- Author:
- Cheryl Lydon
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Health, Medicine and Nursing, Information Science, Environmental Studies, Education, Biology, Ecology, Atmospheric Science
- Material Type:
- Module
- Level:
- High School
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution
- Language:
- English
- Media Formats:
- Downloadable docs
Education Standards
Module 2 Climate Change+Pregnancy
Module 3 IBL Data & Community Engagement
Module 4 Analyze & Interpret Data (SEP 4) with WTN
Module 5 Grow Your Own Student Activities with WTN
Using the Washington Tracking Network to Study Climate Impacts
Overview
These five modules introduce secondary science teachers to a powerful resource, from the Washington State Department of Health, entitled the “Washington Tracking Network” (WTN). This is a tool for mapping (a) the distribution of numerous factors that influence public health, and (b) the inequitable distribution of health outcomes. This wonderful system naturally invites us to inquire about the intersections of biological, societal, and environmental issues. The overarching goal of these five modules is to support teachers to design student activities that (1) inspire and connect students to real world health & environmental data, and each other, (2) promote clean air, land, and water, (3) promote the use of the Washington Tracking Network data mapping system, (4) support equitable, 3-dimensional learning, including the use of community wisdom to solve public health issues, and (5) use science for student action and leadership in response to current and historical misuses of science.
These modules were created in collaboration with epidemiologists and communications professionals from the Washington Department of Health.
Module 1: Asthma & Wildfires: Human Story + Scientific Story
Storyline for this module:
Set the tone with Rachel Carson’s words from Silent Spring.
Human Story → Mother cares for 5-year-old child with asthma.
Read the story in NYT.
Understand the story in terms of intersecting factors: vulnerability, social conditions, environmental stressors, climate change
Pose Key Questions for this Module
WTN Data Maps → make sense of the map & explore it yourself.
WTN Climate & Health Map: Wildfires
WTN Health Map: Asthma Hospitalizations
Read more about how wildfire impacts people:
Article at Inside Climate News
Information pages at WTN
WTN Health Map: Air Quality → Particulate Matter 2.5 micrometers
Explore the WTN information and data pages related to Wildfire, Asthma, and Particulate Matter.
Revisit the Key Questions for this Module
Conclude the module with Gina McCarthy’s words (essay in the book, All We Can Save.)
Foreshadow Module 2: Using WTN to explore climate change and pregnancy
This introductory module uses a real life story from the New York Times to show how Washington Tracking Network (WTN) can be used to investigate and learn about a public health issue. In Portland, Oregon, Rachel Murphy cares for her daughter Cora’s childhood asthma while steering clear of dangerous wildfire smoke that is blanketing the Pacific Northwest. The module shows several examples of Washington State map data and invites the user to open, explore, and look for patterns across time and location within each and between the data maps including Wildfire Distribtuion, Asthma Hospitalizations, and Particulate Matter (2.5μm). While leading the user through the exploration, the module highlights the narrative information in WTN about each type of data.
Module 2: Climate Change & Pregnancy
Storyline for this module:
Emotional impacts of climate change
Survey of childless adults
NonnaPaura & the Bureau of Linguistical Reality
Focus on Women
Quotes: Climate change & public health
Sexism in Science: What does it look like? How do you want to show up for this investigation?
Human Story → (Vogue) Black maternal health care crisis; multiple research stories on climate change and pregnancy impacts
Pose Key Questions for this Module
WTN Data Maps → make sense of the map & explore it yourself.
WTN map: Extreme Heat since 2000
WTN map: Perinatal Mortality
WTN map: Low Birth Weight
Reading: more factors and impacts (Mepage today & Doctor’s bulletin)
Factors: air pollution, PM2.5, drought…
Impacts: preterm birth, mother’s health
Explore the WTN information and data pages related to Wildfire, Asthma, and Particulate Matter.
Revisit the Key Questions for this Module
Conclude the module with Alice Walker’s poem, “Calling All Grand Mothers”
Foreshadow Module 3: Using Information by Location maps
This second module investigates the problem of climate change impacts on pregnant women and their babies.
This investigation is framed with (1) growing public concern for future generations, (2) patterns of sexism in science, and (3) medical articles. The module shows several examples of Washington State map data and invites the user to open, explore, and look for patterns across time and location within each and between the data maps: Extreme Heat, Perinatal Mortality, and Low Birth Weight.
Module 3: IBL (Information by Location) Mapping and Community Engagement
Storyline for this module:
Health factors & disparities
Elicit initial ideas about health factors → check with CDC’s health determinants
Why does Zip Code impact your health?
Introduce some social factors that influence health
What’s Going on Here? → Why people live where they do
Tacoma 1929 redlining map - explore the map
Read some Area Descriptors
Read “Redlining in NYC” → How does redlining 90 years ago influence public health today?
More on Redlining (The Color of Law, Rothstein)
Excerpt from Cameron Russell: “fence-line” communities
Pose Key Questions for this Module
Climate change & public health (King Co. poster) → describe climate impacts affecting your community.
