The Educational Film Center (EFC) is developing a science, engineering, and technology careers exhibit for distribution to science museums and technology centers. The core of the exhibit kiosk, with related career graphics surrounds, is SET/QUEST, an interactive multimedia program for both Macintosh and PC/Windows using CD-Rom as the full motion video source. Teens and preteens will enter an interactive exploration of thirty careers with first person video profiles of people in science and engineering; animated/reality video simulations of a work experience in these fields, decision screens, and a database of over 200 more science and math-based professions. The documentary profiles, database, and a personal interest career match component will also be developed in alternative media formats (video, audio, print) for broad distribution to community and youth education networks, schools, and libraries. Specific emphasis in this project is being placed on reaching and attracting female, minority, and disabled youth. A parent outreach component has been developed and will be implemented by the Directorate of Education & Human Resources Programs of AAAS. The concept of the parent effort is to work directly with and through the national offices of four major national organizations with different institutional community roots -- Science Museums, Public Libraries, Schools, and Community Based Organizations -- to involve parents and families with SET Project materials and to provide them with information with which they can foster their children's pursuit of science and math education and careers in these fields. Initial efforts will be conducted in 18 cities. The project is a collaborative endeavor among three organizations: The Educationa l Film Center which will be responsible for management and development/production of the software and documentary video profiles; The New York Hall of Science which will be responsible for the exhibit kiosk and graphics, will design and develop the student workbook and user installation print, will serve as the principal test site for the exhibit, and will advise on software, interactive multimedia design, and installation options; and COMAP which will be responsible for direct involvement of the Advisory Board, for selecting and hiring content consultants, for assuring the accuracy of the science and math content, for formative and summative evaluation, and for developing and preparing community leader and school users guides for publication. Stephen Rabin, President of EFC, will serve as PI for the project.
The University of California, Berkeley is developing "Windows on Research," a two-year experimental exhibit project at the Lawrence Hall of Science focused on engaging and informing the public about current scientific research. The project will develop and evaluate different media to translate the leading edge of nanotechnology research for the science center audience by featuring live demonstrations and presentations, physical- and technology-based exhibits, and Internet-based exhibits. Formative evaluation of all products, including ongoing public focus groups and surveys, will be used to establish which of the several media, alone or combined, work best to communicate research content. The project team also is developing new assessment tools to test usability and effectiveness of the artificial intelligence and technology-based components in conveying content. The results of this prototype effort to present ongoing research in a museum setting will be disseminated to the informal science education field. The PI, Marco Molinaro, and the team from the Lawrence Hall of Science will work closely with scientists representing research in a number of nanotechnology fields. These scientists bring expertise in the areas of materials science, chemistry, education, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, molecular and cell biology, geochronology and isotope geochemistry, and psychology.
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Marco MolinaroUniversity of California-BerkeleyDarrell Porcello
WGBH is producing a PBS television series, with accompanying web and outreach activities for 9- to 12-year-olds, to inspire a generation of budding engineers. Design Squad: Nate's Roadtrip (working title) will be a 10-part television series that is building on WGBH's prior award-winning work. The series goal is to engender enthusiasm and promote understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology. Behind the fun that this lively show envisions is a serious educational purpose--to get kids to think like engineers and understand how to use science and technology to solve real-life problems. The television programs will be complemented with an extensive companion web site, as well as materials and training for engineers to mount Design Squad events in public venues and run workshops in schools, afterschool programs and libraries. The web site will create a platform for an online community where young participants will share their own projects, see what others have made, and send in questions to the host. Outreach activities will be supported by WGBH's ongoing relationships in the educational and engineering community, including the Girl Scouts, International Technology Education Association, NASA, and the Intel Computer Clubhouses. Viridian inSight will conduct summative evaluation of the project to measure project impacts including knowledge of science and engineering concepts and the design process; attitudes towards engineering; awareness of and interest in engineering career opportunities; and the extent to which kids perceive engineering as creative, rewarding, and socially relevant. Design Squad: Nate's Roadtrip Video Blog is slated to premiere February 2010 and the television show is slated to premiere in October 2010.
The goal of the project is to produce a one hour television documentary and a series of video teaching modules which explore a wide range of scientific disciplines in an exciting manner by presenting the story of how these disciplines are used in the preparation and racing of an Indianapolis race car. This program will be distributed to a wide audience through its broadcast by PBS and cable sports networks; through dissemination to classrooms and museums nationwide; and through distribution via agencies that focus on bringing educational programs to youth and minorities across the country. We expect to attract a new audience to science, the millions of Americans who are infatuated by automobiles. This is an audience that cuts across age, ethnic and racial distinctions in America today. This exciting story of applied science should also appeal to American youth in a way that more traditional science stories do not. The major scientific disciplines involved in the project are: basic engineering, mathematics and physics, aerodynamics, materials science, mechanics, telemetry and computer aided design. This project is submitted to the Informal Science Education Program. The specific content of this project will be aimed at an audience with little background in science. High-school students and adults should be able to understand all the principles presented. Younger audiences will gain insight into how a knowledge of science is fundamental to a sport that many of them find fascinating.
