How Students Learn

We outline below various ways that students construct knowledge as they use the Green Ninja curriculum. These methods are all supported by the idea of transformational teaching and learning, where the goal is to create knowledge through the transformation of experience, rather than the transmission of facts from teacher to student. At Green Ninja, students get plenty of practice thinking critically, goal-setting, and reflecting on what they learn, while teachers are supported by background information and teacher tips to help guide this type of instruction. The lessons in the Green Ninja curriculum utilize inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, and service learning—all forms of transformational education. Students routinely work collaboratively, and they are encouraged to recognize that struggle and not necessarily getting things right the first time are part of the learning process. Green Ninja lessons engage students by making content relevant to students’ lives. The lessons also include numerous formative assessment opportunities for teachers to gauge student understanding. Examples of this type of instruction are provided throughout this collection of webpages.

Models  

Many of the lessons use models. In some lessons, the models are used by the teacher as part of guided inquiry instruction. Students then use the models to find answers and/or explain a phenomenon. In other learning sequences, students develop their own models and use them to answer a question and/or explain a phenomenon. For example:

Lessons 6.5.7 - 6.5.11 [MS-ESS2-4] In this learning sequence about the water cycle, students progress through the stages of the water cycle by exploring each process with various hands-on activities. After each stage, students develop concept map models of what they observed and learned. As new stages are introduced, students go back and revise their original model, sometimes even starting over. Once all stages of the water cycle have been explored, students create a final concept map describing the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

Following the concept map model, students extend their learning by writing a Water Cycle Story in the form of a comic strip, chronicling the adventures of a water molecule through each stage of the water cycle.

Lessons 7.5.5 - 7.5.7 [MS-PS1-4] This learning sequence has students investigating the states of matter. Students begin by reviewing the water cycle—how water moves through Earth’s spheres. Next, they use an online simulation to create different conditions in the cryosphere and atmosphere and document how changes in thermal energy affect temperature, pressure, and water particle motion, and therefore, the of state of water. This simulation enables students to visualize the direct cause and effect relationship between temperature, pressure, and the state of a substance. Additionally, the simulation enables students to connect the transfer of thermal energy as the driver of these changes.

Following the simulation activities, students develop concept models to describe the changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. Students are presented with several different scenarios which require them to predict these changes using their models. Students are encouraged to revise their models as needed in order to accurately describe the relationships between components in each system and predict how the absorption or release of thermal energy affects temperature, particle motion, and the state of matter.

Lessons 8.4.20 - 8.4.25 [MS-LS3-1] In this learning sequence about genes, proteins, and mutations, students create protein models using pipe cleaners. The proteins have specific shapes related to a specific function. Students exchange proteins and slightly alter the shape of their exchanged proteins, representing a mutation. These altered proteins are returned to the original student for determination as to whether or not the mutation affects the protein’s function. This activity utilizes the crosscutting concept of structure and function (the protein’s structure relates to its function).

Students are then challenged to create their own models of a genetic mutation using Scratch, a coding program. Student models must clearly show a change in a gene and how it affects the physical characteristics of an organism, i.e., a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

Data Analysis

Data is used throughout the Green Ninja curriculum to provide students with the opportunity for analysis and interpretation. In some lesson sequences, the data is presented by the teacher for students to analyze. In other lessons, students create their own data through research and/or experimentation. Students are encouraged to look for patterns and use the data to engage in argument and/or construct explanations. For example:

Lessons 6.2.10 - 6.2.12 and 6.2.29 - 6.2.31 Energy Tracker Series [MS-ETS1-4] This set of lessons begins with students assessing their home energy use using an online tool called the Green Ninja Energy Tracker. Students analyze their data, identifying patterns and constructing possible explanations for the patterns. They put their data together to create a class set of baseline data and analyze this data, evaluating and comparing it to their individual results. Students are challenged to design plans to reduce their energy use at home.

Students carry out their action plans, documenting the changes they make through images and/or data logs. After a period of time, students enter their most recent home energy data into the Energy Tracker. Again, students analyze the data, look for patterns, and compare the data for this conservation period to the baseline data. This new set of data provides the opportunity to evaluate whether their design plans were effective at reducing home energy use. The lessons continue with students brainstorming ideas for additional energy-use reduction.

