Monarchs in the Classroom provides a wide variety of materials and professional development opportunities for teachers, naturalists and citizens throughout the US. Two groups of behind the scenes people work together in a unique partnership to make this program successful: classroom teachers and scientists committed to sharing their expertise with the broader community. All of our programs reflect this partnership, combining real science with techniques that work for teachers, students and citizens, and promoting practices in which children learn science in ways that reflect the inquiry methods used by scientists to understand the natural world.
A three-year project, Science Experiences and Resources for Informal Education Settings (SERIES), involves collaboration between the 4-H Youth Development Program, practicing scientists, science education centers, and community service agencies to provide community-based science experiences for youth. Goals for national dissemination of the SERIES project are: 1) Increase the quality and quantity of science experiences for youth as leaders and as learners; 2) For youth to actively experience how science concepts and processes relate to their everyday lives; 3) Provide opportunities for youth to take positive leadership roles in their homes and communities; and 4) Provide opportunities for youth to investigate educational and career possibilities in science and technology through a scientist mentor relationship. SERIES builds upon the materials, and instructional/coaching model successfully developed and tested during the Califronia SERIES Project. National dissemination by 4-H assures SERIES availability to the 5,100,000 youth currently enrolled in 4-H. Expected outcomes of SERIES are: 1) Refine and produce final versions in English and Spanish of four SERIES community service science units; 2) Develop two new units; 3) Development of an "inquiry coaching" module for adult volunteers; 4) Develop and asses apprentice-like mentoring experiences for SERIES teens to work directly with scientists; and 5) Establish four SERIES regional dissemination centers, working collaboratively with 4-H, science centers and other youth serving agencies to provide national dissemination of the SERIES program model to 28 states.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Richard PonzioLaurel DeanHerbert Thier
The National Science Outreach Network will provide school children, teachers, and the general public with highly accessible interactive exhibits dealing with popular topics in science and technology. The network, initiated as a partnership between regional science centers and public libraries, will be modeled after the highly successful statewide Oregon Library Exhibits Network established in 1987. Through this smaller network, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, a nationally recognized pioneer in science exhibitry and outreach programming, circulates small hands-on exhibits to rural population centers through installations in public libraries, where school groups and families have free and convenient access. This national dissemination project will be initiated in five regional sites across the country (Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee, and Oregon) to further establish the model in rural, inner-urban, economically disadvantaged, and culturally diverse regions. With support from both the NSF and the regional networks, The National Science Outreach Network will design and duplicate six exhibits for circulation to dozens of local communities in each designated region. Over the next seven years, over six million individuals, many of whom do not currently frequent a local science center, will be introduced to popular science in a non-threatening, resource- rich setting. This will encourage further exploration and possible future visits to an accessible science center, and ultimately establish an ever-expanding network of museum and non-museum partners providing science and technology learning opportunities to millions of individuals each year.
Acting on behalf of a group of academic, educational and public-service organizations the University of California-Santa Barbara proposes to improve aquatic science education in informal settings that include youth-service organizations such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs and 4-H. The specific emphasis will be on the close interdependence between humans and the aquatic environment and on the need for enlightened social action in defense of that environment. The thrusts of the project will be to establish the California Aquatic Science Education Consortium; to develop multiple copes of sets of instructional materials on topic of aquatic science appropriate for informal educational settings; and to develop a program for training a cadre of trainers who in turn will train volunteers in the use of the materials. The program has a significant potential for broader national application.
A collaboration of staff from the University of California at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science, School of Education, and the Cooperative Extension Service (4-H) will develop and implement SERIES (Science Experiences and Resources for Informal Education Settings), a state-wide informal science education program for the California State 4-H system. Over a three year period they will adapt existing science curricula and generate new materials for use in informal 4-H settings around the theme of science relevant to societal concerns, with an agricultural technology focus. They will design and test a comprehensive training model using the materials to insure their effective use by volunteer leaders, and develop an extensive cadre of CES staff and volunteer trainers skilled in training volunteer teachers in the use of the curriculum materials. The resulting curriculum and training materials will be published and made available at cost to all 4-H clubs. The project will directly benefit 100 paid and volunteer trainers, 1800 volunteer leaders and 12,600 youth participants, and will indirectly benefit the more than 60,000 youth enrolled in California 4-H programs each year.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Richard PonzioLaurel DeanHerbert Thier
The Computer Museum proposes to initiate a Computer Exhibits Kits Program whose goal will be to foster a better understanding of computer science and technology among the general public. The program proposes to develop and disseminate nine different kits, each consisting of a computer program, documentation, educational materials and, in some cases, specialized hardware. Other museums and science centers will be able to purchase these well tested kits at modest cost and implement them on personal computers to create exhibits for visitors ten years old and older. Strong support from other institutions suggests that the program will reach twenty million visitors a year.
