2011 ate conference panel session
DESCRIPTION
Panel: Engaging Students in STEM: How to Save a Perspiring PenquinTRANSCRIPT
Engaging Students in STEM: How to Save a PerspiringHow to Save a Perspiring
PenguinMelissa Higgins Jessie Klein
Christine Cunningham Gina FoleyChristine Cunningham Gina FoleyMuseum of Science, Boston
B id i E i i S iBridging Engineering, Science, and Technologyand Technology
for Elementary Educators (BEST)
Why BEST?Why BEST?
• In MA there are engineering andIn MA there are engineering and technology standards for grades K-12, and we want our future educators to be prepared.
• There is a need for engineering and g gtechnological literacy for all citizens.
• Community and four-year college faculty, y y g yas part of the K-16 education spectrum, play a crucial role in systematic change.
Some History: How did we get to the BEST grant?
Engineering is Elementaryg g y
ATLAS
BEST
Unit Title Science Topic Engineering Field
Storybook/Setting
Catching the Wind: Designing Windmills Wind & Weather Mechanical Leif Catches the Wind/Denmark
EiE Units
Catching the Wind: Designing Windmills Wind & Weather Mechanical Leif Catches the Wind/Denmark
Water, Water Everywhere: Designing Water Filters
Water Environmental Saving Salila’s Turtle/India
A Sticky Situation: Designing Walls Earth Materials Materials Yi Min’s Great Wall/China
To Get to the Other Side: Designing Bridges Balance and Forces Civil Javier Builds a Bridge/USA LatinoTo Get to the Other Side: Designing Bridges Balance and Forces Civil Javier Builds a Bridge/USA-Latino
Marvelous Machines: Making Work Easier Simple Machines Industrial Aisha Makes Work Easier/USA-African American
Sounds Like Fun: Seeing Animal Sounds Sound Acoustical Kwame’s Sound/Ghana
The Best of Bugs: Designing Hand Pollinators Insects/Plants Agricultural Mariana Becomes a Butterfly/Dominican Republic
Just Passing Through: Designing Model Membranes
Organisms Bioengineering Juan Daniel’s Futbol Frog/El Salvador
An Alarming Idea: Designing Alarm Circuits Electricity Electrical A Reminder for Emily/Australia
A Work in Process: Improving a Play Dough Process
Solids & Liquids Chemical Michelle’s MVP Award/Canada
A Stick in the Mud: Evaluating a Landscape Landforms Geotechnical Suman Crosses the Karnali River/Nepal
Thinking Inside the Box: Designing PlantPackages
Plants Package A Gift From Fadil/Jordan
The Attraction is Obvious: Designing Maglev Magnetism Transportation Hikaru’s Toy Troubles/JapanSystems
Now You’re Cooking: Designing Solar Ovens Energy Green Lerato Cooks Up a Plan/Botswana
A Long Way Down: Designing Parachutes Astronomy Aerospace Paulo’s Parachute Mission/Brazil
Solid as a Rock: Replicating an Artifact Rocks & Minerals Materials Galya and Natasha’s Rocky Adventure/Russia
A Slick Solution: Cleaning an Oil Spill Ecosystems Environmental Tehya’s Pollution Solution/USA-Native American
Taking the Plunge: Designing Submersibles Sinking & Floating Ocean Despina Makes a Splash/Greece
Lighten Up: Designing Lighting Systems Light Optical Omar’s Bright Idea/Egypt
No Bones About It: Designing Knee Braces Human Body Biomedical Erik’s Unexpected Twist/Germany
ATLAS Goals and OutcomesATLAS Goals and Outcomes• Enrich community college elementary education courses
with technology and engineeringwith technology and engineering. • Strengthen elementary educators’ knowledge of and
capabilities to teach technology, engineering, and science.
• Create a cadre of community college and four-year faculty leaders that disseminate capabilities andfaculty leaders that disseminate capabilities and curricular models to colleagues in the region and state.
