Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-22T12:20:49.871Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Offering engaging educational programs for K–12 students (ages 5–18): Examples, perspectives, and recommendations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2011

Greta M. Zenner Petersen
Greta M. Zenner Petersen*
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; gmzenner@wisc.edu
Get access

Abstract

Educational outreach efforts for K–12 students, ages 5–18, are becoming increasingly visible, active, and pervasive in the materials science community as a result of funding agency requirements in the United States and gradual institutional attitudinal shifts toward placing a higher emphasis on engaging non-technical audiences. Many scientists recognize it as both an obligation and a pleasure to share their research with young audiences. However, in addition to enthusiasm and funding agency mandates, equally essential to successful educational outreach projects are effective, engaging educational materials and programs. Hands-on demonstrations, classroom lesson plans, summer research internships, and education-oriented laboratory experiments are just a few examples of the wide variety of possibilities from which materials scientist educators can currently choose. This article addresses the process of developing educational outreach activities and programs, including setting goals, establishing partnerships, and planning for and implementing outreach activities for students. Examples from the materials science outreach community are integrated to illustrate implementations of these ideas and to offer ideas for collaborations and future projects.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 36 , Issue 4: Addressing broader impacts through K–12 outreach in materials education , April 2011 , pp. 271 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Lok, C., Nature 465, 416 (2010).Google Scholar
2.Philadelphia Museum of Art, “Dr. Tami Lasseter Clare;” www.philamuseum.org/education/profiles/2008/4.html.Google Scholar
3.The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls; www.gorainbow.org.Google Scholar
4.Boys & Girls Club of America, “Great Futures Start Here;” www.bgca.org.Google Scholar
5.4-H, “Welcome to 4-H;” www.4-h.org.Google Scholar
6.Rotary International/The Rotary Foundation; www.rotary.org.Google Scholar
7.The Resource Foundation, “Empowering Donors to Strengthen Communities;” www.resourcefnd.org.Google Scholar
8.WAYS, “World Association of Young Scientists. Science, Remixed;” http://ways.org.Google Scholar
9.Cosmos Education, “Science Education for a Developing World;” www.cosmoseducation.org/index.shtml.Google Scholar
10.University of Maryland, “University of Maryland MRSEC;” http://mrsec.umd.edu.Google Scholar
11.University of Maryland, “University of Maryland MRSEC—Education: Project Lead the Way;” http://mrsec.umd.edu/Education/PreCollege/PLTW.html.Google Scholar
12.Project Lead the Way, “Project Lead the Way: PLTW;”www.pltw.org.Google Scholar
13.Prasertchoung, S., Hammer, D., presentation and abstract at Fall 2009 MRS Meeting, Boston, MA, 2009, PP6.2.Google Scholar
14.National Research Council, in Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, Bell, P., Lewenstein, B., Shouse, A.W., Feder, M.A., Eds. (The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2009), pp. 4.Google Scholar
15.National Research Council, in Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, Bell, P., Lewenstein, B., Shouse, A.W., Feder, M.A., Eds. (The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2009).Google Scholar
16.National Research Council, National Science Education Standards (The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 1996); www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962.Google Scholar
17.National Research Council, in Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8, Duschl, R.A., Schweingruber, H.A., Shouse, A.W., Eds. (The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2007).Google Scholar
18.ACT, “College Readiness Standards;” www.act.org/standard; www.act.org/standard/planact/science/index.html.Google Scholar
19.MicroExplorers, “Welcome! MicroExplorers;” http://microexplorers.com.Google Scholar
20.Dassler, T., “MicroExplorers Blog;” http://microexplorers.blogspot.com.Google Scholar
21.Institute for Chemical Education, “SciENCountErs;” http://ice.chem.wisc.edu/SciEncounters.html.Google Scholar
22.Sahr, T., Zweil, C., presentation and abstract at the Fall 2007 MRS Meeting, Boston, MA, 2007, W2.1.Google Scholar
23.WGBH Boston and the National Academy of Engineering, “Engineer Your Life—Homepage;” www.engineeryourlife.org.Google Scholar
24.Hademenos, G., Heires, N., Young, R., Sci. Teach. 27 (February, 2004).Google Scholar
25.Lincoln, F., Beller, C., Sci. Scope 28 (September, 2004).Google Scholar
26.Spycher, P., Elem. Sch. J. 109 (4), 21 (2009).Google Scholar
27.National Science Foundation, “Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM);” www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=5439&;ods_key=nsf09518.Google Scholar
28.National Research Council, National Science Education Standards (National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1996); www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962.Google Scholar
29.National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, “Standards Overview,” http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=4294967312.Google Scholar
30.American Association for the Advancement of Science, Atlas of Scientific Literacy, Volumes 1, 2 (Project 2061, AAAS, Washington, DC, 2001, 2007); www.project2061.org/publications/atlas/default.htm.Google Scholar
31.Ozmen, H., Kenan, O., Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching 8 (1), 1 (2007).Google Scholar
32.Samarapungavan, A., Nakhleh, M.B., J. Res. Sci. Teach. 36 (7), 777 (1999).Google Scholar
33.Vos, W.D., Verdonk, A.H., J. Res. Sci. Teach. 33 (6), 657 (1996).Google Scholar
34.Talanquer, V., Int. J. Sci. Educ. 31 (15), 2123 (2009).Google Scholar
35.AAAS Atlas of Scientific Literacy, Volume 2, “The Designed World: Materials Science” (American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC), pp. 55.Google Scholar