Lessons 7.4.3 - 7.4.4 [MS-LS2-5] This quick series of lessons serves as an introduction to the concepts of biodiversity and ecosystem services as students analyze authentic data about factors driving soil loss. Students are introduced to the phenomenon: The amount of land available for farming decreases each year. Students are presented with an analogy in which the Earth is compared to an apple and are challenged to figure out how much of Earth is covered with soil that can be used to grow food.

Students then form research teams and examine data on The World Bank website. Students are presented with two different claims for several different sectors pertaining to land use and instructed to click on links to access data in the form of graphs. Students must analyze the data in order to determine which claim is correct. Following their research, students discuss what they learned from the data and revisit the apple analogy and phenomenon to further reflect on their research and data analysis.

Lessons 8.3.1 - 8.3.5 [MS-ESS3-4] Students begin this series of lessons by examining satellite images of different places on Earth. Students are asked to try and interpret the images with the help of guiding questions. Next, students are guided through explanations of the satellite data, which show various ways satellite technology can be used to see what is going on around the globe.

Students then focus on the human aspect of what is seen in the images and examine a different type of data in the form of a pictograph. Analysis of this graph shows that different countries consume different amounts of resources. The lessons continue with each student taking a personal ecological footprint quiz and comparing their individual data to country data. Students are encouraged to look for patterns and utilize their findings from all of the data to identify the cause and effect relationship between human consumption and negative impacts on Earth. Students are assigned to craft a claim that some countries consume more than others, and they present their claims in a claims-evidence-reasoning (CER) format.

Lessons 8.4.3 - 8.4.5 [MS-LS4-4] This lesson sequence follows an introductory activity where students explore variation in some traits of humans. Students are introduced to the phenomenon: Lima beans are different sizes. Partners participate in an activity where they measure the length of a small population (40 beans) of lima beans and contribute their data to a class set. Students create graphs of the class data and analyze it.

The analysis consists of a series of questions guiding students to look for patterns in the data and to explain what the patterns tell us about variation in the size of lima beans in a population. The analysis extends to probe how the size of lima beans may affect their ability to germinate in different environmental conditions. Students construct explanations that describe how genetic variation of traits in a lima bean population might increase some individuals’ probability of surviving in different environmental conditions (natural selection). Explanations are presented in a CER format.

Experimentation

Experimentation is a key component of the Green Ninja curriculum. In some lesson sequences, the experiments are pre-written, and students conduct the experiment in order to construct explanations and/or engage in argument from evidence. In other lesson sequences, students plan and carry out their own investigations in order to answer a question or explain a phenomenon. For example:

Lessons 6.2.15 - 6.2.18 [MS-PS3-4] This series of lessons presents students with the question: What factors affect how materials heat up? The results of this investigation help students determine which materials to use as they design passive solar home prototypes. The lessons begin with the phenomenon: Sand heats up (and cools off) faster than water. (This phenomenon builds on investigations students did in Unit 1.) After accessing prior knowledge and discussing the phenomenon, students participate in a guided inquiry, which includes an online simulation, to understand energy and energy transfer.

Following this instruction, students are tasked with planning and carrying out investigations to determine what factors affect how materials heat up. Students review what a properly designed experiment includes and identify independent and dependent variables, controls, tools needed, which measurements they will use, and the data needed to reach a determination. Student teams work to develop procedures, then conduct their investigations. Students complete reports, which serve as assessments of their understanding of the core ideas of energy and energy transfer as well as identifying proportional relationships between changes in temperature and the characteristics (mass, volume, etc.) of the materials tested as well as the average kinetic energy of the particles in the material.

Lessons 7.3.6 - 7.3.8 [MS-PS1-2] For this series of lessons, students are introduced to the phenomenon: When we mix different substances together, we get different results. The teacher demonstrates this phenomenon to the class, then after a discussion, students visit different stations where they carry out simple experiments involving interactions between substances. Students record their observations, which include the properties of substances before and after the experiment, in a data table. During their analysis, students are prompted to identify relationships and look for patterns including the changes in physical and chemical properties before and after the interaction.

As part of the data analysis, students determine whether or not a chemical reaction has occurred and compile a list of observations that indicate a chemical change has occurred. This lesson sequence extends to subsequent lessons where students focus on chemical reactions that absorb or release thermal energy. Students are then given a design challenge to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.

