Engagement of Middle School Students in Discovery Science: A strategy to Elevate Achievement and increase public awareness and appreciation of Science in Rural Communities
Abstract only Science outreach encompasses many different forms, including science cafes, science festivals, public lectures. These activities afford scientific experts the opportunity to share their knowledge with the public. We have piloted an educational strategy involving rural middle school stu...
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| Published in: | The FASEB journal Vol. 27; no. S1 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
01-04-2013
|
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Abstract only
Science outreach encompasses many different forms, including science cafes, science festivals, public lectures. These activities afford scientific experts the opportunity to share their knowledge with the public. We have piloted an educational strategy involving rural middle school students with the dual purpose of elevating science achievement and increasing the rural public awareness and appreciation of science through the students. To this end, we have engaged four gifted and talented students in a search for the evolutionary origin of a newly discovered chemical bond. The sulfilimine chemical bond reinforces the collagenous network that underlies epithelial cells in all animal tissues. The students were tasked with searching for evidence for the bond in Cnidaria phylum by collecting and analyzing
Hydractina
,
Ectopleura
and
Metridium
from the Maine coast. Their investigation was hands‐on and guided by a team involving their classroom teacher and scientists within the classroom and by video conferencing between the classroom and the university. Their findings indicate that the bond exist in all these Cnidarian species, indicating that the bond arose during the Cambrian Explosion, representing an essential innovation for the genesis of animal tissues. The students took the initiative to report their finding to the school board, fellow students, parents, school board and other members of the community. This effort engaged the students with the scientific process, provided an opportunity to experience discovery, and lead to their sharing of their knowledge and experience with a rural community. |
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| ISSN: | 0892-6638 1530-6860 |
| DOI: | 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.29.8 |