WGBH Educational Foundation is requesting funds to produce 20 new shows and new outreach and Web activities for "ZOOM," which will be renamed "Hot Seat." "Hot Seat" is a daily half-hour PBS television series targeted to kids ages 8 to 11. Uniquely by and for kids, the program gives its viewers a chance to explore, to experiment and to share their creativity. The series, along with its far-reaching outreach, offers its audience an innovative curriculum that promotes the acquisition of basic math and science knowledge and the development of problem solving skills called "Habits of Mind." The intended impacts are to: (1) establish a project that uniquely integrates television, the Web and outreach as a model for how media can teach science and math; (2) engage kids and teach them science and math content and process skills; (3) provide curriculum and professional development to organizational partners. Innovation includes developing three new content areas for the series -- Invention, Space Science and Earth Science -- and evolving the project design by incorporating new production techniques that enhance the "reality factor" of the science programming. Outreach for the project will include printed materials for kids, families and educators. A new collaborative partnership is being developed with the American Library Association to help distribute the new afterschool curricula to librarians across the country. "Hot Seat" will support the existing network of "ZOOM" outreach partners and convert the museum "ZOOMzones" to "Hot Seat Spots." "ZOOM" currently is carried by 269 public broadcasting stations and is viewed by 4 million children each week.
ONE, TWO, THREE...INFINITY: The World of Mathematics is a series of eight one-hour films about math in the real world. It will be produced by WQED/Pittsburgh for prime-time broadcast on the 340 PBS stations and in many foreign countries. The goal of the series is not to "teach" math but to show, in an entertaining fashion, the importance of math in many walks of life--music, art, engineering and communications, to name a few. Math affects our lives everyday in ways many of us have never imagined. Yet few of us ever stop to think about it, perhaps because of "Math anxiety." This series will be the first to reveal math's importance not only as a tool for discovery, but also as a major cultural force. Drawing on WQED's proven skill in creating special visual effects, and making liberal use of magic and mystery, puzzles, and paradoxes, the series will break down the public's fears and misconceptions about math. We hope viewers--children as well as adults--will come away with a new appreciation of mathematics and, most important, a more open attitude toward learning about it--the first step toward a higher level of math literacy. WQED's Producers and cinematographers bring many years of experience on such award- -winning programs as PLANET EARTH, THE INFINITE VOYAGE and the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIALS. A diverse and distinguished advisory committee will help shape the series and ensure its accuracy. And a companion book, together with a program of educational materials and activities, will extend its reach beyond the television audience, making the series a potent catalyst for learning.
WGBH is developing LAZYBONES (working title), a new television series for 10- to 14-year-olds, that is an engineering game show. Each week LAZYBONES' eight players, aged 17-21, engineer easy solutions to life's arduous tasks. The aim of the program is to use humor and irony to hook its target audience and turn them onto the creativity and productivity of engineering. The purpose of the project is to (1) teach kids to learn about engineering by using science and technology to solve real-life problems; (2) help bridge the critical years for keeping kids interested in science and math, and; (3) improve the public image of engineering, especially among girls and minorities. This grant is for the Test Video Development Phase of the project. During this phase, WGBH will produce a test video in order to further evaluate and refine the concept, appeal and educational content of the show and outreach materials. Note: This project led to the series "FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman."
WGBH will develop, produce, and distribute Wonders of the Modern World, a project that examines the science and technology behind the building of five international landmarks -- the Golden Gate Bridge, the Aswan Dam, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Toronto Skydome, and the English Channel Tunnel connecting Great Britain and France. Wonders of the Modern World is an integrated, synergistic project that combines a nationally-broadcast, prime time television series with print, interactive components, and on-line products for home and school. The goals of the project are to educate the public about concepts in physical science, technology, and engineering and to engage youth and adults in a diverse range of science and technology activities using various media ranging from on-line telecommunications to print. The specific components of the project include: o A prime time PBS television series consisting of five one-hour programs that will be hosted by David Macaulay, author of numerous popular books on technology such as How Things Work, Cathedral, Castle, and Pyramid, o A World Wide Web site where users can conduct interactive science and technology activities, o Print guides to help with on-line activities, o Family-oriented video vignettes with experiments in structural design, o Activity kits that include the materials needed for conducting family-based science experiments, o Curriculum-based school videos, o Student/teacher guides that will help interpret the series for classroom use, and o A CD-ROM. WGBH has formed alliances with four national organizations that will undertake a major effort to engage members of underserved and low-income communities in the series and the ancillary activities. These organizations are The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The Community Technology Centers Network, The Public Library Association, and The American Architectural Foundation. The PI and Project Director will be Paula Apsell, Executive Producer for NOV A and Head of the WGBH Science Unit. Larry Klein, Head of Production Group, Inc., will be the Series Executive Producer and Co-PI. Beth Kirsch of WGBH will serve as Director of Educational Print and Outreach, and Mark Olshaker will be series editor and scriptwriter. Ted Sicker, Executive Producer for Interactive Projects/New Media at WGBH Educational Foundation will direct the development and deployment of the on-line components of the project. Barbara Flagg will conduct formative evaluation and Irene Goodman will conduct summative evaluation.