• Increase awareness among stakeholders about the importance of effective technology and engineering elementary education programs.
Partners
Northern EssexNorthern Essex Community CollegeFitchburg State
Westfield
Museum of Science
Holyoke Community College
State College
Bridgewater State
21 Faculty from community colleges
8 Faculty from four year collegesBristol Community College
8 Faculty from four-year colleges
21 School District Partners
Industry Partners: Verizon and Boston Society of Civil Engineers
What we found through ATLASWhat we found through ATLAS
• Each college has different courses, systems,Each college has different courses, systems, and structures that require a myriad of integration models.
• Student gains are greatest in science courses—likely because of the natural links between science and engineering.
• While gains are strongest in science classes, h i i d i hhaving connections made in other courses (particularly education courses) are invaluable.
Goals of the BEST grantGoals of the BEST grant
• Enrich college science and educationEnrich college science and education courses taken by preservice elementary and early education students withand early education students with technology and engineering.
• Strengthen educators' knowledge of and• Strengthen educators knowledge of and capabilities to teach engineering, technology and science in active andtechnology and science in active and engaging ways.
Grant PartnersGrant Partners
• Berkshire Community CollegeBerkshire Community College• Massassoit Community College• Middlesex Community College• Middlesex Community College• North Shore Community College
B id t St t U i it• Bridgewater State University• Fitchburg State University• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts• Salem State University
Process to DateProcess to Date
• Summer kick-off workshopSummer kick off workshop– 2010: Life sciences
2011: Physical– 2011: Physical • Develop models for course integration• Academic year implementation
Evaluation Results to DateEvaluation Results to Date• Students in BEST courses are asked to complete pre-
and post assessmentsand post-assessments. • Analysis of these assessments showed that after
completing engineering and technology activities in their p g g g gycourses, students’ judgments were significantly more similar to those of engineering experts, and their confidence surrounding these topics had increasedconfidence surrounding these topics had increased.
• Significantly, these results were found with students of all majors, not just those who intend to become teachers. Thus, results indicate that the BEST program is raising the levels of STEM literacy of all participating students.
Contact Information for BEST project staffproject staff
• Christine Cunningham: ccunningham@mos org• Christine Cunningham: [email protected]• Melissa Higgins: [email protected]• Martha Hass: marthahass@gmail com• Martha Hass: [email protected]
Jessie KleinMiddlesex Community CollegeMiddlesex Community College
SCI 122 Integrated Science II Fall 2010
Survey Biological PrinciplesSurvey Biological Principles Elementary Education majors
Early Childhood majors Early Childhood majors
Para Professionals
Best of Bugs: Designing HandBest of Bugs: Designing Hand Pollinators
Unit on Flower Structure and Pollination Fast Plant‐life cycle Fast Plant‐life cycle
Pre‐Test and Post‐Test
Engineering Design ProcessEngineering Design Process Technology in a Bag
Card Tower
Module Scenario‐Agricultural Engineering Plant from Hawaii brought to the Dominican Republic lacks a pollinator
Best of Bugs: Designing HandBest of Bugs: Designing Hand Pollinators
Scenario
Why Don’t I have Apples?
Agricultural Engineering
Bee Colony Collapse Disorder‐Readings and Assignment
Apple Segment of Botany of Desire DVD
EIE Activity
Pre and Post Results
Pre and Post Results
AVERAGE on PRE and POST
A Slick Solution: Cleaning an OilA Slick Solution: Cleaning an Oil Spill
BIO 140 Botany
Unit on Ecology
p
Unit on Ecology
Pre‐Test and Post‐Test
E i i D i P Engineering Design Process
Technology in a Bag
Card Tower
A Slick SolutionModule Scenario‐Environmental Engineering
Contain and clean a spill on an reservation in Washington State.