Lesson 7.4.11 - 7.4.12 [MS-PS1-5] In this series of lessons in the Soil Unit, students examine the decomposition chemical reaction that takes place in the soil as nutrients from dead plant or animal matter are recycled back to the soil. Students observe a decomposition reaction using Seltzer tablets and water, and they create a model of the reaction using manipulatives. Students use their models to tally the atoms on each side of the reaction and prove that the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction—mass is conserved.

Students are then challenged to design an experimental model using Seltzer tablets and water that proves mass is conserved in a chemical reaction. Students provide a procedure, data/observations from their experiment, and write a CER statement supporting the claim that matter is conserved in a chemical reaction.

Lessons 8.5.6 - 8.5.9 [MS-PS3-1] This fun set of lessons has students conducting experiments in order to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object. The lessons begin with the phenomenon: Sometimes, a lighter car can have more energy than a heavier car. Students are led through a series of slides and questions comparing the energy of different vehicles pairs. This instruction enables students to confirm or question some of their preconceptions about energy and moving objects—kinetic energy.

Following instruction, students plan two different sets of investigations. In the first set students must determine if there is a relationship between kinetic energy and mass. In the second set, students must determine if there is a relationship between kinetic energy and speed. In both investigations, students collect data and write CER (claims-evidence-reasoning) statements based on the analysis of their data. Finally, students create graphs of both sets of data and analyze the graphical displays as they identify proportional relationships between kinetic energy and mass and between kinetic energy and speed.

Activities

Students participate in a variety of hands-on and kinesthetic activities, including games, in order to better understand concepts and processes. The use of these types of activities provides differentiation in the curriculum and helps to engage a wide variety of learners. For example:

Lessons 6.6.2 - 6.6.3 [MS-LS1-8] This two-lesson sequence introduces students to how information is processed by nerve cells and the brain. Understanding how we process sensory information is a key component in storytelling, which is the theme of the unit. The first lesson explores human sensory responses to visuals and sounds in films with the phenomenon: A smell can trigger a memory. After discussing this phenomenon and sharing their own experiences, students participate in an activity during which they experience video clips—either audio only or video only. Students record their responses and begin to think about how different sounds or sights evoke different memories or emotions. After the discussion, students diagram what they think is going on in their bodies to create these responses.

 The second lesson begins with revisiting student diagrams and viewing graphics to learn how a stimulus evokes a response by examining model diagrams of sensory impulses. Afterwards, students participate in several activities in which they identify different stimuli and responses, test their reaction times, and test their reflexes. These activities strengthen students’ understanding of the cause and effect relationship between information received by sensory receptors and behavior. Following these activities, students continue their exploration of sensory responses with a research project.

Lessons 7.1.14 - 7.1.19 [MS-ESS2-1] In this sequence of lessons on the Rock Cycle, students begin by making models of each type of rock using everyday ingredients, including baking chips, gum, and jelly beans. Through these activities, students examine the processes required for each type of rock to form and begin to relate how Earth processes drive these changes.

Following the candy rock models, students participate in a kinesthetic Rock Cycle Game during which they chronicle their unique journeys and describe the various processes and energies they encountered. Students then use the information from the candy models and the Rock Cycle Game to write a Rock Cycle Story. Students flowchart their stories to compare them and develop an understanding of how the changes in rocks occur, the constant and cyclical nature of the changes, as well as the spatial aspect of how long it takes for the changes to occur.

Lessons 8.2.17 - 8.2.19 [MS-LS4-3] In this sequence of lessons on evolution, students compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development in different species through a game and activity. The sequence starts with a phenomenon: Different animals can look the same at one point in their development. Students participate in a “telephone” game, where large groups (8-10) of students are each given the same set of instructions for building an organism. The teacher whispers the same instructions to the first student in each group. Then, the instructions are passed, as whispers, to each student in the group. The students who received the instructions last in each group share them with the class. Students draw connections between how the statements were translated by the students and how this is similar to the instructions given through the genes in the development of organisms.

This game is followed by another activity where student teams are given sets of directions to represent the stages of development in embryos. Each student in the team is responsible for a different step in the development. Afterwards, student teams compare their creatures, identifying traits that they share as well as traits that are different. Students should also note how far back the similarities go in the embryonic development; this helps determine which organisms are more closely related.

