Teaching
Methods
Using
Brownfields


as
a
Platform:

Contextual
Piece

Melinda
Angeles

Advisor:
Robert
Giegengack

(also
posted
on
http://brownfields101.wordpress.com/)


ABSTRACT

This
thesis
project
addresses
the
educational
potential
that
brownfields,
“[whose]
redevelopment

may
be
complicated
by
the
presence
of
a
pollutant
or
contaminant,”
inherently
hold
in
each
of

Pennsylvania’s
academic
standards:

Arts
&
Humanities;
Career
Education
&
Work;
Civics
&

Government;
Economics;
Environment
&
Ecology;
Family
&
Consumer
Sciences;
Geography;
Health,

Safety,
&
Physical
Education;
History;
Mathematics;
Reading,
Writing,
Speaking,
&
Listening;
and

Science
&
Technology.

As
a
piece
of
land,
the
experience
of
using
different
units
of
measurement

and
measuring
instruments
can
be
incorporated
into
the
third
grade
math
curriculum.

Because
of

the
changing
land
uses
of
brownfields;
local,
regional,
or
national
industrial
fluxes
can
be
teased
out

and
fulfill
the
historical
complexities
required
for
elementary
education.

A
comparison
of
greenfield

development
and
brownfield
redevelopment
discusses
the
use
of
finite
natural
resources,
public

health,
and
the
advanced
idea
of
environmental
justice
that
may
be
seen
in
an
environment
or

ecology
class.

And
those
are
just
a
few
examples
of
educational
opportunities
that
arise
with

brownfields.

This
thesis
is
a
collection
of
possible
lesson
plans
that
address
one
or
more

Pennsylvania
academic
standards
and
can
be
integrated
into
current
curricula
of
a
wide
age‐range

of
students.




TABLE
OF
CONTENTS


1.0
INTRODUCTION
 3


2.0
FORMULATION
OF
LESSON
PLANS
 4

THEORETICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
 4

STEP
ONE:
LESSON
OBJECTIVES
 5

STEP
TWO:

KNOWLEDGE
ASSESSMENTS
 7

STEP
THREE:

LESSON
PLAN
DESIGN
 8

LEARNING
TECHNIQUES
 9











PROBLEM‐BASED
LEARNING
 9











SOCIODRAMA
AND
ROLE‐PLAYING
 10











BRAINSTORMING
 11











PEER
EDITING
 11











FIELDTRIP
 12

LESSON
PLAN
DISCLAIMER
 13


3.0
FURTHER
STEPS
 13


4.0
REFERENCES
 14


APPENDIX
A
–
BROWNFIELD
BROCHURES
 15




List
of
Tables

Table
2.1
Pennsylvania
Academic
Standards
Addressed
in
Lesson
Plans



List
of
Figures

Figure
2.1
Multiple
Methods
of
Assessment:

From
Least
to
Most
Complex

Figure
2.2
Recommended
Assessment
Types
to
the
Desired
Range
of
Understanding


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This
project
would
not
be
possible
without
the
understanding
and
patience
from
Gieg

and
Dr.
D,
formally
known
as
Dr.
Robert
Giegengack
and
Dr.
Jane
Dmochowski,

respectively.

A
word
of
thanks
also
goes
to
Dr.
Yvette
Bordeaux
who
suggested
that
I

pursue
this
topic
as
my
thesis,
Dr.
Deborah
Lange
who
had
introduced
this
project
to
me

in
the
first
place,
and
David
Neibauer
who
helped
me
with
lesson
plan
ideas.

Last
but

not
least,
I
need
to
thank
NancyLee
Bergey
of
the
Graduate
School
of
Education
who

provided
me
with
encouragement
and
suggestions
for
the
format
of
my
thesis,
and

various
online
sources,
like
Curriki,
that
helped
me
write
these
lesson
plans.

1.0
Introduction

Usually
upon
hearing
the
definition
of
a
brownfield,
which
is
a
site
of
land
that
“may
be

complicated
by
the
presence
of
a
pollutant
or
contaminant,”
(“Brownfields”)
the

subject’s
usual
educational
focus
is
ecology/environment
because
of
“pollution”
or
the

idea
of
dwindling
natural
land
resources
with
the
generation
and
abandonment
of

brownfields.

However,
brownfields
hold
more
educational
potential
than
initially
meets

the
eye.

Usually
a
large
brownfield
has
a
striking
history
due
to
industrial
rise
and
fall;

or
the
redevelopment
of
a
brownfield
can
illustrate
the
role
and
perspectives
of
the

media,
residents,
land
developers,
and
local
government
officials
concerning
a
shared

dispute.

So
while
brownfields
hold
a
distinct
environmental
focus,
they
are
really

multifaceted
and
are
useful
in
bringing
abstract
concepts
like
social
and
political

responsibility
into
a
real‐life
situation.



Because
of
this,
it
does
not
make
sense
that
brownfields
are
not
commonly
used
as

educational
platforms
for
classroom
learning.

The
executive
director
of
the
Western

Pennsylvania
Brownfields
Center
(WPBC),
Dr.
Deborah
Lange,
posed
this
question
to
me

in
2007
during
my
second
summer
interning
at
the
Center.

To
my
knowledge,
this

problem
has
not
been
addressed
by
any
other
established
online
sources,
like
Curriki
–
a

community
of
educators
and
other
like‐minded
individuals
that
distribute
free
teaching

materials
worldwide.

In
response
to
her
query,
I
designed
and
developed
educational

pamphlets
that
introduce
the
term
“brownfields”
to
three
different
age
levels:

elementary,
middle,
and
high
school
students
(see
Appendix
A).
They
can
also
be
found

online
through
WPBC’s
website:

http://www.cmu.edu/steinbrenner/brownfields/Current%20Projects/schooloutreach.ht
ml.




