Elly Walsh

Challenge

 How can an intervention designed around scientific storytelling, filmmaking and community action be used to deepen scientific interest and engagement around the STEM-related fields of climate science for underserved middle school students?

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Design

The Green Ninja Film Academy is a designed learning experience where students develop their own film and associated media products (i.e. digital portfolio) around science and engineering stories they create to respond to authentic community needs around climate science topics. A series of professional development workshops and online media tools supported teachers' fundamental understanding of important climate science concepts and their ability and confidence to implement the designed intervention in their classroom.

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Analytical Approach

An iterative design-based research approach that maps design elements, mediating processes and outcomes was used to evaluate the designed curricula. Data sources included (1) pre/post surveys to assess climate literacy, identification with climate science and STEM careers, and student interest in how climate science influences community, (2) observations of classroom instruction and student interviews to deepen understanding of surveys in relation to student interest and motivation, (3) Film assessment to measure i) science and engineering accuracy, ii) storytelling design and iii) film technology and editing, and (4) assessment of the digital portfolio to measure climate literacy.

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Preliminary Findings

Example 1: Impact of Green Ninja Videos

Green Ninja videos were used in the lesson plans, generally as hooks at the beginning of the lesson.  Students and instructors indicated that they enjoyed watching the Green Ninja videos and students also reported that watching the videos was helpful because it provided them with some examples of what their own films looked like:

 

Student:    My favorite part was when like we when we watched that Green Ninja video 'cause we kind of got an idea of what our film was gonna be like.

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Student 1: You should definitely not remove the videos that they showed us like Green Ninja videos because they showed us a lot and they entertained us at the same time it was like--

Student 2: Yeah cuz we were having fun and learning at the same time

Student 3: It taught it like what can we put in our video.

 

Students also valued being shown examples of what other classes had done in the past and some students mentioned the possibility of their videos being used as examples in the future:

 

Student:          [The videos from prior years] showed us instead of just saying go do it and we don't know how to or if we're really going to do it well...Maybe for next year [the next class] could have examples of ours.

 

Both instructors also indicated that the videos were effective tools, particularly for student engagement.

 

Recommendations:

• Continue to develop Green Ninja videos to use in the lessons and tie them concretely to learner content and action

• Consider creation of a library of past student videos accessible to current students

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Example 2: Identity, Values & Action

A main goal of this project is to explore the relationship between the GENIE curriculum and student participation in climate science and climate action as informed by identity and values. This is the most complex question to answer as it involves triangulating data from all data sources and looking at patterns of learner behavior throughout the entire implementation. These questions are addressed through case studies of individual students and/or student groups.

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Many students in their exit interviews reported that they didn’t know about climate change prior to the unit.  Students who had heard of it reported hearing about it from previous classes and the news; no student indicated that they had talked about climate change with their families.  Students who did know about it generally reported that they didn’t think it was important.  Most but not all students reported that they thought that climate change was an important topic to learn about as it would affect their communities and themselves in the future. Many students indicated that they were already taking action in their lives, including recycling, turning off lights, using reusable bags and changing their food habits.

 

There is some indication that watching the Green Ninja videos and/or taking on the role of the Green Ninja supported student learning and their action in their everyday lives. For example, one student reported that their favorite part of the unit was “when I was like the Green Ninja like, I was acting the Green Ninja.” 

Several other students reported that they were either interested in the opportunity to do more community action, or had already tried to educate others or take on action leadership roles.  In some cases, students related challenges and barriers to action and education, while in others they felt they had been successful:

 

Student: [Something that could be added to the unit is] Maybe have like some kind of activity, like go outside and like try to change something, like kind of get the experience. So we could try it at home, and tell others to do it.

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Student: I try-- I try turning off all lights but my little brother doesn't--  he like just (and my dad) they turns them all on and it's like really annoying.

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Student: Actually um after this project I'm like really considerate of what I'm using and like I went to this website actually and I, like, I learned …what my family and I could do to like reduce global warming.  Like one of the examples is not using hot water because it takes lots of power to actually heat it up and you can use it, for this part in my house we wash dishes by hand, like, some of us we used to use warm water because we were really used to it and like now I convinced them to actually let me wash the dishes but I'll actually use cold water cuz we can save more energy on it. I also learned another examples of not taking baths and showers, actually that is like really um that's like the really easy step for me because we actually don't have a bathtub we just have a shower and we have like one of those shower heads that don't use that much water and then like so that we can't use that much water anyway.

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Student: I agree 'cause even here at the school some people they just leave their trash everywhere and I'll just tell them to put-put in the trash can it's like two feet away from where they're sitting and they're just too lazy to put it in the trash and I'll just tell them (to like)- put the trash away.

 

Vignette: Green Ninja Videos Spurring Climate Action

In one interview, there is an apparent connection (though perhaps unrecognized by the student) between the videos watched in class and the actions she is taking.  In the conversation below, after the students indicate that the videos were their favorite part of the unit, the researcher asks about a favorite video.  The female student talks about her favorite one, a film about shopping bags.  About ten minutes later in the interview, when discussing actions they are taking, the student reports that her family now uses reusable bags. The student also states that knowing what to do about climate change has also made her care more about the issue.

 

Researcher: Did you other guys have um a favorite video or anything in particular that you thought was helpful?

Student: I like the one with the-the girl and the guy (when) they were arguing because of the-- one girl had like the plastic bag and the other guy had the paper bag and they were fighting, like arguing which one was better but neither of them were better and then the guy showed them that the-- like the fabric one was the right one to choose because it's reusable and it just saves more stuff
 

(10 minutes later)
 

Student: Before I didn't know what to do so that's why I didn't really care. 'Cause I didn't know what to do. But since we like had time in class to like research, now I know, or the videos, like yeah.

Researcher: You know something that you could do now?

Student: Like, I told my parents actually, like we shouldn't use the paper bags anymore and they actually bought the fabric.

 

This anecdote suggests a relationship between seeing examples of potential actions and student actions and student valuing of climate change.  Further exploration of the data is necessary to determine the robustness of this relationship and whether it occurs throughout the data set.

 

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