WGBH is producing twenty, new, half-hour programs for the fourth season of "ZOOM." Uniquely for, by and about kids, "ZOOM" gives its viewers a chance to explore, experiment and share their creativity with the world. Targeted at children 8-11 years-old, "ZOOM" features a diverse cast of seven children who build bridges, solve puzzles, play games, respond to challenges and act out stories, as they bring to life contributions sent in by viewers from across the country. "ZOOM" currently is carried by 281 public broadcasting stations and is viewed by an average of 5.22 million children per week. The "ZOOM" website receives 18,000 - 20,000 visits per day with kids averaging 30 minutes per visit. The specific goals for Season IV are to: (1) connect science to kids' every day world and every day lives; (2) promote Habits of Mind and an understanding of the basic science and math within three content areas; (3) expand ZOOM's outreach activities, and (4) increase parental involvement in children's "ZOOM"-related activities. The themes for the new seasons will include "Your Biome," "Kitchen Chemistry," and "Structures." Outreach for the project will include printed materials for kids, families and educators; "ZOOM"-related activities at community-based organizations, shopping malls and science museums; and a 3000-page web site.
"Roman City," fourth in a series of PBS specials based on the acclaimed books of David Macaulay, is an hour-long film that traces the planning, engineering, building and habitation of an ancient Roman city at the height of empire. The program continues the unique Macaulay presentation format of a cinemaquality animated dramatic story juxtaposed with live- action documentary segments, hosted by Mr. Macaulay and filmed at actual sites portrayed in the story. Each film roots its dominant structures and technology firmly within the thought and culture of its historical period. The dual presentation style has enabled the previous Macaulay specials to capture a wide range of viewers from young children all the way up to older adults. "Roman City," as well as the previous award-winning Macaulay specials--"Castle," "Cathedral" and "Pyramid"--is specifically aimed at enhancing the scientific, technical and humanistic understanding of both young people and adults outside of the formal educational environment. All indication from the previous programs suggests that this goal has been widely achieved. There is a natural curiosity about other cultures, about things technical and how they interrelate with human needs and aspirations, and we believe our unique format satisfies that curiosity in an entertaining, informative and educational manner. The ancient Romans achieved breakthroughs in planning and the delivery of those elements deemed necessary for the functioning of an increasingly world. Aqueducts, sewers, roads, bridges, amphitheaters and public buildings, even public lavatories, all speak to the technical mastery of the ancient Romans. And if their social aims were not always as "advanced" as their scientific and technological sophistication, then that, too, provides a modern object lesson on the critical and mutually dependent interrelationship of science and civilization.
This 12-month planning grant will create the foundation for a project based on meaningful, online, game-based learning. Specifically, it will enable the proposer to develop and validate story lines and game characters with middle-school aged children in two summer design institutes. In addition, the proposer will build partnerships with museums and informal learning institutions and develop a plan to work with these partners for the dissemination, promotion, use and evaluation of the future games. Intellectual Merit: The project will develop standards-linked design specifications for play scenarios, game characters and real-world, problem-based activities across STEM domains. These design specifications should be of significant value for future educational game development. Children will serve as "informants" during game design, providing input where most effective. This involvement in the planning process is critical to the success of the games, and should ensure the desired "kid appeal." Broader Impact: The strategy of involving advisory groups of children, including those at-risk, will allow the project to factor in ways to engage audiences underrepresented in the sciences by tailoring characters and activities that ensure broad appeal. In addition, the approach of solving puzzle-like problems embedded in a game's story narrative should appeal to both boys and girls. This project will generate a report for publication on the design process and resulting specifications.
The Franklin Institute Science Museum will develop, install and evaluate "The Franklin Air Show," a 5,000-sq. ft. interactive, permanent exhibition that explores the science and technology of aviation and aeronautics. Taking advantage of nationwide interest in the 100th anniversary of powered flight occurring in 2003, and the institute's collection of Wright Brothers Aeronautical Collection (including a restored 1911 Model B Flyer), "The Franklin Air Show" presents aviation and aeronautical technology as a vehicle for demonstrating basic science principles and the practical application of scientific and technical knowledge through invention, innovation and design. To extend the reach of "The Franklin Air Show," the Institute will disseminate parent and teacher curriculum guides through partnerships with the American Association of Physics Teachers and the Federal Aviation Administration. The exhibit is supported by innovative World Wide Web programming on The Franklin Institute Online, including "Flights if Inspiration" and digitized artifacts from the Wright collection.