Household versus natural environment

The Household versus natural environment SAILS unit focuses on the environmental implications of the use of cleaning agents. Students investigate the growth of cress in various conditions, allowing them to determine the impact of commonly used household chemicals on the environment. Students assess the consequences of daily decisions taken in their homes and thus develop a sense of responsibility for the actions they take. This unit is recommended for implementation at both lower and upper second level, as a guided or open inquiry conducted over two lesson periods.

This unit can be used for development of many inquiry skills, in particular planning investigations, developing hypotheses and working collaboratively. In addition, students can develop their scientific reasoning skills through collecting data and drawing conclusions, and enrich their scientific literacy by critically evaluating their investigations. Some assessment methods described include teacher observation, use of student artefacts and self-assessment.

This unit was trialled in Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Poland – producing six case studies of implementation (lower and upper second level students; mixed ability and gender). Key skills assessed were planning investigations, working collaboratively and forming coherent arguments. This activity was shown to enrich students' scientific literacy, in particular the ability to present scientific data and to understand the environment impact of household chemicals. Assessment was based on teacher observation and the evaluation of students' presentations.

Unit booklet

Key content / concepts

Properties of cleaning and washing agents
Ecotoxicity

Level

Lower
Upper

Inquiry skills and competencies assessed

Planning investigations
Developing hypotheses
Forming coherent arguments
Working collaboratively
Scientific reasoning
Scientific literacy

Assessment methods

Classroom dialogue
Teacher observation
Peer-assessment
Self-assessment
Worksheets
Student devised materials
Presentations
Other assessment items

The teaching and learning activities described in the Household versus natural environment SAILS inquiry and assessment unit were based on the “Sustainable washing for a clean environment” project, which was further developed by the FP7 ESTABLISH project unit Chemical care. The activity was adapted for the SAILS project by the team at Jagiellonian University.

The problem under consideration in this unit is the ecological consequences of the use of cleaning agents at home (e.g. detergents used to clean textiles). The outlined investigation allows students to assess the consequences of everyday decisions in a scientific way. The aim is to give 14 to 18-year-old students an insight into the potential environmental effects of the incorrect use of household chemicals, such as detergents. Various household detergents may be the subject of investigation, which will allow the teacher to match the activities to the students’ interests. In addition, the proposed activity may be implemented as a guided or open inquiry, as appropriate for the student group.

In this section we present some tools for formative assessment of the following competencies: students’ prior knowledge, involvement in the discussion, inquiry plans, data presentation, ability to search for information and group work. Several key opportunities have been identified for the assessment of inquiry skills during this activity, and tools for the assessment include observation sheets, rubrics and self-assessment cards. It is recommended that the teacher pre-select some students for evaluation through in-class observation, while all students can be assessed through collection of student artefacts, such as group worksheets.

Below you can find the full inquiry and assessment unit for download, as well as an archive with classroom materials, including student worksheets and assessment tools for teachers to be used during the activities if available.

Unit booklet Classroom materials

Activity A: Household versus natural environment

Concept focus	Properties of household cleaning and washing agents Ecotoxicity
Inquiry skills focus	Planning investigations Developing hypotheses Working collaboratively
Scientific reasoning	Considering the influence of various factors
Scientific literacy	Drawing conclusions using reasoned arguments and evidence Presenting scientific results
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Worksheets Student devised materials Presentations

The implementation of the Household versus natural environment SAILS inquiry and assessment unit is recommended to cover two separate lesson periods. In the first lesson, students are introduced to the topic and inquiry, after which they design an experiment to investigate the impact of a household cleaning agent on the environment. They are then given a homework task, which should take one week – “conduct your experiment.” In the second lesson, students present their findings to the class and engage in whole-class or group discussions to form recommendations for the everyday use of cleaning and washing agents in the home. A final homework task is assigned, in which the students search for information on professional ecological tests.

This unit was trialled in four countries, producing six case studies of its implementation – CS1 Ireland, CS2 Greece, CS3 Portugal and CS4-CS6 Poland. In all case studies, the students involved had little or limited experience of inquiry learning and only in CS1 Ireland had the teacher significant experience in IBSE. The teachers used a guided inquiry teaching approach, which included the provision of student worksheets and specific guiding questions.

The unit is recommended for students aged 14-18 years, and was implemented with lower second level classes in CS1 Ireland, CS2 Greece and CS3 Portugal and at upper second level in the Polish case studies (CS4-6) and one class in CS1 Ireland. The students worked in smaller groups, usually of 3-5 students. The groups were mostly formed independently by the students, but in CS4 Poland student-groups were assigned by the teacher. Students in most classes were of mixed gender and ability, although in CS1 Ireland the class was all female.

The case studies identify the versatility of the unit in that it allowed teachers to focus on different concepts and inquiry skills to be developed and assessed. It can be used at different levels, as shown in the case studies where it was used with lower and upper second level students. Finally, the case studies demonstrate a range of strategies and assessment data that can be collected to assess student inquiry development.

Since most students had not conducted studies in the IBSE strategy before, the teachers chose to use a guided inquiry teaching approach. Several of the teachers developed worksheets, which were provided to the students to guide their work (CS1 Ireland, CS2 Greece, CS3 Portugal and CS6 Poland). There was some variation in the level of openness of the guided approaches used at various stages in the activities. In all case studies, examples of students being led by multiple teacher questions are evident.

