The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science proposes to build on its program of activities that involve children in science and bring them into contact with the approaches, objects and equipment that scientists use, with each activity designed to stimulate thinking and heighten interest in science. Cardinal features of the program are the development of hands-on exhibits, science kits for classroom use and a studied tie with the children's television program, "3-2-1 Contact." The goals are to coordinate these activities with hands-on science activities for students in grades 3-6, and to coordinate classroom activities with those at the museum, which conducts "3-2-1 Contact Days" throughout the year when students come to the museum and take part in experiments, observations and enrichment lessons and actively manipulate museum objects. The museum now will refine the program components, including improvement and duplication of the hands-on kits, continuation of the workshops for elementary teachers and development of new participatory exhibits dealing with insects and endangered species, and will present them to an expanded audience. One-third of the children in the state live below the poverty level, and fifty per cent represent minority populations. As most of these children lack such out-of-school experiences these informal science activities are particularly meaningful.
Consumer Reports Television will produce a series of four half- hour TV specials and companion outreach materials, called "YOU TEST IT|," for public television broadcast and broad educational and home video distribution. Targeted for children ages 7 to 13 -- particularly those from low-income, minority families -- the project will draw on the resources of Consumers Union, the non- profit, scientific, research and education organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine and ZILLIONS, the Consumer Reports for Kids. The "YOU TEST IT| series, created by an experienced team of children's TV producers, focuses on testing and evaluating popular products -- from observing the bubble-power of bubble gum to measuring the efficiency of 10-speed bicycles. Using lively, state-of-the-art techniques appealing to kids, "YOU TEST IT|" will encourage children to use science and math skills to investigate and, ultimately, solve real-world problems. Each of the 4 programs will cover a broad product theme such as Foods/Snacks, Toys/Games, Sports/Recreation, and Electronic Gear. Activity Guides, expanding on these topics, will delve more deeply into the science content of each show, providing hands-on learning materials for children. With repeated broadcasts of "YOU TEST IT|" over hundreds of PBS stations, and reuse of tape and print materials, millions of children will gain greater access to objective product information and greater awareness of science and its importance in everyday life.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Joyce NewmanEdward GrothSusan Markowitz
"IPY: Engaging Antarctica" is an informal science education project designed to increase public awareness of Antarctic geological research and discovery during the International Polar Year. Submitted through NET Television, the project will produced a PBS one-hour television documentary for air on NOVA in fall 2008 (w.t. "Antarctica's Icy Secrets") complemented by a multi-faceted outreach effort. The intended impacts of "Engaging Antarctica" are to: 1) enhance the general public's awareness and understanding of scientific research conducted in Antarctica; 2) create innovative collaborations for developing and disseminating Antarctic educational materials; and 3) enhance our knowledge of how youth and adults understand Antarctic research. The documentary will illuminate geoscience research as it being accomplished throughout IPY and specifically focus on the ANDRILL project, a major focal point during the global campaign of polar education and analyses. The program will document how scientists search for evidence to resolve conflicting hypotheses regarding ice sheet history and dynamics. NOVA Online will create a companion site for the program. In addition, the outreach materials include the Flexhibit, a digital package of high resolution images and files (visual and audio) accessible via the web, at no cost to the user. These will include scientist's stories in their own words, and inquiry-based activities developed by LuAnn Dahlman, the TERC geoscience curriculum specialist. Dahlman will work with the ARISE educators who have been selected to go to Antarctica to work with the ANDRILL science team. Mini-grants will be given to youth organizations in low income communities to participate in the trial test of the Flexhibit activities and enable participation in the project. Multimedia Research will conduct front-end and formative evaluation. Summative evaluation will be conducted by Multimedia Research and Amy Spiegel, from the University of Nebraska Center for Instructional Innovation.