Materials Science: The Gateway to Science

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Materials Science The Gateway to Science!

• Tom Stoebe
• Professor Emeritus
• Materials Science and Engineering
• University of Washington
• Presented by John M. Rusin
• Engineering Instructor, Retired
• Edmonds Community College

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Outline

• Current status K-12 Science Education
• Proven means for enhancing Science Education with
  examples
• The Bigger Picture
• What can WE do?
• Contacts/References

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Current status K-12 Science Education

• Time Magazine
• Are we flunking science?
• The World is Flat
• Science can be done any place where there are
  scientists
• Rising above the Gathering Storm
• National Academy report
• WA League of Women Voters
• Only 18 of WA HS freshman receive college
  degrees, few of these in science or engineering

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Is this a crisis?

• Probably NOT relative to the development of new
  ideas in science and engineering
• Possibly in terms of personnel to carry out the
  development of new ideas
• Probably YES in terms of basic science education
  and understanding

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Why is there a problem?

• Media focus has been away from science and
  engineering
• Engineering achievements not well known/taken for
  granted
• Computers
• Cell phones
• Flat panel TV sets
• Even scientists dont give credit to engineering
  and technology (Peters ref.)

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American Education System

• Student-oriented inquiry learning, especially in
  early grades
• Focus on thinking and problem solving
• Students can choose subjects of greatest interest
  to them
• Science instruction mostly theory with some
  practical applications
• Too much theory, not enough application

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Other countries

• More focus on national need for scientists and
  engineers
• Direction to schools (national curriculum)
• Direction to parents and students
• BUT
• More rote learning
• Less innovation

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Why is Science Education Important?

• General public needs to understand more science
• Environmental issues
• Energy issues
• Technological issues
• Public needs to be able to make informed
  decisions!

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Future scientists do great

• NSF enhanced K-12 science education programs
• Advanced math and science courses in high school
• But Not Many of them
• 2 of HS freshmen eventually get degrees in
  science or engineering

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The average student does NOT like science!

• Science is boring
• Chemistry is too much memorization
• Physics is too abstract
• Science is too hard, too much math.
• And students with scientific aptitude go into
  business, medicine, history, economics, etc !

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How can we approach this problem?

• Focus on real science that students understand
• Use examples that turn students on to science
• Get teachers excited about the subject!

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Proven programs to introduce students to
materials science

• Materials Science and Technology, Battelle
  Pacific Northwest Labs
• Materials World Modules, Northwestern U.
• Materials Teach, U of Florida
• Materials Technology Institute, U of Washington
• Enhanced Materials Technology Project, Edmonds
  Community College
• ASM Teachers Camp program

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Materials Science and Technology (MST)

• The science of stuff
• Hands-on activities, teams approach
• (75 lab-oriented)
• All classes of materials
• Focus on metals, ceramics, polymers, composites

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Prevailing Concepts

• Build on student knowledge of everyday materials
• Apply basic concepts throughout all units
• Look at stuff from micro to macro
• Learn why and how stuff does what it doesby
  understanding the properties of the stuff

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How is it Offered?

• Dedicated stand-alone class
• Incorporate into traditional science or
  technology class
• Modules

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MST Modules

• Introduction general properties of materials
• Metals
• Ceramics and glass
• Polymers
• Composites

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Solids

• Importance of materials science and technology.
• Solids are typically separated into four
  categories.
• Simple chemistry including chemical bonding, the
  periodic table, and oxidation-reduction.
• Crystal structures, physical properties.
• How metals are claimed from their ores.
• Importance of maintaining a student journal and
  keeping good records is stressed.

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Solids Activities

• Material safety data sheets
• Identification of materials
• Formation of crystals
• Destructive testing
• Reactivity series of metals
• Oxidation/reduction of copper

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Metals

• Properties and historical developments of metals.
  
• Mechanical properties of metals and
  heat-treating.
• Alloys and phase diagrams.
• Metals testing and manufacturing processes.
• Major project making of sterling silver jewelry
  using the process of lost wax casting.

