UMass
Graduate Students to Assist Area Science Teachers; Project Brings
Lab Research into
Middle Schools
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of
Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded a $1.38 million grant for a
three-year program designed to put graduate students into
public-school science classrooms. UMass graduate students will
assist a group of middle-school science teachers in Springfield in
designing classroom projects that rely on environmental research
themes. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation
(NSF), as part of an initiative to foster "town-gown" partnerships
in science and math education.
Under the program, a group of graduate students will be
awarded year-round fellowships to work part-time in Springfield
classrooms. The fellows, who will each receive a stipend of $21,500,
will work with 20 Springfield teachers who are pursuing master’s
degrees in education at the University. The project’s leaders are
Julian Tyson of the chemistry department, Kathleen Davis of the
School of Education, and Morton Sternheim, professor emeritus of
physics and founder of the Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) Institute. The new project is entitled STEM
Connections.
"This project benefits everyone," said Tyson. "The
Springfield teachers will have access to the University’s laboratory
facilities and expertise, UMass faculty will gain an understanding
of the needs and cultures of the schools, laying a foundation for
future collaborations, and the UMass fellows will develop a
connection with the K-12 community, and perhaps even inspire some
area youngsters to become scientists themselves someday."
The
middle-school teachers involved in the program are taking a
year-long, six-credit course taught by Davis, focusing specifically
on teaching science by introducing hands-on research projects. Teams
including UMass faculty participants, two middle-school teachers,
and one or two graduate students, will work together for the entire
academic year, developing and carrying out research projects in
which the middle-school students will be active participants.
Research topics will include the hydrologic cycle, water chemistry,
atmospheric ozone, arsenic from pressure-treated decks, factors
affecting plant growth (including microgravity), pollen and seed
cell growth, and the ecology and behavior of birds. The year-long
effort will culminate in a middle-school science conference in
Springfield where participants will share their research findings
with each other and interested community groups.
Fellows spent the summer getting oriented to the classroom,
and receiving instruction in educational methods and technical
training.
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For
more information, contact Julian Tyson at 413-545-0195 or tyson@chem.umass.edu
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