Design of a Socio-scientific Issue Curriculum Unit: Antibiotic Resistance, Natural Selection, and Modeling

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Feb 3, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v7i1.19325

Main Article Content

Patricia J. Friedrichsen
University of Missouri
Troy D. Sadler
University of Missouri
Kerri Graham
Columbia Public Schools
Pamela Brown
University of Missouri

Abstract

In this design case, we describe our work to design and develop a socio-scientific issue (SSI) based unit of instruction for use in high school biology. Our team includes university based science educators, an experienced classroom teacher, and a microbiologist. The unit focuses on antibiotic resistant bacteria as a context for student exploration of natural selection and engagement in modeling practices. Our team recently presented a model for SSI instruction that highlights: (a) a focal issue, (b) interaction of science ideas and practices, (c) social considerations, (d) use of information and communications technologies, and (e) a culminating experience that encourages students to synthesize their ideas. We use this model to frame the design case and discuss key decision points that influenced design and development of the unit. The design product is a three-week unit that we implemented in the spring of 2014. Key challenges presented in the case include continually evolving notions of scientific modeling practices and implications for related learning activities, developing supports for student negotiation of the social dimensions of antibiotic resistance, and determining how much emphasis to place on student use of information and communications technologies. 

 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Friedrichsen, P. J., Sadler, T. D., Graham, K., & Brown, P. (2016). Design of a Socio-scientific Issue Curriculum Unit: Antibiotic Resistance, Natural Selection, and Modeling. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v7i1.19325
Issue
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2016): Special Issue: K-12 Classroom Implementation
Section
K-12 Classroom Implementation

Copyright © 2024 by the International Journal of Designs for Learning, a publication of the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and Indiana University. Permission to make digital or hard copies of portions of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page in print or the first screen in digital media. Except as otherwise noted, the content published by IJDL is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. A simpler version of this statement is available here.

Author Biographies

Patricia J. Friedrichsen, University of Missouri

Patricia Friedrichsen is an Associate Professor, jointly appointed in the Division of Biological Sciences and the Department of Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum.  Her research interests are in secondary science teacher learning and biology education.

Troy D. Sadler, University of Missouri

Troy Sadler is a Professor in science education in the Department of Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum. He serves as Director of the ReSTEM Institute: Reimagining & Researching STEM Education. His research focuses on teaching science through socio-scientific issues.

Kerri Graham, Columbia Public Schools

Kerri Graham is a biology teacher at Rockbridge High School in Columbia, Missouri. She teaches Advancement Placement Biology and Honors Biology courses.

Pamela Brown, University of Missouri

Pamela Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences. Her research interests are in understanding the principles that govern bacterial morphology.

References

Bybee, R. W. (1997). Achieving scientific literacy: From purposes to practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books, Inc.

Evagorou, M., & Osborne, J. (2013). Exploring young students’ collaborative argumentation within a socioscientific issue. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 50, 209-237.

Hofstein, A., Eilks, I., & Bybee, R. W. (2011). Societal issues and their importance for contemporary science education: A pedagogical justification and the state-of-the-art in Israel, Germany, and the USA. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 9, 1459-1483.

Johnstone, A.H. (1993). The development of chemistry teaching: A changing response to changing demand. Journal of Chemical Education, 70, 701–705.

Klosterman, M. L., Sadler, T. D., & Brown, J. (2011). Science teachers’ use of mass media to address socio-scientific issues and sustainability. Research in Science Education, 42, 51-74.

Klosterman, M. L., Sadler, T. D., & Brown, J. (2012). Viral news: Media literacy for the 21st century. Science Scope, 35(9), 61-69.

National Research Council. (2011). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Novak, M., & Wilensky, U. (2013). NetLogo Bacteria Food Hunt. Evanston, IL: Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University.

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next generation science standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Sadler, T. D. (2004). Informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: A critical review of research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41, 513-536.

Saunders, K., & Rennie, L. (2013). A pedagogical model for ethical inquiry into socioscientific issues in science. Research in Science Education, 43, 253-274.

Schwarz, C. V., Reiser, B. J., Davis, E. A., Kenyon, L., Achér, A., Fortus, D., . . . Krajcik, J. (2009). Developing a learning progression for scientific modeling: Making scientific modeling accessible and meaningful for learners. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(6), 632-654. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tea.20311

Wilensky, U. (1999). NetLogo. Evanston, IL: Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/

Zeidler, D. L. (Ed.). (2003). The role of moral reasoning on socioscientific issues and discourse in science education. Dordrecht, NL: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Zeidler, D. L., Applebaum, S., & Sadler, T. D. (2011). Enacting a socioscientific issues classroom: Transformative transformations. In T. D. Sadler (Ed.), Socio-scientific issues in the classroom: Teaching, learning and research (pp. 275-303). New York, NY: Springer.