There were variations in how the unit was delivered in the different countries. In all case studies, whole-class discussions were used, but the majority of the activity was carried out in smaller groups. The group sizes ranged from pairs to groups of five. In general, groups were of mixed gender, although CS1 Ireland details implementation in a single sex school (all-girls) and CS3 Portugal observes that one single-sex grouping was formed in addition to a mixed gender group.

Within the six case studies, the teachers used a variety of formative and summative assessment strategies; these included teacher observation, teacher questioning, student self-assessment and analysis of student work. The following competences were evaluated: students’ prior knowledge, involvement in the discussion, planning investigations, data presentation, skill in searching for information and group work. Teacher and student rubrics were used in many of the case studies to help the teachers to make judgements on student work and for the students to assess their own development. Whilst students gained experience of many inquiry skills not all of these were assessed. Developing hypotheses, forming coherent arguments and planning investigations were each assessed in three of the six case studies, while several case studies describe evaluation of scientific reasoning capabilities and scientific literacy (CS1 Ireland, CS4-6 Poland).

Below you can find the full inquiry and assessment unit for download (excluding the case studies), as well as an archive containing all the case studies.

Unit booklet Case studies

CS1 Ireland

Concept focus	Environmental impact of household chemicals
Activities implemented	Household versus natural environment
Inquiry skills assessed	Developing hypotheses
Scientific reasoning	Identifying variables
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Worksheets
Level	Lower Upper
Age	13-16
Prior experience with inquiry	No experience

This case study describes implementation with two separate classes – one theoretical planning activity at lower level and full implementation with an upper second level class. The teacher provided a worksheet to guide the students in both classes. Students’ skills in developing hypotheses and scientific reasoning were assessed using the criteria from the rubrics in the unit. The teacher gave observational feedback to the students as they worked through the unit and reviewed their worksheets during the process.

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CS2 Greece

Concept focus	Environmental impact of household chemicals
Activities implemented	Household versus natural environment
Inquiry skills assessed	Planning investigations Forming coherent arguments
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Peer-assessment Worksheets Presentations
Level	Lower
Age	13-14
Prior experience with inquiry	No experience

In this guided inquiry, the teacher used online video resources to engage the students and to begin a class discussion about cleaning agents and the environment. The skills assessed in this case study were planning investigations and forming coherent arguments. The teacher used the suggested rubrics to evaluate worksheets and presentations. She also observed the students during the activities and gave formative feedback. The students carried out peer-assessment, using a rubric provided by the teacher.

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CS3 Portugal

Concept focus	Environmental impact of household cleaners
Activities implemented	Household versus natural environment
Inquiry skills assessed	Developing hypotheses Working collaboratively
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Self-assessment Worksheets Student devised materials
Level	Lower
Age	13-16
Prior experience with inquiry	No experience

This case study details an adaptation of the unit, in which students first addressed the research question “How can we contribute to raising awareness within the educational community to the issue of the environmental impact of human activity?” before preparing “green” detergents. They then searched for information on their biodegradability. Two key skills were assessed – working collaboratively and developing hypotheses. The teacher provided both oral and written formative feedback and the students self-assessed their teamwork.

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CS4 Poland

Concept focus	Environmental impact of household chemicals
Activities implemented	Household versus natural environment
Inquiry skills assessed	Developing hypotheses Working collaboratively
Scientific literacy	Searching for information Presentation of scientific results
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Self-assessment Student devised materials Presentations
Level	Upper
Age	17
Prior experience with inquiry	No experience

The unit was implemented in full in this case study, and an additional factor for investigation was added – influence of salt on plants. This was to mimic conditions after salting roads in winter. Assessment of students’ skills in developing hypotheses, working collaboratively and their scientific literacy was based on final reports prepared by students in form of multimedia presentations. The teacher used three-level rubrics to identify performance level and provided both formative and summative assessment.

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CS5 Poland

Concept focus	Environmental impact of household chemicals
Activities implemented	Household versus natural environment
Inquiry skills assessed	Planning investigations Forming coherent arguments
Scientific literacy	Searching for information Presentation of scientific results
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Student devised materials Presentations
Level	Upper
Age	16-17
Prior experience with inquiry	No experience

In this extracurricular, voluntary class, students’ skills in planning investigations, scientific literacy and forming coherent arguments were assessed. The teacher took notes and recorded observations on students’ planning investigations skills and assigned performance levels using a four-level rubric. To evaluate scientific literacy, students were asked to search for information on similar scientific investigations and to detail them in their presentations. Presentations were also used for assessment of forming coherent arguments; both skills were assessed at the group level.

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CS6 Poland

Concept focus	Environmental impact of household chemicals
Activities implemented	Household versus natural environment
Inquiry skills assessed	Planning investigations Forming coherent arguments
Scientific reasoning	Data entry and observation skills
Scientific literacy	Presentation of scientific data
Assessment methods	Classroom dialogue Teacher observation Worksheets Student devised materials Presentations Other assessment items
Level	Upper
Age	17
Prior experience with inquiry	No experience

This implementation describes an extracurricular class, in which students planned an experiment to carry out at home. The teacher assessed students’ skill in planning investigations through observation and used a four-level rubric to identify performance levels for each student. The students submitted presentations electronically, which were evaluated using rubrics to assess skills in presentation of scientific data and forming coherent arguments. A true/false test was also completed to assess this skill.

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Household versus natural environment

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