Guidelines for Selecting Projects

1. Basic Requirements
2. John Snow's Guidelines
3. The Five A's

I. Basic Requirements

Whether you're adapting a faculty idea or proposing your own, here are some "litmus tests" to keep in mind as you narrow down your project ideas:

1. Does the project address the core theme of this year's institute -- the study of "systems" (large networks of interrelated variables, and their perturbation and scaling properties).

2. Does the project reflect local environmental concerns in the area where you're teaching?

3. Does the project reflect the resources available this summer at the institute? (Can the environmental science techniques you want to learn be fruitfully studied in the Princeton area? Does the faculty expertise correspond to your needs? Does our budget cover the necessary equipment/travel?)

II. John Snow's Guidelines

• a project should promote open ended inquiry (and hence learning), while likely leading to a tangible result in the available time.

• a project should fit with the "environmental science" theme. In my mind, this means at a minimum it integrates one or more of the traditional Earth Science disciplines with the Life Sciences; ideally, there is also a human dimension (economics, policy, etc...) We should be able to articulate how a project addresses one or more of the elements of the planned AP course in Environmental Science.

• a project should have a connection with the National Standards for Science Education, one which we can articulate (this will likely help with NSF, and aid many of the teachers in making connections with their state and local standards).

• for each project we can identify or assemble ourselves an initial package of materials that will "jump start" participants' research activities. This could be a package of key readings, listing of web sites with potentially useful data, etc... (We need to remember that few scientists actually start a project from a zero base.)

• there should be a spectrum of projects, from ones focused on modeling activities to ones which blend a number of techniques to ones which are almost completely field-oriented. Ideally most of the projects will be toward the middle of the spectrum. Ideally, many of the projects will make use of field resources to be found in and around Princeton (and perhaps toward Washington, D.C., where we could make use of some the promised support from various agencies).

• given our potential audience, it is important some of the projects have a strong urban orientation.

III. The Five A's: Questions to Ask When Designing Projects

1. Authenticity
   • Does the project emanate from a problem or question that has meaning to the student?
   • Does it provide opportunities to create or produce something that has personal and / or social value?
   • Is there a real audience (set of recipients) for this work?

2. Adult relationships (relevant for the teachers as they relate their experiences to the classroom)
   • Do students meet and observe adults with relevant expertise and experience?
   • Do students work closely with and get to know at least one adult?
   • Do the adults collaborate with one another and students on the design and assessment of project work?

3. Academic Rigor
   • Does the project lead students to acquire and apply knowledge related to one or more discipline or content area?
   • Does it help students develop skills in problem solving and other forms of higher order thinking?
   • Does it help students develop the habits of mind and work habits required to complete complex tasks?

4. Active Learning
   • Do students spend significant amounts of time doing field-based work on the project?
   • Does it require students to engage in real investigation, using a variety of methods, media, and sources in their exploration?
   • Do students complete at least one product with usefulness outside of a school setting?

5. Assessment
   • Do students help to set the criteria for the project?
   • Do students reflect on their learning and engage in periodic self-assessment?
   • Are adults from outside the classroom involved in the assessment of the work?

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