However,
these
brochures
only
define
brownfields;
they
do
not
use
brownfields
as
a

learning
platform.

To
address
that
idea
of
brownfields
as
a
learning
platform,
a
course

planner
needs
to
have
a
thorough
understanding
of
the
subject
matter
to
be
able
to

TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 3



identify
the
key
concepts
and
skills
in
the
subject.

My
experience
at
WPBC
and
my

enrollment
in
ENVS
463,
“Brownfield
Remediation,”
at
the
University
of
Pennsylvania,

has
led
me
to
believe
that
I
have
enough
background
knowledge
of
the
social
and

political
issues
surrounding
brownfields
as
well
as
the
insider
experience
interviewing

key
players
in
the
redevelopment
and
summarizing
the
history
of
Pittsburgh
brownfields

to
think
of
and
create
innovative
lesson
plans
with
brownfields
as
a
teaching
tool.





Instead
of
the
basic
content
that
was
covered
in
the
brochures,
this
thesis’s
challenge
is

to
formulate
successful
lesson
plans
that
can
integrate
into
established
curricula.



Education
is
not
my
forte,
nor
have
I
taken
an
education
development
class
in
college.



In
the
course
of
this
thesis,
I
have
referred
to
several
books
about
curriculum
and
lesson

plan
development,
sought
advice
from
NancyLee
Bergey,
the
Associate
Director
of

Teacher
Education
in
the
Graduate
School
of
Education;
was
involved
with
the
graphical

development
of
an
entrepreneurial
curriculum;
remembered
the
planning
involved
with

Junior
Achievement
(a
program
that
provides
lesson
plans
to
older
students
who
then

volunteer
afterschool
to
teach
elementary
school
classes)
in
high
school;
and
recalled

my
personal
educational
experiences
in
elementary,
middle,
and
high
school.




2.0
Formulation
of
Lesson
Plans

Theoretical
Considerations


After
researching
curriculum
and
lesson
plan
development,
I
realized
that
I
had

originally
used
the
two
terms
as
synonyms,
when
in
fact
they
are
not.

The
goals
of

individual
lesson
plans,
when
successfully
formulated
and
integrated,
should
create
an

empowering
interdisciplinary
curriculum.

Curriculum
is
not
made
up
of
experiences
or

activities
that
support
the
learning
of
an
idea.

Rather,
curriculum
is
what
is
intended
to

be
learned
(Posner
&
Rudnitsky,
1994).

To
further
distinguish
this
difference
using
a

previous
example
in
this
thesis
contextual
piece,
researching
the
varied
history
of
a

brownfield
could
make
up
a
lesson
plan,
but
the
idea
that
history
is
dynamic
and
that

land
use
constantly
changes
would
be
part
of
the
curriculum.

So
the
purpose
of
this

 project
is
not
to
formulate
the
curriculum
itself,
rather,
to
create
lesson
plans
that
can

fit
into
a
teacher’s
existing
goal
set
and
curriculum.



The
design
process
for
these
goals
is
modeled
though
the
Understanding
by
Design

process
created
by
Wiggins
and
McTighe,
where
Step
One
requires
an
educator
to

identify
the
desired
results
of
instruction,
Step
Two
requires
an
educator
to
determine

acceptable
evidence
to
evaluate
the
quality
of
the
achievement
of
those
results,
and

Step
Three
requires
an
educator
to
plan
learning
experiences
and
instruction.

This
is
a

backwards
design
process
where
the
end
results
are
the
focus
of
lesson
planning

(Understanding).



Step
One:
Lesson
Objectives

Fortunately,
different
grade‐levels
goals,
or
Step
One’s
“desired
results
of
instruction,”

for
each
course
of
study
are
explicitly
stated
on
the
Pennsylvania
Department
of

Education
website.


These
goals,
known
as
the
Pennsylvania
Academic
Standards

documents,
are
mandated
by
the
state
government
and
are
publically
available
at

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/state_board_of_education/
8830/state_academic_standards/529102.

The
table
below
lists
most
standards
that
are

addressed
by
the
lesson
plans.

Some
lesson
plans
touch
on
other
academic
standards,

but
the
listed
standards
have
a
larger
focus.



Table
2.1
Pennsylvania
Academic
Standards
Addressed
in
Lesson
Plans


Lesson
Plan
 Pennsylvania
Academic
Standards

1.1
The
Rise
of
 2.6
Statistics
and
Data
Analysis;
4.8
Humans
and
the
Environment;
6.4
Economic

Industry
in
Pittsburgh
 Interdependence;
7.1
Basic
Geographic
Literacy;
7.4
The
Interactions
Between

(not
published)
 People
and
Places;
8.1
Historical
Analysis
and
Skills
Development;
8.2

Pennsylvania
History;
8.3
United
States
History

2.1
The
Decline
of
 2.6
Statistics
and
Data
Analysis;
3.1
Unifying
Themes;
4.8
Humans
and
the

Industry
in
Pittsburgh
 Environment;
6.4
Economic
Interdependence;
7.4
The
Interactions
Between

(not
published)
 People
and
Places;
8.1
Historical
Analysis
and
Skills
Development;
8.2

Pennsylvania
History;
8.3
United
States
History

3.1
Brownfields:

an
 3.1
Unifying
Themes;
3.5
Earth
Sciences;
4.2
Renewable
and
Nonrenewable

TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 5



Introduction
 Resources;
4.3
Environmental
Health;
4.6
Ecosystems
and
the
Interactions;
4.8

