Page 166 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

10 Action-Based Science Instruction 143

Some countries cover the payment when you go to the hospital, so maybe you can change
it and make sure everyone has health insurance at a reasonable price. We would really
appreciate it if you would come to our school.
Sincerely,
Ayana
Having a political voice: In addition to raising money for the local toddler’s
surgery costs not covered by insurance, students wanted to know if and how they
could get involved with changing issues they did not like. After gaining new
knowledge about the government and their rights as citizens, the students were
eager to take action at the state level. After learning about the Bill of Rights and
how a bill becomes a law, they decided to propose an idea for a bill to their
California representatives. At first, the students wanted to propose a bill related
to health care using the toddler they had been raising money for as an example
of social injustice. The students were even interested in challenging the health
insurance company that denied the initial claim. However, the students had to
shift gears after the toddler’s family asked the students not to get involved with
the legal aspect of the issue. As a result, the students had to reconsider the focus
of the project.
During a brainstorming session about other issues related to the project that
could be addressed through public policy, several students brought up issues related
to the environmental knowledge they had gained from recycling to raise money for
the toddler’s surgery. After weeks of discussion, the students agreed to propose a
bill related to recycling. The students’ proposal suggested that all California
schools should be designated as community recycling drop-off centers. Their ratio-
nale for this proposal was to make it more convenient for people in every commu-
nity to recycle while also raising money for each school from the California
Redemption Value, a deposit paid on certain recyclable materials at the time of
purchase.
Once informed, they wrote letters and spoke publicly to elicit support from local
and state government officials as well as other members of the community. A small
group of students spoke at a local city council meeting, while the entire class wrote
a letter to the California representative from their district. Students also contacted
the local media and worked to build a partnership with the local waste management.
All of these activities emerged from the students’ work on their project, which also
led the students to construct their own definition of citizenship.

Action-Based Learning Examples

The issues within a community are endless. An in-depth investigation of these
issues can motivate student action and enhance science teaching and learning.
Below is a list of sample service-learning, stewardship, and civic involvement
activities related to science.