Students turn thick environmental report into easy-to-read public document

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 16, 2005) — In stark contrast to the stereotypical droning high school teacher popularized in the film “Ferris Bueller's Day Off,” Kathleen Luczynski, a biology teacher at Downers Grove South High School, challenges upper level students in her Biology II class with a unique hands-on learning experience.

For the past four years, some of Luczynski's students have tackled a problem that would give most adults fits – how to shrink a 250-page technical document down to 16 pages. Using microscopic fonts is not an option.

The document is Argonne National Laboratory's Site Environmental Report (12 MB, PDF), an annual report that describes the lab's environmental impact. It presents the results of a year's worth of soil, air and water sampling at various sites in and around the lab. Scientists use the information to ensure Argonne maintains a healthy environment for its workers and its neighbors.

Only the most determined investigator would wade through the more than 250 pages of charts, tables of numbers, technical words and acronyms. However, the public still deserves to know what goes on within the chain-link fence surrounding Argonne. That's why Argonne publishes the 16-page Summary Site Environmental Report (16.7 MB, PDF).

Inspired by a similar program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Norbert Golchert, manager of the environmental monitoring and surveillance group at Argonne, had the idea of putting local high school students to the task.

“The students get a real life experience; they learn how the scientific world operates,” Golchert said. In return, Argonne gets a document written in prose that the public can read and, more importantly, understand.

In 2001, Golchert approached the superintendent and curriculum supervisor of nearby Downers Grove High School District 99 with his idea, and they agreed to have Luczynski's Biology II class work on the summary report. Luczynski said the project fits perfectly with Illinois educational goals which require students to study the interaction between science, technology and society.

The students in the class are juniors and seniors, and most of them are college-bound. Luczynski says former students have sent emails remarking about how well the project has helped them to prepare for college courses.

Laura Wentink, now a student at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., was among the first group of students to complete the project. Wentink, who classifies herself as a double major in biology and secondary education, with a minor in environmental studies, said the project was unlike other high school work. “I didn't realize how big a deal it was until I got to college – people were impressed by what I had done.”

Luczynski begins laying the groundwork for the project early in the fall semester. Her students make a field trip to Argonne to study the ecology of the site and tour the research facilities. Students view the wetlands and prairies on site, make sketches and study the concept of invader species. Invader species are ecological “new kids on the block” that threaten to displace native species and disrupt the normal balance of nature. Half the class will choose to do a project related to these invader species; the other half will work on the Argonne environmental report.

After Thanksgiving break, the real work begins.

“First, I have to hook them on the value and importance of such a prestigious project,” Luczynski said. She shows her students the large report produced by Golchert's team, and they read and outline the introductory and summary passages. Then Golchert and Argonne science writer Dave Baurac visit with the students to discuss the project goals and writing techniques.

The students start from scratch – they do not see the work of previous years. “We like to see how they will approach it,” Golchert said. “These are really sharp kids.”

In a teacher guided brainstorming session, students produce a list of topics the report will cover. They split into pairs, with each pair working on its own section, and begin the hard work of boiling down 250 pages of technical text.

“I remember that expectations were pretty high,” said Kim Molzahn, who wrote the summary section on Argonne's wildlife for the 2000 report. “We worked on it a lot, and there were many revisions and edits.” Molzahn, now a junior at Miami University of Ohio, remembered the herd of white deer at Argonne made an impression, along with “going there and seeing all those scientists working with their high-tech instruments.”

When the students begin summarizing their respective sections of the report, they soon realize they are facing a difficult task.

“They do get frustrated," Luczynski said. "It's difficult to do, it's a lot of work, and the technical terms, graphs and charts take much thought and time to interpret.” .

Working hand in hand with Luczynski, the students compose a first draft.

Laura Henderson, now a senior at Downers Grove South High School, worked on the section of the 2003 report that addressed radiation levels at Argonne, a section that takes up several dozen pages in the full report. With only two pages of space available to summarize all that information, “It was difficult to figure out what was important,… to stay in the word limit,” Henderson said.

District 99 student e-mail accounts allow the students to easily exchange drafts and receive guidance from the experts at Argonne.

At first, Luczynski said, students were surprised to see their work returned with so many editing marks. “They're used to assignments where they write something, turn it in, receive a grade and they're done. This is a more involved process.”

This type of editorial exchange, a sort of peer review, prepares students for the real world, said Golchert.

At least for some students, the chance to do real work is a gratifying validation of their education up to that point. “It's really neat to see the skills I have been learning put into practice,” said Wentink.

Molzahn agreed:“It's totally different from anything else in high school. We were treated as professionals.”

For many students, the opportunity to work hand in hand with scientific professionals was a highlight of the project. “It's a really great feeling when working scientists will sit down and give you guidance when you need it,” Wentink said. “I thought it was cool to work and talk with the scientists, to learn what they know.”

Luczynski, who describes herself as a facilitator and a motivator, sets manageable deadlines so the students stay on task and don't feel overwhelmed. “This project provides a meaningful framework for engaging my students,” she said.

For her, the open format of the class period is worthwhile, and she finds that it promotes an atmosphere of creativity. “It's exciting to walk around the class and see them writing and working together,” she said. “It's rewarding to see that collaboration.”

The students also benefit from working independently. “We were treated like adults, like the project was very important,” said Wentink. “It helped establish a kind of work ethic.”

When the project is finished, and their summary report has been sent to Argonne for the finishing touches before publication, relief and a sense of accomplishment set in among the class members. The names of the students who wrote each section are included to provide acknowledgement of their work. The students receive letters of congratulations from Golchert and Baurac, but they also feel personally proud of their achievement – a published document that will be well received by the community.

Molzahn said the project involves students with the community and gives them a chance to see what's going on behind the scenes. And the students all like the idea of being published under the banner of a major national institution. “It's a claim to fame,” she said.

For many of the students, this is their first contact with Argonne, and they leave the project having developed a positive impression of the lab. “It's neat how Argonne takes such care to make sure everything meets EPA standards,” said Wentink, who helped write the radiation section of the 2000 report. Luczynski said the project also raises Argonne's profile in the community because students take their finished product home and talk about Argonne with their families.

Molzahn is studying to be a science teacher and thinks the project will be valuable in her career. “It really opened my eyes to what I could be doing with my students,” she said.

Wentink said the experience has influenced her to pursue a career related to biology or environmental studies; she is also one of several students from the class to have applied for summer internships at Argonne.

Luczynski believes that the project makes a lifelong impression. “They can draw from this experience years from now. It has a long term influence on writing, work ethic and career choice.” — David Barry