INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN TO SUPPORT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DEVELOPING GROUNDWATER LITERACY NECESSARY FOR PARTICIPATING IN DEBATES AND DECISIONS CONCERNING LOCAL RESPONSES TO GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

A science education research project designed and implemented instruction intended to support secondary students in developing understanding of groundwater systems and of how computational models are used in groundwater contamination contexts. An issue-based and technologically infused three-week instructional unit taught groundwater principles and applied physical and computational modeling tools to visualize and assess data interpretations. At total of 19 teachers and 1,279 students participated in both the instruction and associated education research study. Learning was examined using pre- and post-assessments with constructed response items. One unit used systems-focused instruction by establishing the site history at a Montana lead smelter and the groundwater contamination issues, setting basic groundwater science principles, and exploring how modeling is used to evaluate complex groundwater settings and contamination issues. Physical sand tank groundwater models, and project designed falling head permeameters, Darcy flow tubes, and three-dimensional parking lot flow models established principles. Students used agent-based NetLogo models to investigate data contouring and uncertainty of mapped groundwater flow and contaminant plume configurations. MODFLOW modeling at the site was explained and NetLogo models were used to visualize possible remediation strategies. Pre-post student data showed significant growth by students in their capacities to define groundwater systems, make sense of groundwater system data and representations, and explain and predict events and processes in groundwater systems with imperfect models and data. Item Response Theory was utilized in student data analyses. The pre/post change in Weighted Likelihood mean Estimates (WLEs) for all students and items showed increased proficiency in the three knowledge and practice domains (i.e., defining the groundwater system, etc.). Effect sizes (d) were medium.