Abstract
This chapter describes how hands-on models, or manipulatives, can be employed to improve the environmental health literacy of a variety of people, from science teachers and students in classrooms, to global audiences in large festival gatherings. Environmental health concepts can be quite abstract. For example, the effect of wood smoke on human lungs. People are concerned about the exposure to toxic molecules from the smoke, but find an explanation of the chemical process by which wood smoke harms human health too difficult to fully understand. Hands-on activities and models are a visual and tactile way of communicating essential molecular environmental health concepts in an inviting way without requiring a technical background.
The MIT Edgerton Center Molecule Set (hereafter referred to as the Molecule Set) is one example of an engaging model set that employs a simple design of differently colored LEGO® bricks to represent atoms. The set was designed to teach chemical principles to middle school students, and has evolved to include new topics with a more environmental health emphasis such as climate change and air pollution. The success of the Molecule Set and corresponding lessons stems from a unique collaboration between MIT scientists and the MIT Edgerton Center. This chapter highlights the Molecule Set and other relevant examples where hands-on models have been used to communicate abstract science concepts and improve environmental health literacy.
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Notes
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The word “molecule” comes from the Latin words meaning “little lump.” (“Mole” = mass or lump of matter and “cule” = tiny or little.)
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Acknowledgments
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This work was supported by an NIEHS Grant Funded by NIH-NIEHS Core Center Grant P30-ES002109.
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Many thanks go to the MIT Edgerton Center Director, Prof. J. Kim Vandiver for his continuous support in the production of the MIT Edgerton Center Molecule Sets.
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Kathleen M. Vandiver would like to acknowledge the talents of Dr. Amanda Gruhl Mayer in the graphic productions of the MIT Edgerton Center Molecule Sets.
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Special thanks to Liam O’Fallon and Symma Finn for their contributions to the review and editing of the chapter.
Notes
All MIT Molecule Set lesson plans and supporting materials are available for free download from http://edgerton.mit.edu/molecule-set.
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Vandiver, K.M. (2019). Tactile Approaches to Help Learners Visualize Key Processes in Environmental Health Sciences. In: Finn, S., O'Fallon, L. (eds) Environmental Health Literacy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94108-0_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94108-0_12
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