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Department
of Energy Academies Creating
Teacher Scientists
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Ames
Laboratory
Educators as Investigators program designed for 5th-8th
grade physical science teachers
June 23 – July 25, 2008 (June 30-July2 optional; July 3-4 vacation)
Ames Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy research facility on the
campus of Iowa State University, is offering middle school (5th-8th grades)
physical science teachers an exciting professional-development opportunity
to experience science in the making. The overriding theme of the DOE
ACTS program at Ames Laboratory is the physical environment and how knowledge
of physical and earth sciences can influence its positive evolution.
Teachers will be trained to effectively impart in the next generation
of students the wonders and complexities of scientific discovery, while
preparing them for the challenges involved in decision-making as members
of a technological society. We anticipate the teachers who successfully
complete this program will (1) convey to their students the vulnerability
of the environment to human influence; (2) become teacher scientists,
equipped to relay the essence of science to their students; and (3) encourage
their students to develop their sense of curiosity and inquiry about
the world around them. This program will give teachers the insight and
knowledge to understand the complex relationship between humans and their
physical environment and skills to better teach this in the classroom.
Throughout the summer program national science education standards will
be addressed for each topic according to grade level as will the nature
of science and the scientific method.
ACTS 2008 will focus on the “chemical environment” with
emphasis on chemical interactions, air and water pollution and the making
and
implementation of biofuels. Teachers will receive 12 hours of content
instruction in these areas. They will be introduced to cutting-edge research
pertinent to these topics presented by Ames Laboratory scientists. Teachers
will conduct their own small research projects to investigate topics
in environmental chemistry under the mentorship of Ames Laboratory scientists.
Teachers will be trained to turn their classrooms into environments where
their students will become engaged in investigation, observation and
interpretation of scientific concepts. Teachers will also be trained
to impart applications of these concepts in the real world and introduce
their students to the array of professions that utilize this knowledge.
Upon completion of each summer program, participants may apply to DOE
ACTS for funds to help implement new strategies in their classrooms.
During the school year, every effort will be made to maintain Web-based
communication between participants and Ames Laboratory scientists and
staff who will continue to support the educational effort of the participants
once they have returned to their classrooms.
Teachers accepted into the program will be encouraged to participate
in three summer programs over the course of three consecutive years.
The first two years teachers will participate in the four-week “Educators
as Investigators” program and the final year teachers would potentially
participate in the six-week “Educators as Researchers” program. In 2008, Ames Laboratory will only offer ACTS “Educators as Investigators.” The
program will begin June 23 and end July 25, 2008. The week of June 30 – July
4 will be optional. This week will include field visits to Argonne and
Fermi National Laboratories in the Chicago area. On July 3 and 4 there
will be a break. We encourage participants from Iowa and its surrounding
states to apply. The program will be held at the Ames Laboratory located
on the Iowa State University campus, Ames, Iowa. Participants who live
between 20-50 miles from Ames will be reimbursed for gas mileage. Participants
who live farther away, will receive travel funds and will reside in furnished
apartments on the Iowa State University campus, in close proximity to
the Ames Laboratory. Teachers will receive mini grants to purchase classroom
equipment and to support professional development. For more information, contact Adah Leshem-Ackerman at 515-294-8453 or
adah@iastate.edu.
For more details about the program please go to: http://www.external.ameslab.gov/education/LSTPD.htm
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