Making connections: The city as a science classroom

CHED 82

Matthew Carnes, mec2105@columbia.edu1, Eresha Kissoon, ereshakissoon@yahoo.com2, Leonard Fine1, and Stacey Brydges1. (1) Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, 3000 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, (2) MS 245, The Computer School, 100 West 77th Street, New York, NY 10032
Science projects offer a great opportunity for students to experience the excitement of discovery, and to showcase the scientific skills and knowledge they have gained during their explorations. By modeling the scientific process and introducing current and cutting-edge research into the classroom at critical learning stages, NSF GK-12 graduate fellows, working in collaboration with K-8 teachers in New York City (NYC) schools, are helping to acclimate young students to the nature of science and scientific research. As part of our NSF GK-12 program and broader efforts, we promote strategies that enable teachers and their students to: 1) identify grade appropriate topics that can be addressed through scientific inquiry; 2) design an experiment or investigation using available materials; and 3) select resources, tools, and techniques to collect, evaluate, and interpret data. Tapping into the abundance of resources in an urban setting such as NYC can be a challenge, so a strong emphasis is placed on ‘science with a social context' – connecting the different socio-economic backgrounds of students to local human/environment interactions and field-based science projects. This pedagogical approach and the leadership role of STEM graduate students in disseminating effective models of project-based teaching and learning will be presented.
 

General Posters
7:30 PM-9:30 PM, Sunday, April 6, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Sci-Mix

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008