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Metals Activities

• Rolling a coin
• Drawing a wire
• Alloying copper and zinc
• Cost of a penny
• Making a light bulb

• Making lead-tin solder
• Annealing copper
• Powder metallurgy
• Lost wax casting

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Sterling Silver Rings
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Ceramics Glass Activities

• Forming, firing, and glazing clay
• Thermal shock
• Glass bending and blowing
• Glass batching and melting
• Dragon dribble dragon tears

• Coloring glass
• Stained glass project
• Making Raku
• Ceramic slip casting

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Colored Glass
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Fused Glass
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Polymer Activities

• Cross-linking a polymer (slime)
• Polymer identification
• Making nylon 6-10
• Latex rubber ball

• Memory in polymers
• Epoxy resin cast
• Polymer foam creations

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Resin Cast Clothespin
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Composite Activities

• Stressed-skin composites
• Plaster of Paris matrix composite
• Compression and tension in a bending beam
• Laminated wood beams

• Using Portland cement to make test concrete
• Hand lay-up of a glass fiber reinforced polymer

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Coremat Graphite Cloth Clipboard
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MST is FUN!!!
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MST Training Resources

• PNNL MST Teachers Handbook paper copies and CD
• 45 MST labs installed by Energy Concepts Inc.
• Over 1000 teachers trained in MST
• 500 schools are using Materials World Modules

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ASM Materials Camp

• Teachers camp program
• Trains teachers in MST
• 18 camps in 2006
• Sponsored by ASM Materials Education Foundation

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States that have MST Classes

• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Mississippi

• Missouri
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin

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Impact on Teachers

• Concepts and labs apply to many science courses
• Raises interest and excitement among teachers
• Raises interest in science among their students
  to enhance learning
• I think I learned more in a week of camp than I
  have in all of my science experience at school.I
  know that this is the most educating and fun
  experience I have ever had.
• Jessica Gladysz, Albuquerque ASM Teachers Camp

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Student Comments

• "I love working with materials. I learn so much
  easier by working with my hands."
• "It was a non stop action class. Almost everyday
  we are doing something new. I got to make a lot
  of cool stuff that I can keep forever."
• "My friends used this class as a stepping stone
  to get into the Manufacturing Boeing Internship
  in Auburn."

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Student Survey (250 Students)

• When asked if they would recommend this class to
  other students
• 76 said yes
• 19 said probably
• 5 said no
• Materials Technology Education Program
  Impact on Secondary Teachers and Students, T.
  Stoebe, G. Whittaker and K. Hinkley, Journal of
  Materials Education 24, 23-30 (2002).

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• HS Class Evaluation
• When asked to complete the following sentence, "
  I like materials science because, students
  finished the sentence with three general themes
• We learned about different materials and then
  were able to use them to make a project
• It involves hands-on work
• Lab activities were fun!

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Materials Technology Education Program Impact
on Secondary Teachers and Students Thomas
Stoebe, Guy Whittaker, Karen Hinkley, Journal of
Materials Education, 24, 23-30 (2002)
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Other Findings

• Students become more interested in further
  science study after taking this course
• Chemistry and physics courses became more popular
  as a result of the MST course.
• Significant enhancement in the understanding of
  science and in career opportunities in science
  and technology
• Provides a means for motivating teachers to
  engage students more in real science and to
  motivate students toward more understanding of
  science and engineering.

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Other approaches

• Materials camp for high school students
• ASM Materials Education Foundation
• 25 camps in 2006
• Focus on exciting kids in science
• Evaluation shows kids refocus on science,
  engineering, technology

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The Bigger Picture

• Middle school (ages 11 - 14) is where kids loose
  focus on science
• Courses not interesting
• Kids turned off to math
• Science teachers have only general science
  training (if any)
• SO---Why not a curriculum that uses MATERIALS as
  the base for ALL
• of K-12 science?

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What would be needed for a materials-based school
curriculum?

