the quantitative tracking of the reaction. They appreciated being confronted with a realistic environmental problem and seeing what role catalysis and modern chemistry could play to tackle the issue.

The undergraduates in the major of Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering frequently ignored the importance of identifying pollution sources for water environment monitoring and knew little about the techniques of identifying pollution sources. Thus, a laboratory experiment which focused on pollution sources identification in a water body was designed to help students to solve these issues. In this laboratory exercise, students collected surface water samples from a pond, namely, Shui-Mu Tsinghua (SMTH), and evaluated its water quality through water quality parameters (WQPs). Afterward, the students scanned a fluorescence fingerprint (FF) of the SMTH water body by fluorescence spectrometer and determined the suspected pollution source through parallel factor analysis and Tucker congruence coefficient. Students' performance from post-lab quizzes and experimental reports implied that they understood the significance of identifying pollution sources for practical water environment monitoring. Some students presented great interest in the FF technique and proposed several suggestions to improve its ability to identify pollution sources.

Stunting is an important issue as it leads to many adverse consequences on children's health. Pakistan is in public health crisis due to higher stunting rates in children. World Health Organization entails the prevalence of stunting to be less than 2.5% in a healthy population, but every third child is stunted in Punjab (largest province of Pakistan by area and population). By using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Punjab, 2018 and employing multilevel logistic regression analyses, this study finds that children whose mothers are educated and have better access to drinking water and antenatal care have lower odds of stunting. Access to better and accessible health care, education especially of girls/women, and clean water can reduce stunting in children. The government needs to give special attention to these factors to help children grow healthy.

Students reasoning with data in an authentic science environment had the opportunity to learn about the process of science and the world around them while developing skills to analyze and interpret self-collected and secondhand data. Our results show that nearly 50% of the treatment group responses were accurate when describing the reason for measuring water parameters, compared with 26% in the traditional lab group. When pre- and post-survey scores were compared, students in the treatment group outperformed students in the traditional group on four items: making claims about water pollution based on data; understanding water pollution in the Hudson River; understanding the relationship between temperature, pH, and salinity values; and feeling prepared to justify their reasoning on water pollution. Our evidence points to greater engagement by the treatment group and stronger descriptions about their claims, evidence, and reasoning around measuring water parameters and potential water pollution problems.

The active participation of citizens in scientific research, through citizen science, has been proven successful. However, knowledge on the potential of citizen science within formal chemistry learning, at the conceptual and procedural levels, remains insufficiently explored. We developed a citizen science project -- PVC: Perceiving the Value of Chemistry behind water and microplastics -- which sought to involve students in monitoring the physicochemical parameters of coastal water quality, through the detection of microplastics in these waters, in addition to the qualitative identification of plastic contaminants on beaches. The project was conducted throughout the 2018/2019 school year and involved 442 middle school students (Key Stage 3 (KS3) aged 12-14, in Portuguese schools) and 9 chemistry teachers, in the northern coastal region of Portugal. The data on learning outcomes was collected through knowledge tests, applied after project conclusion, and was then compared to data collected up to six months later (retention test). In addition, interviews were conducted with participants, and researchers' field notes were recorded and analyzed. Data analysis suggests the PVC project promoted conceptual chemistry learning related to the analysis of physicochemical water parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, salinity, nitrate and nitrite concentrations and dissolved oxygen), as well as polymers (polymer types, formation and structure). A positive knowledge retention was registered a few months after the project conclusion. At a process level, participants learned laboratory techniques (sieving, gravity and reduced pressure filtrations and crystallization) and the handling of laboratory materials. Furthermore, teachers recognized that their students' participation in the PVC project fostered the development of their argumentation skills, as well as their reflexive and critical thinking skills. The ability to communicate ideas and results, along with the development of students' digital skills, was also mentioned.

In an effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) members use hands-on experiential learning opportunities to train teacher ambassadors throughout the bay's jurisdictions. Teacher ambassadors use the skills they learn to develop a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) for their students to raise awareness of how communities can care for the local watershed. The teacher ambassadors at Lower Dauphin High School designed and implemented an outdoor, investigatory opportunity for their students during the 2018-2019 school year. This article describes how this ninth-grade class (nearly 300 students) gathered data on stream health, explored the watershed and stormwater runoff with tech tools, and designed a student action project using social media to connect their experience with the community.

Environmental education aims to change the perception of people about the environment. Primary education (four to eleven years old) is a fundamental stage in the development of children's conduct, so enhancing learning of the environment in which they live is essential for them to start recognizing nature as part of their life. We tested students' perception before (pre-test) and after (post-test) a specific environmental education activity elaborated in a ludic and interdisciplinary way (psychological, biological, performing arts and educational perspectives), with more moments of practice than only theoretical or rhetorical. Our study showed that schools located in cities with low Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) can present satisfactory results in relation to students' environmental perception (hypothesis 1), that this perception does not differ according to nationwide educational indexes such as the Brazilian Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) (2), and that regardless of MHDI, there is an increase in this perception after environmental education activities, even a single activity (3). The developed methodology was effective in changing students' environmental perception, and can be used in an interdisciplinary way, even when resources are scarce.

