One of the first things I had to do was to let go of some things. In the traditional curriculum, you'd call the unit I'm teaching "the photosynthesis unit." The NGSS has a different approach to photosynthesis than the biology textbook, though. The NGSS is designed to produce science-literate citizens instead of memorizers of minutiae. In this vein, the NGSS specifically excludes the biochemical pathways of photosynthesis. Instead, we need students to build their own knowledge about the big picture of photosynthesis. So, I let go of the Calvin Cycle, the electron transport chain, and all the other molecules that play a role in photosynthesis.
One of the next things I had to do was to stop "telling students stuff." Students don't necessarily learn things just because we tell it to them. They may take notes and study for a test, but does the knowledge really persist beyond the test? Instead, I allowed students to build their own knowledge just like scientists do. They spent some time looking at Priestly's bell jar experiment as well as a similar, more recent experiment in the UK that involved a human in a sealed enclosure with plants. They had to figure out what the results meant. Whether or not they remember the data or the conclusions, they have gained valuable experience analyzing data, looking for patterns, and explaining data.
We've long heard that purpose is important in learning: students need to know why they need to know this stuff. In this unit, we're building understanding so that we can evaluate a claim that says planting trees can reduce the effects of climate change. This week, we struggled through and added new knowledge to our existing understanding of photosynthesis. As we return to school after election day, we'll be looking into how chloroplasts get water and what they do with their products. Once we have this, we'll be closer to figuring out how tress (and all plants) may be helpful in reducing the effects of climate change. Stay tuned for more updates.
**Want to see the unit I'm using? Check it out as well as all of the other storylines at the Next Generation Science Storyline Project website. I'm using "How do small things make big impacts on ecosystems? (part 2)."