Teaching Research in the High School: Scientific Research as a Course

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Teaching Research in the High School
Scientific Research as a Course
Teaching Research in the High School
Scientific Research as a Course
Ryan Templeton
Ryan Templeton Mathematics and Science High
School at Clover Hill Chesterfield County Public
Schools, Midlothian, VA
Mathematics and Science High School at Clover Hill
Chesterfield County Public Schools, Midlothian, VA
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The Math and Science High School at Clover Hill

• A school-within-a-school
• Approximately 400 students inside a 1500 student
  comprehensive school
• Grades are taught by a team of core teachers
  math, science, English, social studies
• Electives are taken in the comprehensive school
  (band, sports, chorus, etc.)

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Our Research Program A Past View

• Freshmen complete a research project within their
  biology class
• Sophomores complete a research project in their
  chemistry class
• Juniors have a choice complete a science
  research project in physics, or take Historical
  Research as a separate class
• Seniors have no research requirement

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Our Research Program Recent Changes

• Freshmen and Sophomores still complete a research
  project within their science classes
• Juniors now have a third option take Scientific
  Research, which exempts them from their physics
  class research
• Seniors can also choose this new class if they
  wish to continue research

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Advantages of a stand-alone research course

• Allows for a deeper and authentic research
  experience
• Students are paired with mentors in the community
• Students receive research and technology credit
• Competition skills are emphasized

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Challenges to creating a stand-alone course

• Administrative
• Generating the buy-in
• Making allowances in curriculum
• Logistical
• Curriculum what to teach?
• Time fitting it into existing schedules
• Resources what materials are needed?
• Expectations students must commit to
  significant after-school time

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Influences

• NCSSSMST
• Science Research in the High School
• Science Experiments and Projects for Students
  Cothron, Giese and Rezba
• Integrated research in current science courses at
  Math/Sci

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Course Design

• Student-centered design emphasis on sharing
  information
• Lecture component diminished
• Peer-review central to the process

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Curriculum Outline

• 1st Semester
• 1st 9 weeks
• Present of summer assignment
• Select of a topic
• Introduce database resources
• Learn presentation and visual design
• Select of a mentor
• Complete research plan / safety check

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Curriculum Outline

• 1st Semester
• 2nd 9 weeks
• Learn Data Notebook formatting
• Meet with mentors and students
• Discuss preliminary data
• Conduct portfolio and notebook checks
• Begin writing the research paper
• Discuss data for competitions

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Curriculum Outline

• 2nd Semester
• 3rd 9 Weeks
• Complete competition applications
• Prepare competition visuals
• Slideshow presentations
• Poster board displays
• Conduct oral presentations
• Attend competitions
• Regional and State ISEF
• State JSHS

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Curriculum Outline

• 2nd Semester
• 4th 9 Weeks
• Continue research projects
• Continue data seminar
• Plan and execute school research symposium (early
  June)
• Prepare portfolio for final check
• Juniors prepare applications for
  Siemens-Westinghouse and Intel STS

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A Typical Classroom Day

• Students arrive and questions are answered
  regarding competition forms
• Students scheduled to present that day ready
  their slides on the computer
• Students offer oral and written feedback
• On some days, computer lab time is scheduled
  allows individual conferencing and writing groups

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A Typical Lab Schedule

• Some students work as much as 4 days a week for
  1-3 hours
• Others work for 1-2 days a week, 3-4 hours at a
  time
• Students drive to their mentors lab after school
• Many attend lab meetings and participate as
  members / share data

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Starting bare bones

• Start-up costs were negligible
• No textbook
• Statistical knowledge of the instructor was
  minimal
• All of these points represent potential areas of
  improvement

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Mentor matching

• We proceeded with an informal matching process
  some programs have personnel devoted to this
• A contact at Virginia Commonwealth University
  served as a liaison
• Students interests were considered first, then
  matched to scientists
• Some students worked with private organizations

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Things We Learned

• Software standards
• Digital media storage
• Student work load
• Scheduling stick to your plan!
• Competitions data determines participation

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Our first class

• Eleven students
• 55 Female 45 Male
• Juniors 73 Seniors 27

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A Few of Our Students

• Erin Kim
• Engineering of Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A
  (Srt A) by directed evolution

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A Few of Our Students

• Hannah Meredith
• A wound with no scar perfecting the wound
  healing process
• 3rd Place Virginia Junior Science and Humanities
  Symposium Outstanding Research Award

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Please contact us

• Ryan Templeton
• ryan_templeton_at_ccspsnet.net
• www.mathsci.info