USE OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE TO ASSIST TEACHERS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOHEALTH TOPICS

The nitrogen cycle is a topic that is addressed in junior high and high school science classes as well as at the college level. The topic has entree into areas of environmental as well geologic and health discussion. Unfortunately, the nitrogen cycle is sufficiently complex that finding innovative ways to address the topic has been a challenge.

The authors have developed a learning-cycle curriculum using hands-on nitrogen cycle cards with objects, poetry, and web research to try to reinforce the nitrogen cycle concepts in the students' minds. The presented materials illustrate environmental and human health impacts, both beneficial and problematic, of uses and applications of nitrogen. The activity of matching pictures, objects, and titles, with descriptions, then arrangement with arrows to form a cycle allows students to be actively engaged in thinking about relationships of the environmental impacts along with beneficial as well as detrimental affects of nitrogen on humans and other components (ground water, surface water, industry, animals, plants, soils, and the atmosphere). The writing of poetry motivates students through humor and expression of feelings, emphasizing environmental or health related facts through a new medium.

Pre- and post-testing of rural sixth grade students, urban high school students, and pre-service elementary teachers showed all students improved in knowledge of the nitrogen cycle through the lessons, however, the elementary students had much lower scores than the other two groups. A control group - experimental group design study of pre-service elementary teachers indicated that students learned more when using the hands-on nitrogen cycle cards and by writing related poetry, than by creating online nitrogen cycle diagrams through Internet research and writing summary essays of cycle interactions, although both sets of lessons were presented as learning cycles. Because the final scores for high school and college students were higher than for the sixth graders, we recommend the materials for secondary and college students.