Humans
and
the
Environment;
4.9
Environmental
Laws
and
Regulations;
6.4

Economic
Interdependence;
7.1
Basic
Geographic
Literacy;
7.4
The
Interactions

Between
People
and
Places;
8.3
United
States
History

3.2
Brownfields
in
a
 4.2
Renewable
and
Nonrenewable
Resources;
4.6
Ecosystems
and
the

Bottle
 Interactions;
7.1
Basic
Geographic
Literacy;
7.4
The
Interactions
Between
People

and
Places

3.3
Measuring
and
 2.1
Numbers,
Number
Systems
and
Number
Relationships;
2.2
Computation
and

Mapping
 Estimation;
2.3
Measurement
and
Estimation;
2.9
Geometry;
3.3
Biological

Sciences;
4.6
Ecosystems
and
the
Interactions;
7.4
The
Interactions
Between

People
and
Places

3.4
Environmental
 1.5
Speaking
and
Listening;
1.8
Research;
4.2
Renewable
and
Nonrenewable

Laws
and
Regulations
 Resources;
4.3
Environmental
Health;
4.6
Ecosystems
and
the
Interactions;
4.8

(not
published)
 Humans
and
the
Environment;
4.9
Environmental
Laws
and
Regulations;
5.1

Environmental
Justice,
Interpreting
Court
Decisions;
8.1
Historical
Analysis
and

Skills
Development;
8.3
United
States
History;
9.1
Music,
Theatre,
and
Visual

Arts;
10.1
Concepts
of
Health;
13.3
Career
Retention
and
Advancement

3.5
Environmental
 1.8
Research;
4.3
Environmental
Health;
4.8
Humans
and
the
Environment;
4.9

Justice
and
 Environmental
Laws
and
Regulations;
5.1
Environmental
Justice,
Interpreting

Environmental
 Court
Decisions;
6.4
Economic
Interdependence;
7.4
The
Interactions
Between

Health
(not
 People
and
Places;
8.1
Historical
Analysis
and
Skills
Development;
8.3
United

published)
 States
History;
10.1
Concepts
of
Health;
10.2
Healthful
Living;
11.2
Balancing

Family,
Work,
and
Community
Responsibility

4.1
Community
 1.5
Speaking
and
Listening;
1.8
Research;
2.2
Computation
and
Estimation;
4.3

Meeting
 Environmental
Health;
4.6
Ecosystems
and
the
Interactions;
4.9
Environmental

Laws
and
Regulations;
6.4
Economic
Interdependence;
7.1
Basic
Geographic

Literacy;
7.4
The
Interactions
Between
People
and
Places;
9.1
Music,
Theatre,

and
Visual
Arts;
13.3
Career
Retention
and
Advancement

4.2
Writing
 1.4
Types
of
Writing
(Persuasive);
1.8
Research;
2.9
Geometry;
4.3

Persuasive
Letters
 Environmental
Health;
4.6
Ecosystems
and
the
Interactions;
4.9
Environmental

Laws
and
Regulations;
6.4
Economic
Interdependence;
9.1
Music,
Theatre,
and

Visual
Arts;
10.1
Concepts
of
Health

5.1
Entrepreneurship
 6.4
Economic
Interdependence;
9.1
Music,
Theatre,
and
Visual
Arts;
13.3
Career

Retention
and
Advancement;
13.4
Entrepreneurship

5.2
Running
a
 13.3
Career
Retention
and
Advancement;
13.4
Entrepreneurship

Business

6.1
Research
Project
 1.4
Types
of
Writing
(Informational);
1.8
Research;
3.6
Technology
Education;

9.1
Music,
Theatre,
and
Visual
Arts

6.2
Writing
a
 1.4
Types
of
Writing
(Narrative);
1.8
Research

Narrative

6.3
Creating
a
 1.4
Types
of
Writing
(Informational);
1.8
Research;
3.6
Technology
Education;

Brochure
 9.1
Music,
Theatre,
and
Visual
Arts



Step
Two:

Knowledge
Assessments

After
something
is
taught,
an
educator
should
measure
the
understanding
of
the
new

information.

If
the
assessment
is
poor,
then
the
stated
goals
from
Step
One
may
not

have
been
reached
or
a
lesson
plan
cannot
be
properly
evaluated.

Knowledge

assessments
that
define
what
concepts
need
to
be
exemplified
can
also
direct
the
types

of
activities
that
can
be
used
in
a
lesson
plan.

In
addition,
evidence
of
knowledge
should

be
considered
with
an
open
mind.

For
instance,
well‐written
multiple‐choice
questions

can
be
a
reliable
way
of
assessing
factual
knowledge
and
possibly
determine
whether
or

not
the
student
can
apply
that
knowledge
in
different
contexts.

However,
skill‐related

knowledge
can
be
more
effectively
assessed
through
actual
performance

(Understanding).

Different
types
of
assessments
are
listed
in
order
of
complexity
in

Figure
2.1.




Figure
2.1
Multiple
Methods
of
Assessment:

From
Least
to
Most
Complex



It
is
important
to
note
that
there
is
no
hierarchy
of
assessments;
the
“best”
assessment

depends
on
the
desired
range
of
understanding
for
the
student
(see
Figure
2.2)


TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 7



 

Figure
2.2
Recommended
Assessment
Types
to
the
Desired
Range
of
Understanding


The
majority
of
the
lesson
plans
included
with
this
thesis
are
best
evaluated
with
a

rubric,
or
a
scoring
system.

Rubrics
allow
for
standardized
ways
of
evaluating
students

and
also
provide
guidance
for
students
as
they
work
through
a
task.

Each
independent

criterion
should
be
scored
in
single‐digit
values
(0‐9)
because
larger
score
points
(10+)

may
lead
to
reliability
concerns.

