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News Tip

 


***SPECIAL EDITION***
August 14, 2002

An NSF Summer: Bringing the excitement of science to school

For more information on these science news and feature story tips, contact the public information officer listed at (703) 292-8070. Editor: Josh Chamot

Throughout the summer, teachers around the country participate in their own form of summer school. They explore science and engineering at the source, from venturing into copper mines to working alongside ship builders - rekindling their enthusiasm and gathering new information to inspire and challenge their students in the coming year. These news tips highlight a few examples of the summer learning projects supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

School Rooftops Catch the Rays in Statewide Experiment

The rooftops of schools throughout Nebraska are becoming high-energy physics research stations as part of the Cosmic Ray Observatory Project supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). During the summer, students and teachers gathered at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, to learn how to collect data to study cosmic rays, particles that arrive from space in extensive showers.

The four-year project began in 2000 and will eventually place equipment in all of the state's 314 high schools. Students use computers to gather information on cosmic ray showers and then compare their findings with those of students in schools elsewhere in the state. The project helps students understand the process of science by going beyond predictable, textbook experiments.

Students studying the showers will be able to follow the pathways of particularly energetic bursts, because so many schools will be studying them simultaneously, said Gregory Snow, professor of physics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and co-director of the program. The student findings will contribute to a growing set of worldwide data on cosmic rays, Snow said. [Bill Harms]

Photo of teacher and group of students; caption is below
A teacher explains the effect of the earth's magnetic field on the trajectories of charged particles, a topic relevant to the study of cosmic rays at Nebraska high schools
Photo Credit: Daniel Claes, University of Nebraska
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a student polishes the edges of a scintillator panel that will gather data on cosmic rays; caption is below
A student polishes the edges of a scintillator panel that will gather data on cosmic rays for an experiment taking place at schools across Nebraska in the coming year.
Credit: Daniel Claes, University of Nebraska
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Teachers Brought up to Speed on High-Energy Physics

The Department of Energy Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, is bringing the excitement of high-energy physics research to high school teachers and students across the country through QuarkNet, a program supported by NSF.

During the summer, 24 teachers spend a week at the lab, learning about particle physics. The teachers then continue their experience with summer research alongside physicists at a university or laboratory near their homes.

At Fermilab, the teachers attend a simulated experiment meeting based on the work going on at Fermilab and the CERN facility in Switzerland. Their work also includes analyzing data and reporting findings, attending talks by physicists, checking out recent upgrades in experimental halls and discussing how to translate their experiences to the classroom. During the coming year, teachers will work with mentors and share their knowledge with teams of up to 10 local associate teachers.

The program began in 1999 and will eventually reach 60 universities and laboratories in 28 states. It is expected to involve 720 teachers, reaching 100,000 students. [Bill Harms]

a teacher cleans up a plastic scintillator; caption is below
A teacher cleans up a plastic scintillator used in a rooftop cosmic ray detector.
Photo Credit: Jeff Wilkes, University of Washington Physics Department
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high school physics teachers assemble a cosmic ray detector; caption is below
High school physics teachers work with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory physicist Jae Yu to assemble a cosmic ray detector as part of a project at the laboratory to promote learning among students.
Photo Credit: Thomas Jordan, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Education Office
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students assemble an electronic logic board for a classroom cosmic ray detector; caption is below
Students assemble an electronic logic board for a classroom cosmic ray detector as part of a program based at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, to help students learn about high energy physics.
Photo Credit: Pote Pothongusan, Cape Henry Collegiate School
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Summer School Gives Teachers Inside Look at the Earth

This fall, high school and middle school teachers from around the country will be sharing knowledge about minerals, mining and other geologic topics with their students after returning from the Teachers' Earth Science Institute, a program supported by NSF at Michigan Technological University.

Teachers teamed up with university researchers and engineers to conduct original research, both in the lab and in the field. Topics ranged from geological exploration and mineral identification to mineral processing and environmental protection. The teachers conducted some of their research in the copper mines of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The teachers learn how mining has become a high-tech, global industry that produces metals and minerals for such industries as manufacturing, medicine and jewelry. Organizers hope the program will enhance the teaching of earth science in middle and high schools, as well as provide historical and social context for minerals. [Bill Harms]

image of a teacher practicing with a jackleg drill; caption is below
This image shows a teacher practicing with a jackleg drill in a copper mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She was among a group of teachers from around the country who spent the summer in Michigan learning about earth science by exploring the mining industry.
Photo Credit: Francis Otuonye¸ Tennessee Technological University
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photo of a teacher using a drill to blast through rocks; caption is below
This photo shows a teacher using a drill to blast through rocks in a copper mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He was learning about earth science in a program that brought teachers to mining sites.
Photo Credit: Francis Otuonye, Tennessee Technological University
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Teachers Learn Skills Students Will Need in the Workforce

a teacher from Mississippi looks at a large dump truck; caption is below
A teacher from Mississippi looks at a large dump truck used at the Red Hills Mine, Ackerman, Mississippi. She was one of 42 Mississippi teachers selected to participate in the Mississippi State University Research Experiences in Industry program this summer. The program enhances educators' knowledge of industry in order to increase students' career abilities and opportunities in Mississippi.
Photo Credit: Sandra Harpole, Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology, Mississippi State University
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Teachers in Mississippi will be sharing on-the-job experiences of a different sort this fall as they plan activities for their students. In the NSF-supported Research Experiences in Industry program, teachers this summer learned how science, mathematics and technology are used in the workplace.

Forty-two high school and middle school teachers spent several weeks in the program, visiting the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Ingalls Operation in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the Tennessee Valley Authority in Chattanooga, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The teachers also spent one day each at the Mississippi Lignite Mining Company's Red Hills Mine in Ackerman, Mississippi, and Mercedes-Benz Institute and Production Plant in Vance, Alabama. The participants are also doing the equivalent of three-day internships at industry sites in their local area over the next year.

At the Mississippi shipyard, the teachers wore steel-toed boots and hard hats, and they tried a number of jobs, including welding, pipe fitting, wiring circuits and cutting sheet metal. At TVA, the teachers learned about power trading, hydroelectric power generation, pump storage facilities, research into alternative forms of energy, information technology and economic development.

Participants said the program expanded their appreciation of science and gave them new insights into the workforce needs of local industry. During the coming school year, the teachers will mentor their peers in order to help increase faculty and student understanding of the role of science, mathematics and technology in the workplace, said Sandra Harpole, physics professor at Mississippi State University and coordinator of the program. [Bill Harms]

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