The National Science Foundation Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings awarded the University of Washington $216,181 on October 1, 2025, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop and deliver a data-driven, justice-oriented curriculum unit on wildfires for middle school science classrooms.
The project will partner with teachers, teacher educators, and disciplinary experts in data science, fire ecology, public health, and environmental communication to co-design the unit. Students will engage in data practices to analyze wildfires and their effects on communities, with a culminating activity in which they create data stories targeting specific stakeholders. The curriculum will serve approximately 15 middle school teachers and 1,500 middle school students in northwestern Nevada, including students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds and underrepresented groups.
The project will develop the construct of environmental science data literacy across three interconnected components: understanding environmental science and data science ideas and practices, identifying areas of personal expertise within these disciplines, and leveraging environmental and data science as a foundation for change. The project will examine student learning outcomes in science and data practices proficiency, identity formation, and agency development, as well as teacher professional learning during curriculum co-design and implementation.
Performance occurs at Seattle, Washington 98195. The award carries a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through August 31, 2029.