Tag Archives: middle school science

New publication on middle-school students’ modeling groundwater

Leave a reply

Check out the newest Forbes Group publication in the Journal of Geoscience Education, led by masters student Holly White, which reports findings from a study of 7th-grade students use of the Hydrogeology Challenge to investigate groundwater. The study focuses on how students map elements of the HGC onto real-world, groundwater-related phenomena to reason about groundwater flow in the context of a groundwater contamination scenario. This research, undertaken as part of the WELS2 project, was made possible by a partnership with the Groundwater Foundation and teachers participating in a multi-year teacher professional development program focused on water education.

White, H., Lally, D., Forbes, C.T. (in press).  Investigating groundwater: Middle school students’ mapping data-driven, computer-based models to socio-hydrologic phenomena. Journal of Geoscience Education.

Holly White, M.S.

Leave a reply

Congratulations to Holly White for successfully defending her thesis, entitled, “GROUNDWATER EDUCATION: AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENTS’ USE OF A GROUNDWATER MODELING TOOL”.  For the past two years, Holly has worked as a graduate assistant as part of the Forbes Group, conducting research on K-12 and undergraduate students’ use of the Hydrogeology Challenge to reason about groundwater, as well as serving as a teaching assistant for the SCIL 109 course. Prior to that, Holly was a student in the 109 course and UCARE undergraduate researcher with the E2FEW project.   It has been a pleasure to work with Holly as both project PI and her advisor. Molly’s thesis study was conducted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science in UNL School of Natural Resources.  Her committee members included Drs. Dave Gosselin and Trenton Franz.

Sutter thesis publication

Leave a reply

Congrats to former Masters student Ashley (McKenzie) Sutter on publication of one of her thesis studies. This particular study explores 7th-grade students’ reasoning and science-informed decision-making about a local wind energy socio-scientific issue. Published in the International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, the article explores how middle school students problematized this issue, used available information to prioritize its most critical elements, and proposed feasible solutions to perceived challenges.

Sutter, A.M., Dauer, J.M., Kreuziger, T., Schubert, J., Forbes, C.T. (2019). Sixth-grade students’ problematization of and decision-making about a wind energy socio-scientific issue. In International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 28(3), 242-256.