Gerald L. Abegg - US grants

The project will develop a two-year (24 month) program for college students who have completed either the sophomore or junior year with a concentration in science. An initial summer is designed to provide an introduction to the foundations of education and schooling and will be followed by a 6-7 week assignment in a camp or other non-school setting for adolescents. A capstone two-semester integrated science course will be developed for the first year which includes concepts in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. The program will include a pro-seminar providing a format for the study of middle school methodology, instructional materials, and curriculum. It will also include field placement. Two special science materials courses, a computer/technology course and continuous professional studies with field components complete the program. Students will be paired with Mentor Teachers for the entire final year. The project is co-directed by a science educator and a research scientist. It is supported by a staff of middle school teachers on leave, faculty from the university's science departments, and a distinguished panel of advisors and consultants.

9353500 Stanley This project builds on earlier and concurrent projects to develop materials for students which incorporate the concepts of randomness in nature. Participating teachers, and ultimately students, are given the opportunity to discover and explore natural phenomena in much the same way a scientist would. Using existing units including random walks, accretion and percolation, many activities have been and are being developed which relate to each of the sciences. Examples include the growth of nerve cells, lightning strokes, termite tunnels, erosion gullies, tree roots, and forest growth. Lessons such as these can be included in existing courses or be combined to make a complete one year course on interdisciplinary science. An important aspect of this project is the reeducation of the teachers to assume different roles. Teachers become guides, mentors and coaches to students. Instead of the more traditional mathematics and rule based science, the students build their understanding of processes and relationships through exploring natural phenomena. The project trains 32 (country-wide) teachers the first summer and two groups of 32 teachers each of the following two summers for a total of 160 From each group of 32, 10 teacher leaders are selected to assume additional roles and to help train additional teachers. The cost sharing is estimated at 43%

9554198 Garik The Project on Quantum Science Across Disciplines proposes to design and implement an introduction to quantum science for high school students and undergraduates in biology, chemistry, and physics through activities integrating computer modeling tools, a data resource base, and hands-on experiments; do research on student response to materials intended to introduce quantum science at a level appropriate for interdisciplinary inquiry with hooks paths between biology, chemistry, and physics; and, investigate the extent to which a technologically rich approach to teaching interdisciplinary science can fundamentally change high school and college instructional practices. The target audiences are the high school students and undergraduates for whom it is important to develop scientific literacy as defined by the AAAS 2061 Project and the Draft National Science Education Standards (NSES) prepared by the National Research Council. An understanding of the methods and results of scientific research and the tools of technology are important for the broad spectrum of students studying science, whether for satisfaction of diploma requirements, technical professional training, or preparation for advanced study. The new materials will be aimed at high school classes, undergraduates, and adult education courses with the potential for science teacher in-service training. The goal is to provide students with the tools to navigate between the representations for quantum science adopted by each of the sciences. As the theory for the microscopic processes which affect all the sciences, quantum science can be a means for providing an integrated approach to science education. The examples of quantum science will be drawn from biology, chemistry, and physics, will reflect research scientists' mental models for the process in question, and will be coupled to laboratory experiments. Each of the subject modules will be independently usable in an introductory courses; however, their linkage will encourage interdisciplinary instruction. Earlier projects have demonstrated the change in classroom structure, communication, and the role of the teacher that results from the combination of inquiry oriented projects and rich technology. Students have the technological tools to pursue their own independent projects, while the teacher takes on the role of mentor and advisor. Electronic journals provide new opportunities for student-student and teacher-student dislodges, combining the best features of journal writing and portfolio assessment. ***