For
instance,
a
score
of
70/100
and
71/100
probably

could
not
be
duplicated
over
different
educators’
assessments
(Understanding).



Step
Three:

Lesson
Plan
Design

After
the
goals
have
been
identified
and
an
accurate
knowledge
assessment
has
been

generated,
lesson
plans
need
to
be
designed.

McTighe
and
Wiggins
created
a
design

tool
for
successful
lesson
plan
development,
also
known
as
WHERE.

WHERE
is
an

acronym,
which
stands
for

o “Where
is
the
unit
headed
and
what
is
the
purpose
of
day‐to‐day
work?

o Hook
the
students
through
engaging
work
that
makes
them
more
eager
to

explore
key
ideas.

o Explore
the
subject
in
depth,
equip
students
with
required
knowledge
and
kill
to

perform
successfully
on
final
tasks,
and
help
students
experience
key
ideas.

o Rethink
with
students
the
big
ideas;
students
rehearse
and
revise
their
work.

 o Evaluate
results
and
develop
action
plans
though
self‐assessment
of
results.”

(Understanding)

That
acronym
can
be
summed
up
in
the
“Questions”
section
of
the
included
lesson

plans,
where
the
questions
frame
the
lesson
plan.

McTighe
and
Wiggins
recommend

that
these
questions
provoke
and
sustain
student
interest,
occur
naturally,
address

philosophical
or
conceptual
aspects
of
a
discipline,
raise
other
cross‐disciplinary

questions,
and
provide
discussion,
inquiry,
and
research
(i.e.
have
no
obvious
“right”

answer)
(Understanding).



Learning
Techniques

A
few
different
teaching
styles
were
utilized
in
these
lesson
plans.

According
to
the

National
Training
Laboratories
Learning
Pyramid
for
Average
Retention
Rates,
students

retain
5%
of
what
you
tell
them,
10%
from
what
they
read,
30%
from
audiovisual

sources,
30%
through
demonstration,
40%
from
discussion
groups,
75%
from
practice
by

doing,
and
90%
by
teaching
others
(Stone,
2007).

The
strategies
used
in
these
lesson

plans
primarily
focus
on
discussion
groups
and
active
participation
with
an
opportunity

to
teach
others
during
the
final
presentation.

The
following
sections
describe
different

broad
learning
techniques
along
with
their
advantages.

The
specific
plans
that
used
the

particular
technique
are
listed
before
the
section’s
content.




Problem‐Based
Learning


Used
in
“3.4
Environmental
Laws
and
Regulations”
(not
published)

“3.5
Environmental
Justice
and
Environmental
Health”
(not
published)



Problem‐based
learning
(PBL)
is
a
method
where
students
imagine
problematic

scenarios
and
use
new
and
existing
knowledge
to
solve
the
problem.

These
problem

scenarios
stimulate
the
need
to
seek
out
new
information
and
synthesize
it
in
the

context
of
the
fictitious
situation.

PBL
is
packaged
in
a
way
that
is
more
appealing
and

memorable
than
requiring
rote
memorization
of
information.

However,
this
technique

TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 9



requires
effective
facilitation
and
dialogue
between
the
teacher
and
students
so
in
order

to
effectively
utilize
PBL,
a
teacher
needs
to
know
his
or
her
students
and
direct
the

conversation
to
promote
goal‐oriented
learning.

PBL
is
also
highly
effective
if
students

work
in
groups
and
collaborate
as
a
team
to
answer
a
problem
(Lambros,
2002).



The
general
way
that
PBL
works
is
that
students
are
prompted
to
list
the
known
“Facts”

that
were
provided
in
the
problem
and
the
“Need
to
Know”
details
necessary
to
solve

the
problem.


In
this
process,
students
will
figure
out
what
they
need
to
research
in

order
to
arrive
to
a
solution.

And
if
they
list
“Need
to
Know”
details
that
arrive
at

different
possible
solutions,
the
students
will
practice
prioritization
and
informed

decision‐making.

This
list
may
need
to
be
broken
further
into
“Possible
Solutions”
then

“Defendable
Solution/s”
lists
(Lambros,
2002).





In
the
case
of
“3.5
Environmental
Justice
and
Environmental
Health,”
the
PBL
should
be

passed
out
among
the
students.

When
the
scenario
is
read
aloud,
one
student
practices

reading
and
speech
while
the
others
practices
listening
techniques.

It
is
also
important

that
the
teacher
follows
along
to
ensure
that
key
words
are
not
emitted
or
sentences

were
not
skipped
(Lambros,
2002).





Sociodrama
and
Role‐Playing

Used
in
“3.4
Environmental
Laws
and
Regulations”
(not
published)

“4.1
Community
Meeting”



Sociodrama
and
role‐playing
are
great
techniques
of
participation
and
interaction.


While
”4.1
Community
Meeting
“
creates
a
mock
charrette
for
brownfield

redevelopment
and
“3.4
Environmental
Laws
and
Regulations”
creates
a
mock
trial
that

discusses
brownfield
liability;
role‐playing
is
also
used
in
historic
portrayals,
United

Nations
sessions,
and
various
television
programs
like
Meet
the
Press.

If
utilized

correctly,
dramatic
role‐playing
activities
let
students
analyze,
describe
situations
under

the
roles’
particular
perceptions,
and
unveil
deeply
nested
issues
that
different
people

face.

Concepts
and
ideas
are
examined
from
different
viewpoints,
which
promote

understanding
of
a
topic
area.

It
also
combines
the
elements
of
group
work,
research,

study,
and
presentation.

This
is
especially
effective
if
the
role
represents
the
students’

opposing
view
since
a
reversal
of
roles
deepens
the
awareness
of
the
complex
and

controversial
nature
of
many
issues
(Callahan,
1988).