The Girls Clubs of America (GCA) plans to develop over a three year period informal science learning activities to increase the participation of women aged 14-18 in mathematics and science. These materials are part of an overall program, "Operation SMART," that is a major national commitment by the Girls Clubs of America to include science and mathematics education as a major component of GCA activities at all age levels. Prior projects have developed and implemented successful materials directed at elementary and middle school girls; the present project extends this effort into the critically important high school age years. The materials will be developed by project staff in association with developers at the Educational Development Center (EDC), piloted and tested in four Girls Clubs sites along with training chapters nationwide. A publisher will be identified for national distribution and sales of activity materials sets and a book-length publication designed for use by education programs of other youth-serving organizations. A partnership with the Business and Professional Women's Association (BPW/USA) and its 3400 local chapters and with the AAAS Linkages Project will create many non-Girls Club sites. Dissemination to other youth- serving organizations will be carried out through the National Collaboration for Youth. As a result, Operation SMART's high school age materials should reach several hundred thousand young women. Foundations and businesses will provide substantial additional project support; approximately 51% of the total $ l.4 million project budget is requested from NSF.
The Science Museum of Minnesota will produce a 38- minute IMAX/OMNIMAX film on the topic of tropical rainforests. The objectives of the film include: To illustrate the key scientific concepts relating to rainforest ecology including biological diversity, biological change and human impact; To expose a wider audience to ecological thinking than might normally be exposed through traditional means of science education or science media; To communicate the complexity of conservation issues related to the rainforests. In addition, the film will portray science as an attractive career, particularly for minorities and women. The museum will create an integrated program of science enrichment materials that will accompany the film and will be used for both school groups and general audiences. Linking an education program to an IMAX/OMNIMAX film is a first for the industry and will extend the learning potential of the project. Tropical Rainforest will be distributed to IMAX/OMNIMAX theaters located in museums and science technology centers; it has the potential to be seen by more than 14 million people in its first four years of distribution.
The critically acclaimed film "STAND AND DELIVER" accomplished the formidable task of focusing national attention on the achievements of minority students in higher mathematics. As a motivational tool for educators, the film's value can hardly be overstated. "STAND AND DELIVER" will now have a second life as a play for the stage. The intimate human drama of the story of Jaime Escalante and his inner city A.P. calculus class will be re- written and confined to one set - a classroom - making it a natural for the theatre. Best of all, junior and senior high schools already have the resources to stage a first-rate production. Since almost all the roles depict students and teachers, "STAND AND DELIVER" should be a natural choice for school drama clubs across the country. The transformation of the movie into a play will take place in three stages: First, the screenplay is adapted into a stage play. Second, the initial stage production is mounted. Third, the play is published and made available to schools and theatre companies for local performances.
The Thames Science Center collaborative with the resources of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Wesleyan University and the National Air and Space Museum will design and develop the project, "Shoot For the Moon." This science education project will capitalize on the attraction, familiarity and proximity of the moon using it as a basis to enrich and supplement the eight and ninth grade physical science curriculum. Ten classroom units, complimentary experiments and demonstrations will be developed. "Moonwatch" software and audio visual materials, including an instructional videotape and a multi.image presentation will accompany the units. Sixteen teachers and museum educators will participate in the training, evaluation and testing as the project is integratedinto the curriculum of twelve schools and four museums. The project is designed to be replicated in schools and science centers in different geographical locations nationally. The site for development and testing will be the Thames Science Center, a regional science museum in eastern Connecticut. The science center offers formal science enrichment programs and tours for students and teacher professional development programs throughout the region.