A chapter co-authored by Washington University’s Rachel Ruggirello and Lauren Ashman is among 25 chapters included in the book Justice-Oriented Science Teaching and Learning: Anchoring Phenomena in Secondary Classrooms, published by Springer Nature February 21, 2025.
The chapter, “How the Eruption of Mt. Tambora Shaped Present-Day Missouri: The Impact of Climate Events on Human Migration,” explores the largest volcanic eruption in the last several centuries. Well chronicled, the eruption of Mt. Tambora occurred in 1815, displaced living things, including people, and caused mass migrations that still have an impact today.
“Anchoring a science lesson on phenomena like the Mt. Tambora eruption is an opportunity to demonstrate the profound interdependence of climate change and human and natural systems,” says Ruggirello, who serves as associate director at WashU’s Institute for School Partnership. “We are thankful to have worked closely with Michael Wysession, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences and executive director of WashU’s Center for Teaching and Learning. His extensive knowledge of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and experience as a seismologist was essential as he guided our team to develop the original unit of study that inspired this chapter for high school students.”
Phenomenon-based instruction is also a key component of mySci, a comprehensive, high-quality program developed by the ISP that supports K-8 teachers to instill a love of science in their students.
“By centering science education on phenomena or problems that students are motivated to explain, the focus of learning shifts from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something happens,” adds ISP Program Manager and Instructional Specialist Lauren Ashman. “This approach to learning science allows students to explain the world around them, leading to deeper understanding.”
