GK-12+Rpt+Mar.+08+-+PI+Narrative

The Notre Dame extended Research Community project is a continuation and a broadening of efforts that have been ongoing at Notre Dame since the summer of 1999. That summer two local physics teachers were invited to conduct research with members of the Notre Dame Particle Physics Group with funding from the QuarkNet project (NSF PHY02-07072). In the intervening years we have been guided by the following principle: the development of both culture and community are important; they are mutually enhancing. Community without culture is stale, and culture without community is short-lived. Together rich culture and vibrant communities are both enduring and attractive. To these ends we have fostered a rich STEM culture and a vibrant STEM community.

From our modest beginnings and with substantial funding and guidance from two National Science Foundation grants (DGE06-38723 and PHY02-07072) we have grown: we count about 20 K-12 teachers from a variety of STEM disciplines as members of our enduring community; we have offered summer research jobs to over 100 high school students; and, we have impacted hundreds of K-12 students in their classrooms. The NSF GK-12 program has allowed us to both broaden and deepen our impact. We now have colleagues from a variety of engineering and science disciplines.

The Notre Dame extended Research Community (NDeRC) project is in its first year of GK-12 funding. This annual report covers the nine months of project activities from July 2007 until March 2008.


 * A. Participants**

1. //Senior Personnel//

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2. //Graduate Fellows//

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3. //Organizational Partners//

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4. //Other Collaborators//

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 * B. Project Summary - Goals and Activities**

The long-term goal of the NDeRC project is the formation of a seamless, vibrant STEM community in the region surrounding Notre Dame that collaboratively fosters a rich STEM culture. The formation of this community requires the following three activities: (1) inviting members to a richer and more collaborative experience of STEM culture and community; (2) the mutual enculturation of interested members; and (3) fostering collaborative efforts in both education and research.

During these first nine months we have had both short-term and long-term approaches to achieving this goal. The short-term approach--one we could implement immediately--relied on already existing K-12 contacts and newer K-12 contacts made through summer 2007 research. We will briefly describe each of these activities.

BioEYES Activity: Working with Dr. Jamie Shuda of Thomas Jefferson University we have brought the BioEYES activity to two area schools: Clay High School and St. Joseph High School. Dr. Shuda and her team have developed a 4th, 7th and 10th grade version of this week-long activity. We plan to bring the activity to Holy Cross Grade School in April, 2008. The activity is centered around the breeding of zebrafish in the classroom in order to study genetics and embryonic development. These fast-growing organisms have a transparent embryo so that the development of the fish's internal organs can be clearly seen during the week. On Monday each group of two students places specified genotypes of the zebrafish in mating tanks. The fish mate overnight and the eggs are harvested Tuesday. Tuesday through Friday students observe the developing embryos with the aid of dissecting microscopes and record their development through a series of drawings based on each student's daily observations. By the fourth day genetically distinct characteristics and a beating heart can be clearly seen. The activity was very well-received at both Clay (6 classes, 110 students) and St. Joseph (3 classes, 50 students) high schools. At St. Joseph High School even students from other science classes stopped-by to "take a look". Graduate Fellows James Whitcomb and Jill Dzurisin and Lead Teacher Mark Ballentine all played large roles in the success of this activity. Last Summer James and Mark also collaborated on immunology research directly related to James' dissertation.

Micro Imaging Activity: Graduate Fellow Brighid Corcoran worked closely with Lead Teacher Ruth Craft to develop this imaging activity for grades K-4. The students start by making naked-eye observations of some ordinary objects: sugar, salt, tissue paper and Velcro. They then observe these same objects with a microscope and discuss the similarities and differences between the two sets of observations. The students are then shown scanning electron microscopes images of these same objects. Again the similarities and differences are discussed. Based on their observations and discussions students are asked to identify some additional familiar objects using only a scanning electron microscope image of each. Brighid and Ruth also developed a follow-on activity for third and fourth grades. This activity addresses the roles of refraction and focal points in magnification. Students are also introduced to the concept of bilateral symmetry of imaged objects. About 250 K-4 students at Kennedy Primary Academy participated in these activities.

Observational Astronomy Activities: Graduate Fellow Joseph Ribaudo and Lead Teacher Aaron McNeely developed an observational astronomy activity for Aaron's fall semester astronomy class at Bremen High School. Twenty-four students performed the recommended observations using land telescopes stationed at Bremen High School and at Notre Dame's Jordan Hall of Science Observatory. Last summer Joseph, Aaron and two area high school students also collaborated on variable star research.

Robotics Club: Graduate Fellow Ryan Connaughton and Lead Teacher Matt Modlin of Riley High School, the engineering and technology magnet school for South Bend, started an after-school robotics club at Riley. Before starting the club Ryan spent considerable time attending the engineering and technology classes at Riley to become better acquainted with the curriculum and the students. Usually about five students participated in the club's weekly gatherings. During these weekly gatherings the club members would design and build robots.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Student Research: Graduate Fellow Annette Raigoza conducted research with a student enrolled in St. Joseph High School's research class. Annette trained the student on the microscope she is using for her dissertation research and on a mobile microscope that we have subsequently brought into local schools. The St. Joseph student conducted research that was an extension of Annette's dissertation research and presented her findings at the regional science fair.

Riverside School Science Club: On three successive weeks Graduate Fellows James Whitcomb, Brighid Corcoran and Annette Raigoza guided the 5th and 6th grade members of the science club through a variety of inquiry activities. James brought in zebrafish at three stages of development; Brighid led the students through the micro imaging activity, complete with scanning electron microscope images; and, Annette introduced the students to scanning tunneling microscopy and performed a scan with our mobile STM.

Bethel College

Trinity School Jordan Hall

training - two books "first Day" and "What"

In the long-term approach during these first nine months we have emphasized the first of the three required activities to achieve our goal: "inviting members to a richer and more collaborative experience of STEM culture and community." This past December we collaborated with six other NSF-funded education and public outreach groups at Notre Dame (RET@ND, EngRET@ND, QuarkNet, I2U2, JINA and NISMEC) to host a forum: Partnering for Education and Research. We invited all the local K-12 STEM teachers to this one day event to learn more about the education and research opportunities at Notre Dame. Of the 120 participating teachers, two-thirds of them teach at public schools (1/3 private); and teachers of high, intermediate and primary schools participated in comparable numbers. __After the forum 85% of the 120 participants “strongly agreed” that they were “much more” aware of the education and research opportunities at Notre Dame.__ Approximately 100 teachers from 40 different schools expressed an interest in finding out more about the NDeRC project.

The funding for NDeRC started July 1, 2007. During that first summer we were able to select and appoint six graduate fellows, a full cohort. We were also able to partner four of the fellows with local K-12 STEM teachers for summer research. (The other two fellows were appointed too late in the summer to arrange the desired research partnerships.)

While the Notre Dame extended Research Community highly values materials developed for classrooms, we value enduring relationships among educators and researchers even more.