Class Scenario‐Oil spill on interstate near the campus pond
Test containment and clean‐up materials
Develop plan
Clean‐up spill staying within a budget
A Slick Solution: Cleaning an OilA Slick Solution: Cleaning an Oil Spill
Assignment‐readings on wetlands
Describe their clean‐up procedure
Develop a wetland food web
Describe plant adaptation for life in wetlands
Discuss impact of oil spill, climate change, and invasive species on wetlands
Discuss why wetlands are important
What is Engineering?What is Engineering?What is Engineering?What is Engineering?
What is the problem?
You need to solve this problem. What do you want to know before you start?you want to know before you start?
Your Challenge: Design a model enclosure that keeps our model penguins fromthat keeps our model penguins from
melting in the hot Arizona sun.
f• You have an unlimited amount of tape and 5 pieces of material to construct your enclosure. You have scissors to use as a toolhave scissors to use as a tool.
• You may only use ONE of each type of material.• Visitors must have a 360 view of the penguin in theVisitors must have a 360 view of the penguin in the
enclosure.• Test your design by placing your model penguin in
your enclosure and then placing them both in the “oven” for 5 minutes. The less your penguin “perspires” the betterperspires the better.
• You have 15 minutes to complete your challenge.
Time Mass
StartStart
Endd
Total change in mass
% h i% change in mass
Using verbs, describe what you did d i h d iduring the design process.
The Engineering Design Processg g g
IMAGINECriteriaConstraints
BrainstormingNo evaluation
ASK
ConstraintsSci. info
ASK
PLAN
THE GOALTo solve a problem by PLANTo solve a problem by developing or improving a technology
Get
CREATEIMPROVE
Get specific with one idea
And test
BEST at BCCBEST at BCC
Gina FoleyLife Science Faculty
Biotechnology Program AdvisorBerkshire Community Collegee s e Co u ty Co ege
BEST at BCCBEST at BCC
• Taught in General Biology ITaught in General Biology I
• 5 education students per 30
C bi d d b• Combined Lecture and Lab
Initial MeetingInitial Meeting
• Engineering Design Pre‐AssessmentEngineering Design Pre Assessment
• Discuss pre‐programmed understanding of Scientific Method and EngineeringScientific Method and Engineering
• Marshmallow Challenge
The ChallengegRaise your team marshmallow higher than any other team using the materials given
The Materials
materials given.
The Materials
•20 sticks of spaghetti•1 yard of tape•1 yard of string•1 marshmallow
IN 18 MINUTES!
Common Team Misjudgments•Lack of communication•Lack of communication•Lack of planning•Too much planning•Forget the importance of the iterative process!
Successful Teams•Communicate•Plan•Remember that it is all about the marshmallow!
Learning outcome:Learning outcome:•Students get a practical understanding of the engineering design process.
2nd Lab Meeting2 Lab Meeting
Students work in teams to design a membrane to save their frog from desiccation.
• Lab performed during biological membranes chapter.• They must consider the importance y pof the structure and function of membranes.• Students plan approach, test materials re plan and build thematerials, re‐plan and build the model membrane that will keep frog alive.• 24 hours later we check on frog.
2nd Lab Meeting
Challenge: Keep your “frog”Challenge: Keep your frog alive for 24 hours.
Materials:•Sponge, filter paper, felt, screen, cheesecloth
h b h•Amphibian house•Plastic frog
Has the frog survived??
Benefit to ALL studentsBenefit to ALL students
• Using the EiE lessonsUsing the EiE lessons brings a real‐life connection to sometimesconnection to sometimes abstract concepts.
• Students consider careers• Students consider careers in education because of the experiencethe experience.
Future ActivitiesFuture Activities
• Explore traits of organisms that haveExplore traits of organisms that have beneficial applications to humans
• Identify organism and gene of interest• Identify organism and gene of interest
• Identify restriction enzyme needed to splice gene.
• Bioengineer a new transgenic organism
• Consider the ethical implications of such an organismg