Brainstorming

Used
in
“4.1
Community
Meeting”

“4.2
Writing
Persuasive
Letters”

“5.1
Entrepreneurship”
(not
published)



Likewise,
brainstorming
is
effective
in
groups
or
across
the
class
as
a
whole.

In

brainstorming,
students
generate
ideas
and
stimulate
meaningful
discussion.

Students

can
state
whatever
comes
to
mind
–
all
comments,
no
matter
how
farfetched,
are

accepted
and
recorded
anonymously.

There
is
no
discussion
on
the
contributions
until

all
ideas
have
been
presented.

A
later
discussion
may
examine
and
narrow
down
these

ideas
and
decide
on
the
next
steps.

Ultimately,
these
ideas
are
a
springboard
for

research
and
problem
solving
(Callahan,
1988).




Peer
Editing

Used
in
“4.2
Writing
Persuasive
Letters”

“6.1
Research
Project”
(not
published)

“6.2
Writing
a
Narrative”



This
method
asks
students
to
create
substantial
feedback
on
the
compositions
of
their

peers,
which
should
be
nothing
short
of
a
“re
vision,”
or
considering
a
new
perspective

in
the
writing.

Usually
this
can
be
successful
by
reading
a
paper
twice.

The
first
read


TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 11



allows
basic
grammatical
editing
to
take
place.

Unfortunately,
peer
editing
is
usually

known
as
“a
simple
grammar
and
minor
organizational
error
check”
and
hardly
goes

beyond
that.

A
second
read
from
the
reviser
allows
them
to
remark
on
the
organization

and
content
(Gottlieb).



This
concept
of
revision
is
expanded
in
A
Community
of
Writers
(1999),
where
authors

Peter
Elbow
and
Pat
Belanoff,
prominent
members
of
the
English
and
Writing
Programs

of
the
University
of
Massachusetts
at
Amherst
and
State
University
of
New
York‐Stony

Brook,
respectively,
described
three
levels
of
revision:

1.
Reseeing
or
rethinking:

changing
what
a
piece
says,
or
its
‘bones.’

2.
Reworking
or
reshaping:

changing
how
a
piece
says
it,
or
changing
its
‘muscles.’

3.
Copyediting
or
proofreading
for
mechanics
and
usage:

checking
for
deviations

from
standard
conventions,
or
changing
the
writing’s
‘skin.’
(pg.
124)

Because
it
may
be
difficult
for
students
to
properly
revise
a
composition,
a
guiding

worksheet
(which
will
be
given
to
the
original
composer)
forces
students
to
think
more

sophisticatedly.

Sample
worksheets
are
provided
in
the
lesson
plans
“4.2
Writing

Persuasive
Letters”
and
“6.2
Writing
a
Narrative.”




Fieldtrip

Used
in
“3.3
Measuring
and
Mapping”



Fieldtrips
provide
students
with
experiences
that
cannot
be
duplicated
in
the
school

because
they
expand
beyond
the
walls
of
the
classroom
into
the
“real
world.”

They

provide
educators
with
the
opportunity
to
make
connections
with
out‐of‐school

resources
and
the
surrounding
community
(Melber,
2008).

In
the
case
of
“3.3

Measuring
and
Mapping,”
a
trip
to
a
nearby
brownfield
would
create
a
personal

association
with
the
brownfield
concept
along
with
the
idea
of
its
prolific
nature
since

brownfields
are
common
in
that
area.

This
by
itself
is
much
more
effective
in
instilling

those
ideas
than
citing
statistics
about
the
ubiquity
of
brownfields.



Lesson
Plan
Disclaimer

The
lesson
plans
for
this
thesis
will
be
collected
in
one
document
and
online,
proceeded

by
recommended
preparation
steps
and
a
disclaimer.

As
is
the
case
with
using
any

external
source
for
inspiration
for
lesson
plans,
a
note
of
caution
needs
to
be
addressed:


These
lesson
plans
are
simply
suggestions
that
need
to
be
modified
to
fit
the
instructor’s

current
curriculum
and
planned
in
context
with
other
lessons.

Also,
they
should
be

tailored
for
the
instructor’s
teaching
strengths
and
the
students’
individual
needs.

The

students’
maturity,
needs,
interests,
abilities,
and
knowledge
need
to
be
considered,

and
the
lesson
plans
should
change
based
on
what
the
teacher
feels
the
students
should

be
learning
and
how
the
students
will
learn
best.





3.0
Further
Steps

These
lesson
plans
and
reference
booklet
will
be
sent
electronically
to
WPBC
before
the

end
of
September
2010
for
editing
and
approval,
with
the
hope
that
they
will
ultimately

be
distributed
to
Pittsburgh‐area
public
and
private
schools.

Currently,
they
are
both

being
uploaded
onto
an
online
format
(see
http://brownfields101.wordpress.com)
so

that
they
can
immediately
be
widely
accessible.

After
WPBC’s
approval,
the
website
will

undergo
several
face‐to‐face
buzz
(e.g.
contacts
with
educators)
and
online
social

marketing
advertisements
(e.g
message
boards)
to
generate
traffic
among
educators

and
students
alike.

This
collection
of
lesson
plans
will
be
continually
edited
and
grow
as

new
lesson
ideas
are
generated.




TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 13



4.0
References

Butt,
G.
(2003).
Lesson
Planning.
London:
Continuum.

“Brownfields
Definition.”
Environmental
Protection
Agency.

<http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/glossary.htm>.

Callahan,
J.
&
Clark,
L.
(1988).
Teaching
in
the
Middle
and
Secondary
Schools:

Planning

for
Competence
(3rd
ed.).
New
York,
NY:
Macmillan
Publishing
Company.