• Educators
• Curriculum designers
• Materials experts
• FUNDING
• Most important A change in philosophy in
  science teaching!

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What is currently available?

• High school level curricula
• MST, MAST, MWM, etc
• Albuquerque materials chemistry example
• Innovative college-level curricula
• MRSEC programs

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MatEd

• National Resource Center for Materials Education
• Edmonds Community College
• Modules, demos, labs, etc
• Will be web-based at www.materialseducation.org

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Core Competencies in Materials

• National study using industry participants
• Focus on technicians (but applicable to
  engineering as well)
• Full study to be available by June 15 at
  www.materialseducation.org

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Employability skills needed by all technicians

• Units and conversions
• Computer skills
• Working in teams
• Personal professionalism
• Quality management

• Communication skills
• Workplace performance
• Basic mathematics
• Technical drawing
• Testing
• Data analysis

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Important Materials-related skills

• Effects of defects on performance
• Effects of mfg variations on properties
• Laboratory skills
• General nature of metals, plastics, polymers, and
  composites
• Materials processing
• Materials testing
• Fabrication processes and tooling

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What can we do?

• Develop materials camp programs
• Students
• Teachers
• Use local materials professional society chapter
  as host
• University or community college venue
• Result Enhanced interest in science!

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What can we do?

• Enhance introductory college-level courses with
  hands-on materials activities
• Enhance courses with new materials concepts, i.e.
  composites, nanomaterials, biomaterials

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Contacts/references

• MatEd, National Resource Center for Materials
  Education
• www.materialseducation.org
• Materials Camp/ASM Foundation
• www.asm-intl.org/foundation
• Tom Stoebe stoebe_at_u.washington.edu
• John Rusin ceramist_at_nwlink.com

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References

• Materials Technology Education Program Impact
  on Secondary Teachers and Students Thomas
  Stoebe, Guy Whittaker, Karen Hinkley, Journal of
  Materials Education, 24, 23-30 (2002)
• Materials Science and Technology Teachers
  Handbook, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
  Richland, WA. Development and teacher training
  supported by U.S. Dept. of Energy, 1985-96
  (contact Karen Wieda, Box 999, Richland, WA
  99352) http//science-ed.pnl.gov/mstcourse.stm.
• Materials Science Technology Curriculum Modules,
  Energy Concepts Inc. - Energy Concepts, Inc., 404
  Washington Blvd., Mundelein, IL 60060, Phone
  847-837-8191, Fax [phone],
  ecisales_at_ecimail.com, http//www.eci-info.com
• Materials World Modules, (1998). Northwestern
  University, 2115 North Campus Drive, Evanston, IL
  60208-2610. www.materialsworldmodules.org/

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References (cont.)

• Experiments in Materials Science, Engineering and
  Technology, CD-ROM, J. Jacobs and A.E. McKenney,
  Prentice Hall, 2001
• MAST- Materials Science and Technology Teacher's
  Workshop, prepared by the Materials Science and
  Engineering Department at the University of
  Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, Judy Brewer c/o MAST
  Modules, 1304 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801
  [phone], http//matse1.mse.uiuc.edu/tw
• Institute for Chemical Education (ICE), Kathleen
  M. Shanks, Outreach Program Manager, Department
  of Chemistry, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI
  53706-1396, 608-262-2940, 800-991-5534 FAX
  608-265-8094, shanks_at_chem.wisc.edu ,
  http//ice.chem.wisc.edu
• University of Wisconsin Materials Research
  Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured
  Materials and Interfaces, http//mrsec.wisc.edu/ed
  etc/

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References (cont.)

• Materials Science and Technology at Hampton Roads
  High Schools, James A. Jacobs, Advanced Materials
  Processes, December 2002, pp. 58-59
• Educational Innovations, Inc., 362 Main Avenue,
  Norwalk, CT 06851, 1-888-912-7474,
  http//www.teachersource.com/, info_at_teachersource.
  com
• Polymer Ambassadors, http//www.polymerambassadors
  .org/, mharris_at_jburroughs.org