Design Challenges

Opportunities to design solutions to problems give students real-world experience to the systematic process that involves defining the problem, then generating, testing, and improving solutions. Students have many opportunities to participate in this iterative process throughout the Green Ninja curriculum. For example:

Lessons 6.1.20 - 6.1.25 [MS-PS3-3; MS-EST1-4] This lesson sequence is the culminating experience for Grade 6 Unit 1—students are challenged with designing a climate-friendly home. In the first lesson of this series, students watch a Green Ninja video in which Green Ninja Academy students solve a problem of a blocked air flow that made indoor temperatures cold. The purpose of the video and ensuing discussion is to get students thinking about how to approach and solve problems. Students are then introduced to the challenge and given a report template highlighting the elements that are required, including identifying the criteria and constraints, writing a procedure, and the final design and test results.

 After discussing the engineering design cycle using a visual, students begin designing their homes. Following the design phase, students build prototype homes and test and analyze to determine whether the design adequately minimizes thermal energy transfer. Based on their analyses, students revise their prototypes and retest. Students complete and submit their reports, and a rubric is used to assess students’ understanding of energy and energy transfer as well as their practice of using engineering design cycle elements.

Lessons 7.3.9 - 7.3.12 [MS-PS1-6] Prior to this series of lessons, students investigated different chemical reactions and identified that some chemical reactions release or absorb thermal energy—the temperature changes. In this lesson sequence, students are challenged to design a device that either releases (exothermic) or absorbs (endothermic) thermal energy by chemical processes.  

Student teams choose the type of chemical reaction for their device and come up with a practical application. They follow a flow chart of the engineering design process, and begin by brainstorming designs. Student teams are given a variety of materials to use; however, they develop their own criteria in terms of whether the device releases or absorbs thermal energy and how to test its efficiency. Teams continue through the process, by building, testing, evaluating, and redesigning. After final testing is completed, students write and submit reports.

Lessons 7.4.19 - 7.4.24 [MS-LS2-5] This series of lessons makes up the culminating activity for the Soils Unit where students address the unit challenge to restore a soil ecosystem. Student teams take on the role of soil scientists, who work for Green Ninja Environmental Services. They compete for the contract to restore a soil ecosystem so that biodiversity and vital ecosystem services are maintained.

Prior to designing their solutions to this problem, students—as a class—must come up with a list of criteria and constraints. This puts all teams on a level playing field for the competition. Then, student teams brainstorm ideas for their solutions, write up proposals, and present them to the board of directors of the environmental organization. Students not presenting act as the board of directors and evaluate each design based on the agreed upon criteria and constraints.

Lessons 8.5.10 - 8.5.11 [MS-PS2-2; MS-ETS1,3,4] This short set of lessons provides students with the opportunity to design an investigation using drag racers in order to understand how force and mass affect an object’s motion. The challenge is to design a dragster that can beat the control vehicle, which is demonstrated by the teacher. For this challenge, students are given some design constraints and criteria and then asked to provide additional constraints and criteria.

Students analyze the factors needed to design a vehicle for maximum acceleration based on what they have already learned about forces and motion. Students design and construct their dragster prototypes, then race them against the control car. Based on the dragster’s performance, students redesign (optimize) and perform additional race-offs. Following the testing, students present evidence to support the claim that an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

Research

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information are essential science practices used regularly throughout the Green Ninja curriculum. In some research projects, students are provided with reading material. In other projects, students utilize online sources, either suggested by the teacher or through strategic searching. (Note that special skills lessons regarding strategic searching, source reliability, as well as citing sources are included throughout the Green Ninja curriculum.) In yet another type of research project, students conduct authentic field study research in an ecosystem simulation activity. Students communicate their findings in a variety of ways including presentations, reports, poster sessions, and jigsaw activities. For example:

Lessons 6.5.26 - 6.5.30 [MS-LS1-3] After viewing, modeling, and investigating various cell structures and functions, as well as the organizational levels from cell to organism, students are assigned an Internet research project on the different organ systems in humans. Students are given specific guidelines listing the required information, along with a rubric to guide them in their research. This project directly follows a special skills lesson on strategic searching, where students learn tips and practices for successful Internet searching. 

Student teams complete their research and write a report, using guidelines in the rubric. The teams share their findings in a poster session, which is followed by a class discussion and time for reflection on what they learned. The lesson following this sequence provides an opportunity to make this research project relevant to the real world as students take on the role of health care professionals to assess “patients” and investigate the interactions of body systems through further research reports.

Lessons 7.6.20 - 7.6.23 and 7.6.26 - 7.6.27 [MS-LS2-1; MS-LS2-2] In this novel lesson sequence, students conduct authentic field study research. They begin by considering different types of research performed by ecologists and then develop questions for a field research study. Students study nature’s ABCs in order to understand the components of ecosystems and recognize the interdependent relationships in ecosystems.

