To engage undergraduate students in problem-based learning relevant to environmental issues in their own urban communities, this project is creating, implementing, and evaluating new curricular materials focused on student investigations of water pollution at three EPA Superfund sites in New York City. The project involves students enrolled in three courses at different levels (science majors studying instrumental analysis, non-science majors studying environmental science, and senior students participating in research internships) at John Jay College of the City University of New York, which is the largest four-year, Hispanic-serving institution in the Northeast. These students work together to collect, analyze, interpret, and report out on data that have been collected from the Superfund sites. Student learning objectives that are being evaluated as part of the project include: development of collaborative learning skills that help students understand how to communicate their ideas and how shared responsibilities play important roles in science; and student understanding of the process of science, including how scientists reason with data. The curriculum and instruction being developed is a working model for colleges and universities, including five current partner community colleges in the NY City area, who are interested in bridging the gap between research scientists and science-informed citizens.
