As we count down the years remaining before a global climate catastrophe, ever increases the importance of teaching environmental history and fostering environmental stewardship from a young age. In the age of globalization, nothing exists in a vacuum, yet our traditional education system often fails to reflect the abundant connections between content areas that are prevalent outside of schools. In fact, many of the flaws of the field of education have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and a forced transition to online schooling, with many educators reverting to outdated practices in a desperate attempt to get students through the year. The aim of this project was to design a unit curriculum with these issues in mind. This month-long environmental history unit engages students through the use of hands-on activities and promotes interdisciplinary connections. The unit can be taught in a physical, online, or hybrid American history class, and will hopefully inspire and motivate students to become environmental stewards as they look toward their futures on this planet.

This project consisted of creating at-home lesson plan activities for middle school sixth-grade students centered around environmental education topics. The lesson plan activities were informal for students to do at home by themselves or alongside their parents. I focused on Environmental Education topics such as awareness, animal and plant life so that students can learn more about the environments that surround them. Environmental Education invites students to look closer at the environment surrounding them while also helping them develop a sense of place and respect for their environment. My lesson plan activities encouraged students to go outside and learn more about their surroundings, developing an awareness and an appreciation for their natural setting. After implementing the lessons, I surveyed the students on the following 1) engagement: was the activity enjoyable 2) knowledge: what did you learn? and 3) the ease of the activity directions: what challenges did they face. After collecting the surveys, I analyzed them to see what went well, and changes I would make to future activities.

This research paper assesses the effectiveness of a remote garden-based learning curriculum in teaching elementary students’ basic systems thinking concepts. Five remote lessons were designed, covering different garden topics, and in order to integrate systems thinking concepts, the Systems Thinking Hierarchical Model was used. This model includes eight emergent characteristics of systems thinking necessary for developing systems thinking competency. Five students were given the remote garden-based learning lessons. Student work was evaluated for systems thinking understanding and student outcomes were compared to anticipated learning outcomes. Results suggest that elementary students are able to understand basic systems thinking concepts because student work met anticipated outcomes for four systems thinking characteristics and exceeded anticipated outcomes for one characteristic. These results are significant because they further confirm that elementary-aged students do have the ability to understand systems thinking and they contribute to a growing movement to integrate sustainability education into elementary curriculum.

The purpose of this study was to bring new information to the field of education research on graduation rates and school programming. Research on graduation rates and the effects of school programs exist, however there is not an abundance of research aimed specifically at Title I high schools. The goal was to find what school characteristics might impact graduation rates in this population. The thesis focused on Title I high schools in the Phoenix Union District with a graduating 2019 class of at least 250 students. This limited the effect of variability (school size, location, socioeconomic status). To research this topic, school characteristics were selected including course rigor, mentor programs, and college prep programs, as well as specific schools. To obtain the information, multiple sources were used including the Arizona Department of Education website, school websites, and school administrators/staff. The research revealed that the effect of course rigor, college prep programs, and mentorship on graduation rates in Phoenix Union High Schools is not apparent. Further research should be conducted into other possible causes for the gaps in graduation rates between the Title I high schools in this district. Future research on ELL students and programs in the Phoenix Union district and their effectiveness or lack thereof is also recommended. The research shows that this large demographic negatively correlates with the overall graduation rates at the six schools researched.

As zoos’ goals, designers’ values, and guests’ expectations change, so do the structures seen at the zoo. Exhibit history is not clear cut, and – despite what some may claim – is not inherently linear. Exhibit strategies develop as a result of tensions, both social and operational, imposed from both inside and outside of zoos. This literature review examines the history of zoo architecture by defining six design periods and considering the lenses of race, class, and nature.

Expectation for college attendance in the United States continues to rise as more jobs require degrees. This study aims to determine how parental expectations affect high school students in their decision to attend college. By examining parental expectations that were placed on current college students prior to and during the application period, we can determine the positive and negative outcomes of these expectations as well as the atmosphere they are creating. To test the hypothesis, an online survey was distributed to current ASU and Barrett, Honors College students regarding their experience with college applications and their parents' influence on their collegiate attendance. A qualitative analysis of the data was conducted in tandem with an analysis of several case studies to determine the results. These data show that parental expectations are having a significant impact on the enrollment of high school students in college programs. With parents placing these expectations on their children, collegiate enrollment will continue to increase. Further studies will be necessary to determine the specific influences these expectations are placing on students.

The purpose of this project was to create a resource for parents to introduce them to the PBIS framework that is used in many schools across the country, and to three low-intensity positive behavior management strategies that can be utilized to prevent problem behaviors at school and home. The three strategies included in the resource are: behavior specific praise, precorrection, and high probability request sequences. All three of these strategies have been shown, through research, to help promote positive relationships between adults and children, and decreased problem behaviors when they are used in the classroom and school settings. Through a literature review that was conducted at the beginning of the project, it was found that there is very little research on the use of the three strategies by parents. This resource could potentially lead to more education and research being done on both the social validity of these strategies and their use in the home setting.

Effective online learning strategies have become a much-debated topic with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological innovation has constantly been used to improve the education of students since its first use in the 1980s. Although online learning has been available to students in every single state in the US, along with a significant increase in online enrollment in virtual schools, teachers were simply not prepared for this sudden, immense transition. At the beginning of the pandemic, regardless of the preparedness and effectiveness of teachers across the country, time was not spent creating unique lessons to guide the education of our students, but it was instead spent rushing through quick and easy lesson plans. In order to better prepare for the future, this thesis will use a literature review of pedagogical practices and online learning, a survey of 52 ASU students, and the creation of the Online Learning Resource Hub (OLRH) in order to find the best approach to online learning for students in the 21st century.

Here’s the latest from my blog- Tips for Struggling Writers, sharing my knowledge on<br/>how not only special educators, but anyone can help individuals who struggle with writing. I share my input as well as including immense research and peer reviewed articles to show my understanding of the value of education. Through my blog, one should be able to sit down and understand what makes up a special education world. My blog is the fast track version of a Special Education 101 class. As you travel through, I hope to share different tips, tricks, and techniques that you can apply in your own classroom.