Following this instruction, students take on the roles of organisms in a dynamic ecosystem simulation. Additionally, during the simulation, students play the part of field researchers to create a data set of the interactions taking place. Students collect data from multiple rounds of the simulation and prepare graphs. They analyze their graphs and make inferences based on the data, field observations, and knowledge of ecosystem dynamics. Following this series of lessons, students use the graphing and analysis skills they built from this activity to present the data they collect at their ecosystem study locations.

Lessons 8.4.15 - 8.4.18 [MS-LS4-5] This lesson sequence follows lessons on natural and artificial selection. In this sequence, student teams are part of a marketing company and are tasked with researching various genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The teams weigh the risks and benefits of the products and make recommendations to the board of directors of the company.

Each team is assigned a different GMO and is presented with a written summary of the product. Teams read this summary and are required to do additional research using at least two Internet sites to complete their evaluation. Student teams are tasked with assessing the credibility and potential bias of each source and providing proof of this assessment as part of the project. Teams prepare presentations to communicate their analyses and recommendations for the GMOs.

Culminating Experience

Each Green Ninja unit contains a challenge that provides students with an opportunity to solve real-world problems that are relevant to them and their community. The culminating experience for each unit is designed to help frame student learning around a particular challenge. The culminating activity varies from unit to unit so that students experience using different techniques to communicate their ideas and solutions. Culminating experiences range from creating PSAs and documentaries to writing stories to compiling a cookbook. For example:

Grade 6 Unit 5 Reducing Pollution and Waste The challenge for this unit is contained in its title, to create a plan to reduce pollution and waste. Students begin the unit by writing a visual Story of Trash, highlighting what happens to materials when we no longer wish to use them—trash doesn’t go away! Students then begin keeping trash diaries documenting everything they toss. Classroom activities include researching what happens to trash, learning about legislation to reduce trash in landfills, and even examining the trash at their school.

After a week or so of keeping trash diaries, students meet in teams to organize, share, and analyze data from their trash diaries. Teams come up with action plans to reduce the amount of waste they create, and students continue documenting all trash in their diaries. In preparation for the culminating experience, teams meet again to organize, share, and analyze data from their trash diaries after implementing their action plans. For the culminating experience, students prepare posters highlighting how they reduced pollution and waste. The posters describe the team’s action plan to reduce pollution and waste. They contain graphs depicting waste before and after the action plans are implemented. Finally, the posters emphasize why reducing pollution and waste is beneficial to both Earth’s systems and human body systems. Student teams present their posters, the class reflects on what they learned, and students are encouraged to be empowered to continue to take action to keep Earth and its inhabitants healthy and free from pollution and waste.

Grade 7 Unit 2 Petroleum The challenge for this unit is for students to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation for their family. Students create transportation logs, writing down all of the miles their families travel for school, work, recreation, errands, etc. After a period of time, students analyze their recordings and devise action plans to reduce the number of transportation miles that depend on petroleum as fuel. Students then implement their action plans. Again, after a period of time, students assess how well their plans are working and make additional changes if necessary.

For the culminating experience of the unit, students are tasked with creating PSAs to educate people on the importance of reducing our transportation carbon footprint. Students use the analyses of their transportation journals as well as other findings from the unit to produce their PSAs. Students present their PSAs to family and/or friends and receive feedback. Students then share their PSAs with classroom peers. This culminating experience includes a chance for reflection and discussion of feedback as students celebrate taking social action for an important cause.

Grade 8 Unit 2 Evolving Life on Earth In this unit, students document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. Using pictorial evidence is a main scientific method used by students as they examine multiple lines of evidence to construct an understanding of evolution. The focus of the unit challenge is on extinctions: uncover clues from the evolution of life on Earth to help prevent the next mass extinction.

Because there is an emphasis on pictorial evidence and identifying patterns throughout the unit, the culminating experience is based around creating a visual story on solutions to the human causes of the next mass extinction. Storytelling is becoming an accepted method of communication in professional contexts such as science communication. Developing skills and expertise to explain scientific concepts to non-experts through story telling may increase acceptance and understanding by the general public. In this culminating experience, students are given the opportunity to stretch their skills in creativity and art while creating succinctly written content in the form of comics, videos, and graphic novels.