These are sample modules in the area of Science & Technical Subjects.
These resources give you the tools to try out the LDC approach hands on. We recommend reading the 1.0 Guidebook first as a way to understand the tool designs.
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The Beauty of Evolution
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Nuclear Sustainability
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Pesticides: Blessing, Curse, Or Both (A Close Reading Module)
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Cryobiology
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PandemicWhich is more important: scientific freedom or the public’s right to safety? Jennifer Phillips and Liz Arney call on students to read articles about sequencing and publishing of the genes for the 1918 pandemic, and develop an editorial that on a possible problem and a potential solution, using this module as part of a larger integrated interdisciplinary unit developed by Pier Sun Ho. (LDC Partner: ConnectEd) |
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Photosynthesis, the Conservation of Matter, and the Conservation of EnergyUniting a central biology concept with two laws of physics makes for a powerful thinking and learning task in this module from Georgia teachers, Katherine Bryant, Marcus Watson, Matt Faircloth, and Karen Cox. (LDC Partner: Georgia Department of Education) |
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The Effect Algal Blooms have on Marine EcosystemsMark Weese’s students combine lab observations and learning scientific texts to develop a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on the causes of algal blooms and their effect on overpopulation of algae in marine ecosystems. (LDC Partner: Georgia Department of Education) |
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Career Exploration Wrap UpStudents describe their career choices and the education needed to meet their goals, using on-line research to develop their understanding in Melissa Thomas’s Career and Technical Education module. (LDC Partner: Georgia Department of Education) |
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What are the Causes and Effects of Noise Pollution?Students connect their study of mechanical longitudinal waves to the issue of sound pollution and its impact on marine animals. Katherine Bryant, Marcus Watson, Matt Faircloth, and Karen Cox are the module authors. (LDC Partner: Georgia Department of Education) |
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Diseases in LivestockLee Smith and Jennifer Turner (Arkansans educators) use this Career and Technical Education module to builds understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of livestock diseases, explaining to students that “If you are seeking a career in Agriculture you are very likely to have to consult farmers or ranchers. It is important for your to know how to communicate scientific and technical terms into common language that your clients can understand.” (LDC Partner: SREB) |
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Should Helmets Be Required?Students write letters to state representatives, supporting their position on the question with evidence they identify as they read informational texts on the Laws of Motion, bodily injury, and current state laws on helmet requirements. Deanna Fedor and Dawn Connelly of the Lebanon (PA) School District are this module’s creators. (LDC Partner: Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13) |
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Antibiotic Resistance BacteriaStudents examine the causes of resistant bacteria strains and explains the effects of those strains on the use of antibiotics in this module developed by Jessamine County (KY) teachers Matt Albertson and Amy Klein (LDC Partner: Jessamine County Schools) |
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Animals In ZoosAfter studying scientific texts, students use evidence from their reading to build arguments answering the question: “Do animals belong in zoos?” Monica Cressman, Sean Houseknecht, and Alex Shubert, teachers at Elizabethtown (PA) Area Middle School share this module—and on our video page features Alex’s thinking on “LDC: Changing Teacher Practice.” (LDC Partner: Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13) |
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BiodiversityStudents read a set of on-line articles and then write an essay that defines biodiversity and explains its importance in this module shared by Monica Cressman, Sean Houseknecht, and Alex Shubert of the Elizabethtown School District (PA). Alex’s thinking on “LDC: Changing Teacher Practice” is available on our video page. Student work from this module has also been scored and annotated for inclusion in a set of anchor papers. (LDC Partner: Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13) |
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Energy TransferDeanna Fedor and Dawn Connelly of the Lebanon (PA) School District challenge students to “write an essay that defines ‘kinetic energy’ and explains what happens to water when its particles lose and gain energy.” (LDC Partner: Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13) |
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Using Classification to Investigate Living OrganismsKim Cheney (Forsyth, Georgia, schools) offers a module that leads students through investigations of organisms’ organization from basic to complex. Students investigate processes associated with systems that function in: acquisition and utilization of energy e.g. digestion and respiration, and excretion in preparation for writing a report that defines organisms and classifies them by Domain and Kingdom. (Early Sample Module) |
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Plastics – To Use or Not to Use?Michelle Buroker (Kenton County Schools, Kentucky) calls on students to construct an argumentative piece that defends their position on the widely debated topic of the use of plastic water bottles and storage containers for drinks and foods, drawing on scientific sources for evidence on the chemical bonding issues. (Early Sample Module) |
Laura Billings of the National Paideia Center sets this challenge for students: “Does Eiseley’s explanation of how evolution in nature affects us make scientific sense? After reading “How Flowers Changed the World” by Loren Eiseley on evolution, write an essay that argues the causes of natural beauty and explains the effects on the human psyche from the author’s point of view and address the question.” A scoring guide shows why this module is considered an LDC exemplar. (LDC Partner: Paideia)Questions? Contact LDC here.
Photos courtesy of iStockphoto and Wikimedia Commons.