Drake,
S.
(1998).
Creating
Integrated
Curriculum:

Proven
Ways
to
Increase
Student

Learning.
Thousand
Oaks,
CA:
Corwin
Press,
Inc.

Elbow,
P.
&
Belanoff,
P.
(1999).
A
Community
of
Writers:

A
Workshop
Course
in
Writing

(3rd
ed.).
New
York,
NY:
McGraw‐Hill.

Gottlieb,
E.,
Mackin,
K.,
Dill,
B.,
&
Schneider,
J.
“Peer
editing.”
Retrieved
from

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~mclark/p‐e.html

Lambros,
A.
(2002).
Problem‐Based
Learning
in
K‐8
Classrooms:

A
Teacher’s
Guide
to

Implementation.

Thousand
Oaks,
CA:
Corwin
Press,
Inc.

Melber,
L.
(2008).
Informal
learning
and
field
trips:

engaging
students
in
standards‐
based
experiences
across
the
K‐5
curriculum.
Thousand
Oaks,
CA:

Corwin
Press.

Posner,
G.
J.,
&
Rudnitsky,
A.
N.

(1994).
Course
Design:

A
Guide
to
Curriculum

Development
for
Teachers
(4th
ed.).
New
York,
NY:
Longman
Publishing
Group.

Stone,
R.

(2007).
Best
Practices
for
Teaching
Science:
What
Award‐Winning
Classroom

Teachers
Do.
Thousand
Oaks,
CA:

Corwin
Press.


Understanding
by
Design.
From
the
SSCED
Tool
Kit,
Curriculum,
Instruction,
and

Assessment,
PDF
Document.

Adapted
from



 
 McTighe,
J.
and
Wiggins,
G.
(1999).
The
Understanding
by
Design


 Handbook.

Alexandria,
VA:

Association
for
Supervision
and
Curriculum


 Development.

Appendix
A
–
Brownfield
Brochures




These
were
meant
to
be
trifold
brochures,
printed
on
the
front
and
back.

The
brochures

are
in
increasing
order
of
age
appropriateness:

Basic
(grades
Kindergarten
–
4),

Intermediate
(grades
4
–
8),
and
Advanced
(grades
9
–
12).


TEACHING
METHODS
USING
BROWNFIELDS
AS
A
PLATFORM
–
contextual
piece
 15



What you
can do for the
Decoder
Use your magnifying glass to decode the answers.
What is a
environment
Replace each green letter with a white one to
spell out each of the environmental clues.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ can affect air, land, and water.
brownfield? ... and other cool stuff
Pick up litter you see and throw it KLOOFGRLM
away or recycle it. Recycling stops _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are polluted places that were about the environment
lots of garbage from ending up in YILDMURVOWI
landfills. abandoned, like empty gas stations, dry cleaners,
Turn off the lights when you leave a
room. and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. You can help the earth by
UZXGLIRVH
Ask your parents to buy items with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. You can also _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the
less packaging or to buy items in IVXBXORMT GFIM LUU
bulk. Overpackaged foods and other lights when you leave the room.
LM
JK
products waste paper and plastic.
Iq ponN

O k
Don’t use styrofoam cups – m
r

l
P jihg U
Styrofoam is not biodegradable.
Instead, buy recyclable and
t H

QRST
s
compostable paper cups. Or, better
FG
yet, drink from reusable cups and
mugs.
vu

For lunch, don’t bring plastic forks

DE

and spoons. They are not

f
Cw

biodegradeable and not recyclable

in most areas. Instead, carry your
Bx

own utensils and food containers

e
y

and wash them later.

V dc z
WXb a A
Store drinking water in the fridge
YZ
rather than letting the tap run to get
a cool glass of water.

when you leave the room.

earth by RECYCLING. You can also TURN OFF the lights
stations, dry cleaners, and FACTORIES. You can help the
are polluted places that were abandoned, like empty gas Deborah Lange, Executive Director
POLLUTION can affect air, land, and water. BROWNFIELDS
ANSWERS TO DECODER: http://www.cmu.edu/steinbrenner/brownfields/
dlange@cmu.edu, phone 412-268-7121, fax 412-268-
7813 Grades K-4
What is
pollution?
Pollution (puh-loo-shuhn) is a big
word that means anything that is
harmful to the environment. If
people are careless, they can
spread pollution in the air you
breathe, the water you drink, and
the ground on which you play.
So, what is a
brownfield?
Many places can be polluted,
like a landfill (from the garbage)
or a big city (from car smoke).
Brownfields are polluted places
that have been left alone
because a new business does
not want to use the dirty land.
Some examples of brownfields
are empty gas stations, dry
cleaners, and factories.
Brownfields can be cleaned and
made into stores, parks, and
neighborhoods!
Pollution
spreads
quickly.
Find out how
easily it spreads in
the following activity.
Pollution try this at home
washed into the lake. (Pour some liquid
soap into the bucket.)
Solution Materials
with an adult
Clean-up kit
Campers’ litter also found its way into the
lake. (Place some small strips of paper and
tin foil into the water.)
A bucket A clear jar
When the hillside was cleared to make way
Water A sponge for new construction, the hill’s soil also
Corn starch 2 small cups washed into the lake when it rained. (Add
A handful of dirt Funnel more dirt to the water.)
(in a sandwich bag) Coffee filters
Baking soda or paper towels The factory leaked chemicals into a nearby
Vegetable oil Toothpicks stream, and the chemicals also ended up
in the water. (Add a couple of drops of food
Small pieces of cardboard
Liquid soap coloring to the water.)
A few strips of Wire mesh kitchen strainer
shredded paper Plastic spoon Now it is 2010, you are a manager of the
and tin foil Straw water-treatment plant that has been built
Food coloring to clean up this lake. Using your clean up
Eyedropper kit, make the lake as clean as possible
Fill a bucket with clean water. Pretend this bucket of
while keeping as much water available for
water is a lake and follow the instructions in italics
use. Put all of your pollutants and
below while you read the story.
discarded water in the clear jar.
¤ Which one of your treatment
In 1960 a rural dairy farm and apple orchard
bordered the lake. Later a small fishing access plans worked the best?
and parking lot were built to allow for boating. ¤ Is the water completely
A campground with a store followed and clean?
attracted many visitors. Then in the 1980's, a ¤ Does it look clean?
new factory and houses were built along the ¤ Smell clean?
shore. ¤ Is this water you
would want to drink?
The water quality in the lake has slowly ¤ Do you think fish or
changed over the years.
other animals would want
The farmer’s fertilizers and manure were to swim in this water?
washed into the lake by rain. (Add corn starch ¤ What else could you try
and dirt.) to clean the water?
The orchard’s pesticides were washed into the ¤ Why should we be careful
lake by rain as well. (Add baking soda.) about what we put on the ground?
¤ Which do you think is easier:
Oil, antifreeze, and windshield wiper fluid that cleaning up water or
dripped from cars was washed into the lake keeping it clean in the first
from the street by the rain. Boats on the lake, place?
too, leaked fuel and engine exhaust directly into
the water. (Pour a small amount of vegetable oil
in your bucket.)
Do this activity with other kids to find
out who could get the cleanest water.
When people washed their cars in their Compare how they cleaned their water
driveways, the soapy water from that also
with your methods.
 Why pay attention to Review
brownfields? A B C