So far, we used WTN in a few “data stories”...
Wildfire & asthma
Climate change & pregnancy
Next, we can use WTN’s “Information by Location” maps to identify and investigate community climate change issues
Use Information by Location to explore climate impacts in your community
Use community wisdom to gain knowledge and take action.
A simple framework for Community Engagement
Seek community input: What kinds of questions to ask? → e.g. Questions
It’s common for people to hear about (e.g.) low birth weight and mortality, and then to “blame the victim” → e.g. remarks from people who do not live in fenceline communities:
These data patterns probably reflect low education...they didn’t work hard enough in school.
They should move someplace where there is better medical care.
What do we want people who say these things to know? → (e.g.) Build a respectful counternarrative that’s based on evidence.
What factors are people ignoring / not aware of?
What other information do you need to collect in order to prepare a “counternarrative” to these kinds of remarks?
Excerpts from Bob Marley: “Get Up, Stand Up”
Recap the Key Questions for this Module
Foreshadow Module 4: SEP #4 - What it’s about, and what it’s not about
This third module uses two key resources to investigate the impacts of climate change in local communities (1) WTN’s Information by Location (IBL) mapping tool, and (2) community wisdom held by people living there. A simple routine supports learners to take action in a way that respects the wisdom and needs of the community. This module begins by introducing two kinds of foundational knowledge: first, public health is the product of biological and social factors (determinants), and second, 20th century laws and policies now known as “redlining” created conditions that restricted housing access for people of color. The impacts of redlining are still operating today: polluted environments, deficient home ownership, distance from employment, and education disparities.
Module 4: Analyze and Interpret Data (NGSS SEP 4) with the Washington Tracking Network (WTN)
Storyline for this module:
Opening remarks--teaching at the intersection of...
3-dimensional science learning
Equitable engagement of students
Phenomenon-driven science learning
Analyzing-interpreting mapping data in the Washington Tracking Network (public health data)
What SEP.4 is NOT...and what it is
Low-level data tasks vs. “very particular things” that scientists do with data
Key features of SEP.4
Equity Principles related to classroom and local community
Classroom Equity & Environmental Justice in the Community
Long histories of sexism and racism in science
What does this look like in STEM professions? In the classroom?
Use Science for Justice
“Teaching in a World of Messy Data”
Limited Uses of data vs. More Authentic Uses of data
Three “flashbacks” Looking for SEP.4 + Equity + Enviro-Justice in WTN modules 1, 2 & 3:
Module 1: Wildfires, Asthma, Air Quality
Module 2: Climate Change, Pregnancy, Birth Outcomes
Module 3: Environmental Health Disparities → Seeking Community Wisdom
Encouragements to engage in action
Action-Oriented Organizations: find one that resonates with you
Inspiring voices from NAACP and scientific poetry
Foreshadow Module 5: “Grow Your Own Student Activities with WTN”
This module dives deeply into the NGSS Science & Engineering Practice #4 (SEP.4): Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Like all Science & Engineering Practices, Analyzing and Interpreting Data
depends on equitable collaboration in the context of our inherently inequitable American society. This module supports teachers who want to operate at the intersection of:
3-dimensional science learning
Analyzing & Interpreting Data, integrated with science reasoning (Crosscutting Concepts) and Core Ideas of science
Equitable engagement in 3-dimensional science learning
Learning to identify and disrupt inequitable conditions in classrooms and local communities
Phenomenon-driven science learning, especially with identifying and solving environmental health disparity problems
Learning to use the WA Dept of Health’s public health data/mapping system: Washington Tracking Network
Module 5: Grow Your Own Student Activities with the Washington Tracking Network (WTN)
Storyline for this module:
Principles and Inspirations
Shape tasks / activities framed for Science & Engineering Practice #4, “Analyzing & Interpreting Data.” (see Mod 4)
Use public health / climate change issues to pose human problems. (see Mod 1-3)
Use WTN (Washington Tracking Network) / IBL maps (Information by Location) as tools for…(see Mod 1-4)
Pose problems
Analyze problems
Design and communicate solutions
Support student capacity to pursue a range of justice-centered actions to promote solutions to community problems. (see Mod 4)
Teacher resource banks for designing student tasks / activities
Goals-Purposes for Module 5
We want student activities that:
Support human connections and student inspiration.
Promote clean air, land and water as a pathway to…
Drawdown CO2 from Earth’s atmosphere.
Environmental Justice.
Social Justice.
Promote the use of Washington Tracking Network for data literacy.
Support equitable, 3-dimensional engagement while using community wisdom to understand and design solutions to public health issues.
Use science for action & leadership that responds to current/historical misuses of science.
This module gives sharp attention to framing student activities that (1) inspire and connect students, (2) promote clean air, land, and water, (3) promote the use of the Washington Tracking Network data mapping system, (4) support equitable, 3-dimensional learning, including the use of community wisdom to solve public health issues, and (5) use science for student action and leadership in response to current and historical misuses of science. To further assist teachers who want to design such activities, this module contains organized excerpts and an image bank from all WTN Modules.