Water is critical to our health and well-being, yet one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water. Earth's water is threatened by pollution, deforestation, urban growth, and climate changes. This article describes a unit for kindergarten children called The Water We Drink.

The purpose of this study was to develop e-learning activities that could facilitate the integration of sustainability concepts and practices in engineering and chemical education. Using an online learning management system (LMS), undergraduate students in an applied chemistry program at a public university in Zimbabwe participated in an online discussion on the role of chemical reaction engineering in achieving environmental sustainability goals. In the second activity, the students were instructed to prepare a design report for a cost-effective and innovative wastewater treatment plant for a rural hospital. The design report was evaluated through peer review online. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on the two online activities to evaluate student engagement, quality of responses and the incorporation of sustainability into their learning. In the online discussion, 97 comments were made averaging 120 words per comment. Furthermore, the students averaged 3.88 comments, with the majority of comments exhibiting simple and complex argumentation, a deep reflection and widespread use of terms associated with sustainability such as recycling, pollution, waste and the environment. Furthermore, the evaluation of peer reviews revealed that participants demonstrated they could identify the strengths and shortcomings in the design reports. Therefore, this study demonstrated that e-learning, particularly peer review and online discussion, could help chemistry and engineering students appreciate the need for chemical and engineering activities that encourage sustainable development.

The purpose of this study is to improve students' knowledge and awareness regarding the scale of pollution that has engulfed the Istanbul Strait as well as the general threats faced by the ecosystem. Towards this end, 2310 1-12 grade students were sampled from schools in Istanbul to serve as study participants. To collect the research data, two different instruments namely Personal Information Questionnaire and Information Tests developed by the researchers were used. When the data collected with the questionnaire was examined, it was observed that students' knowledge concerning marine pollution generally came from their teachers and the Internet. Students who took most information from the Internet were those in the high school. The least source of information to students however was civil society organizations. With respect to the courses at school, the students reported taking most information regarding pollution of the sea from their science and social studies' textbooks. When it comes to the results obtained using the tests administered, it was observed that the average scores for posttest were higher than the average scores for pretest across all the levels. In order to examine whether or not the difference between the posttest average scores and the pretest average scores is significant, a t-test analysis was performed; and the results revealed that across all the levels, the differences observed between the average scores for posttest and pretest are significant. These findings and results provide concrete supports for the success of the educational training implemented in the study.

This paper illustrates a year-long case study investigating in-service teachers' needs and mentor's practices in implementing cutting-edge research science topics as nanotechnology and plastics in the ocean in primary education. In a Community of Learners design and with the support of a mentor, ten primary teachers implemented in 6th grade students a teaching-learning sequence either on "Nanotechnology Applications" or on "Plastics--bane of the ocean." Data were mainly collected by audio-recordings of the training meetings. The results give insights in primary teachers' needs when implementing such topics and mentor's practices in order to support them in this endeavor. Specifically, they indicate increased teacher needs on instructional strategies of approaching cutting-edge research topics. These needs were covered by the mentor employing a wide range of practices, mostly by directly guiding and modeling the conduction of activities.

Water pollution has been one of the major issues of the present time. It is essential to educate students regarding this issue and its possible solutions. In this article, a demonstration of a typical adsorption-based water cleaning process is presented. The removal of methylene blue (MB) and detergent from an aqueous solution is demonstrated using rice husk as the adsorbent. Quantification of the MB removal was achieved with the help of a smartphone-based colorimetry process. This demonstration would be helpful to students for understanding the adsorption process, calibration curves, and waste management. The kinetic study of adsorption will help students learn various kinetic models and their applications.

In this laboratory experiment, students explore the aquatic photochemical fate of ranitidine and cimetidine, two common pharmaceutical pollutants found in wastewater. It provides an engaging environmental context for students to develop knowledge of reaction kinetics and photochemistry as well as skill in using analytical instrumentation. This versatile experiment consists of two basic modules, three optional advanced modules, and additional add-ons that may be performed in various combinations to meet the unique learning objectives of general, analytical, physical, and environmental chemistry courses and science outreach activities. It may be performed as a traditional lab experiment or as an entirely remote exercise with an increased focus on data analysis and interpretation using provided example data sets. All of the photolysis experiments are carried out by preparing solutions of ranitidine or cimetidine in various matrices, irradiating the samples, and periodically removing subsamples for HPLC analysis of the compound of interest. Pseudo-first order kinetic plots are then generated to determine rate constants that are used to draw conclusions about photolysis pathways or to calculate additional kinetic parameters. In the two basic modules, cimetidine is found to degrade appreciably only when irradiated in the presence natural organic matter (NOM), indicating an indirect, photosensitized degradation pathway. In contrast, ranitidine degrades in pure buffer and in the presence of NOM with comparable rate constants, highlighting the predominant role of direct photolysis. In the advanced modules, students calculate ranitidine direct photolysis quantum yields and examine the significance of singlet oxygen as a photochemically produced reactive intermediate. The two basic modules may be completed in two 3 hour lab periods, while the advanced modules require additional time. This experiment requires only an HPLC instrument, inexpensive chemicals, and common glassware and lab equipment if performed in person and a personal computer if performed remotely.