Brownfields are...

What is a
... abandoned or under-used industrial and
commercial lands that might be contaminated.
Auto repair shops, gas stations, factories,
warehouses, dry cleaners, and railroad facilities
are all brownfields.

Redevelopment of brownfields...
- Reduces Sprawl
Sprawl is the movement of people from the
Brownfield?
city to the suburbs. This movement has hurt Are any of these brownfields?
existing communities. The redevelopment of ACROSS DOWN
brownfields keeps neighborhoods from
moving outwards onto undeveloped land. 3 This program was 1 The acronym for a group
established to identify the formed to establish and enforce
- Provides Easy Access environmental protection
nation's most severly standards.
Since many brownfields were sites where contaminated sites. 2 An insecticide used in the
major industries were placed, they are often 7 This Act required the EPA mid-1900s to control insect
close to highways and airports. to establish air quality outbreaks.
3 The book that increased
standards. awareness of the environment.
- Reduces Ugly Properties 8 This was the first
D E F
4 A day celebrated yearly to
Brownfields are often neglected, making them Superfund site. promote the awareness of
ugly. Redeveloping the site can make it more 9 This Act regulated water environmental issues.
attractive. 5 Sites of abandoned land that
quality standards in the may be (moderately)
- Creates a Place for Business & Recreation United States. contaminated.
10 The president who 6 The author of a major
Common uses for redeveloped brownfields established the EPA. environmental book, and mother G H I
are office space, shopping and entertainment of the modern environmental
centers, and recreational parks that people movement.
can enjoy. GraDes 5-8
- Creates Cleaner Land in the Process
Developers are required to clean up
brownfields during the development of the
land.
Deborah Lange, Executive Director
/ 4. Earth Day / 5. Brownfields / 6. Rachel Carson
Act / 10. Richard Nixon || DOWN: 1. DEP / 2. DDT / 3. Silent Spring
http://www.cmu.edu/steinbrenner/brownfields/
A Young Environmentalist’s Guide
ACROSS: 3. Superfund / 7. Clean Air Act / 8. Love Canal / 9. Clean Water
ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD PUZZLE
A - I (all of them) dlange@cmu.edu
phone 412-268-7121, fax 412-268-7813
ANSWES TO FRONT PAGE “WHAT IS A BROWNFIELD”
T he 1960s were a dynamic period for
ecology in the United States.

An insecticide, DDT, hit the market and was

popular for the control of diseases such as
typhus and malaria. Its persistence later
became the basis for public concern over
possible hazards involved in the pesticide's
use. Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring in 1962
warned of its possible negative effects.
Carson's alert made the nation much more
aware of environmental issues.
In 1970, April 22 was established nationally as
Earth Day. Twenty million demonstrators and
thousands of schools and local communities
participated in the initial event.
The president in 1970, Richard Nixon, created
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
establish and enforce environmental protection
standards, conduct environmental research, and
provide assistance to others combating
environmental pollution.
The EPA was also responsible for amending
the Clean Air Act in 1977, which brought
dramatic changes to the federal air quality
program. The Act required the EPA to establish
national air quality standards as well as national
standards for significant new pollution sources
and for all facilities emitting hazardous
substances.
In the mid 1970s, there came strange reports
from a small Niagara Falls town called Love Canal.
Children and dogs were developing skin irritation
after spending time in the field around their
school, and rocks were exploding when
dropped.
It was discovered that their elementary school
was built on a dumping site and rest of the town
was built on buried toxic chemicals. Love Canal’s
landmark case made it clear that a program was
needed to fund the clean up of this and similar
sites.
The Superfund program was established
to identify those severely contaminated sites.
Once identified, the sites are placed on a
National Priority List (NPL) which deter-
mines when they will receive further inves-
tigation and long-term clean-up actions.
Hundreds of sites have already been
removed from the NPL list, but there
are still lesser contaminated areas
called brownfields.
Brownfields are usually sites where
former businesses - such as auto
repair shops, gas stations, factories,
warehouses, dry cleaners and rail-
road facilities - were abandoned
and the land has been left idle.
The term ‘brownfields’ first came
to use in 1992.
THE EARTH
ON THE BIG SCREEN
Erin Brockovich
(2000)
Starring: Julia Roberts
A barely qualified clerk in a law office
uncovers evidence that a large electric utility
has poisoned the water supply of Hinkley, CA
with toxic chromium, causing disease & death
among many locals. Erin Brockovich's efforts to
find facts & push through a major lawsuit were
central to the ultimate $333 million award.
Based on a true story.
The Day After Tomorrow
(2004)
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum
Take a look at the world if the greenhouse effect &
global warming continued at catastrophic levels. A
paleoclimatologist (a scientist who studies the ways
weather patterns changed in the past), tries to save
the world while also trying to get to his son as the city
witnesses the beginnings of the new Ice Age.
DISCLAIMER: This movie may not be scientifically
accurate.

The EPA also enacted the Clean Water Act that
same year, which gave the EPA authority to
implement wastewater standards and water
quality standards for all contaminants. It also
funded the construction of sewage treatment
plants.
Brownfields have become large
shopping malls, housing
developments, office space,
research facilities, and parks.
The p ossibilities are
endless!
A Civil Action
(1998)
Starring: John Travolta, Robert Duvall
Is contaminated water responsible for deaths and sickness
in a suburban New England town? Can it be proved in court?
Based on a true story, this movie relates the efforts of an
attorney to bring an industrial polluter to justice.
 Remediation,
Funding, & Liability
Restoring a brownfield to usable conditions can be
a long and costly process involving legal issues.

Brownfields must be assessed for

environmental contamination before Why develop a
they can be remediated.
environmental assessment process
The

consists of a preliminary investigation,

sampling, and analysis in order to
BROWNFIELD?
determine the contaminants present. Greenfields are...
... land that has never been developed.
The way that contaminants are treated
Greenfields vs. Brownfields?
depends on the chemicals found, the
types of soils, and the depth of
contamination at the site.
Developing Brownfields lessens Greenfield
development.

A general rule of thumb:

A common way of treating the site is
capping the contaminated ground with
pavement, several inches of gravel, or
soil.
There are various types of federal and
state funding for the remediation and
redevelopment of brownfields.
In legal terms, the word liability refers to
responsibility. Many developers shy
away from brownfields because they
could be potentially held responsible
for the site’s contamination, even if they
did not contaminate the land
themselves.
Many states have enacted brownfield
legislation that limits liability, or
responsibility for those who would like
to purchase and develop a brownfield
site.
WHAT IS A
1 acre of Brownfield development
spares 4 acres of Greenfields
Other advantages?
FIELD?
- Existing Infrastructure
Brownfields take advantage of existing
infrastructure - roads, airports, and other
utilities.
- Government Funding
The government helps pay for brownfield
redevelopment in the form of grants and
loans.
- Productive Use of an Idle Property
Development of brownfields contributes
to the long-term sustainability of
communities, turning idle land into an
active site.
- Cleaner Land in the Process
Developers are required to clean up
brownfields during the development of
the land.
Deborah Lange, Executive Director
http://www.cmu.edu/
steinbrenner/brownfields/
dlange@cmu.edu
phone 412-268-7121
a reference guide
 Brownfields are...
“abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial
and commercial facilities where expansion or
redevelopment is complicated by real or
perceived environmental contamination.” (EPA)

In the mid 1970s, there came strange reports

from a small Niagara Falls town called Love
Canal. Children and dogs developed skin
irritation after spending time in the field
around their school, and rocks exploded
when dropped.
It was discovered that their elementary
school was built on a dumping site and rest of
the town was built on buried toxic chemicals.
Love Canal’s landmark case made it clear that
a program was needed to fund the clean up
of this and similar sites.
The Superfund program was established
in 1980 to identify those severely
contaminated sites. Once identified, the
sites are placed on a National Priority List
(NPL) which determines when they will
receive further investigation and long-term
clean-up actions. In contrast, areas of lesser
contamination were dubbed ‘brownfields.’
brownfields in your area
SOUTHSIDE WORKS
This area along the Monongahela River was one of the three manufacturing facilities for J&L Steel, later to
become a site for the LTV Steel Co. The decline of steel left the site as a contaminated, unutilized piece of land.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Pittsburgh completed remediation of the site, and the developer
Soffer Organization turned the site into a first class riverfront development – including office space, a sports
medicine complex and practice fields, housing and retail. This development required a total private
investment of approximately
$250 million and now provides
up to 5,400 employment
opportunities and more than
400 housing units.
Key
Each picture on the left is an example of a
brownfield site in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
(a/d) = after/during redevelopment
(b) = before redevelopment

Brownfields number in the hundreds of The Waterfront Station PNC

(Homestead Steel Works) Square Firstside
thousands nationwide. Often abandoned, (Railroad) (Railroad)
(b) (b) (a/d) (a/d)
these sites sit in small towns and large cities,
on waterfronts and in urban centers. People Summerset at Frick Park
aka Nine Mile Run
living next to brownfields often want to (Slag Pile)
move away from the contaminated site, but (a/d) (a/d) (a/d) (b)
their nearness to a brownfield depreciates Neville Island Pittsburgh Duquesne
(Steel
the value of their land and they become (Military Production) Technology
Center Works)
trapped. (b) (b) (a/d) (b)
Washington’s Landing (LTV Steel)
Undeveloped brownfields degrade the aka Herr’s Island
(Meat Packing Plant)
environment and represent lost opportunities (a/d) (b) (b) (a/d)
to bring jobs and a broader tax base to
communities.