stem @ micds

STEM @ MICDS
An Integrated Approach
Jeffrey Gaw, PhD
jgaw@micds.org
Mary Institute and Country Day School
101 North Warson Rd
St. Louis, MO 63124
Takes a TEAM to develop
• Robert Shaw and Amy Scheer
• Science and Math Department Leaders
• Elizabeth Helfant
• Curriculum and Pedagogical Leader (and active member of both Science 9 and 10)
• Science 9
• Michael Black, Brian Coco, Jeff Gaw, Gary Kamper, and Justin Little
• Science 10
• Elizabeth Bergman, Laura Bradford, Katrina Brandis, Emma Ruhmann, and Sarah
Tolch
Skills of the TEAM
• PhDs in science
• Masters in science
• Masters in education
• Scientists from industry
• Programmers from industry
• Teachers at high school and college level
• Teachers of AP Chem, AP Bio, and AP Physics
New Building = New Curriculum
• In 2010 MICDS began the process of designing a new building to
house the science and math departments
• As the new building took shape, it spurred a natural evaluation and
re-design of the of the math and science curriculums
• With guiding from the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and
the Common Core for Mathematics, our science based STEM
curriculum began to take shape
• We are on our second year of STEM for 9th graders and our first year of STEM
for 10th graders
STEM Building
STEM Building
How are we defining STEM?
• Interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of modern science using
the skills of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
• Characteristics of STEM classes
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Interactive
Highly integrated
Hands-on learning
Forward focus
• Actively use the laptop computer that each student carries to class
and home
STEM @ MICDS
• Science and Math are still taught as two classes
• STEM is a shared approach and value system
• Math classes are still responsible for building the mathematical foundation
• They apply their lessons in various science, technology, and engineering domains
• Math classes can run “science” experiments to collect and analyze data
• Science classes are still responsible for building the scientific foundation
• They build their lessons using various technology, engineering, and mathematics
domains
• Science classes can write computer programs to collect data and use statistics to analyze
Daily Schedule
• The MICDS Upper School class schedule is a hybrid block schedule
• Rotating 6 day cycle
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Meet 4 out of 6 days
Class meets for two 45 minute sessions and two 90 minute sessions during each cycle
Class lengths are ordered: 45-90-45-90
On the 45 minute days, all classes meet
Backward Focus
• The typical course of study for high school science begins in the
distant past
• Democritus (460 BC) often gets credited with the concept of the atom
• Newton (1647-1727) gets credit for developing The Calculus, the Universal
Law of Gravitation, Newton’s Three Laws (Equations of Motion)
• Boyle (1662) introduces Boyle’s Law (Gas)
• Priestley (1774) isolates oxygen
• Lavoisier (1789) introduces the Law of Conservation of Mass
• Proust (1799) and Dalton (1801) independently introduce the Law of Portions
• Avogadro (1811) introduces his law
• More Gas Laws, lots of thermodynamics, lots of wonderful German Chemists,
…. all before 1900
• Undoubtedly, your favorite discovery or person may be missing …
Backward Focus
• All male
• Euro-centric
• Not a very diverse bunch
• The discoveries themselves are not particularly interesting
• The stories surrounding these discoveries are sometimes very interesting and
can grab the attention of today’s students
Forward Focus
• Our goal is to teach the essential science using a focus/lens that uses the
experiments and issues of today
• For example
• We begin the year looking at the Big Bang which brings up questions of size and scale
• Investigating large things – while still hard to grasp – is somewhat possible to
visualize
• Investigating small things is somewhat more problematic
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We used this summer’s water contamination issues in Ohio as a lens
We learned about the various contaminates (ions and molecules)
We learned about dilution and concentration (ppm, ppb) and did some experiments
Applied this our region …
• Could we have run off issues similar to those in Ohio?
• What are our region’s rules concerning concentration of contaminates?
• What are the Federal rules?
• We wrapped it up with a Water Filter Challenge … Given a limited collection of items, could
the student design, build, test, redesign, build, retest a water filter to remove a selection of
contaminates?
• This is also an example of the Engineering part of STEM
STEM @ MICDS
• Within the Science Department
• Science 9: Chemical and Physical Systems
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9th grade required class
Split into math intensive and general sections
Year long course
Approaches topics from a chemistry and physics point of view
Currently delivering our second year of the curriculum
• Science 10: Bio-Chemistry Applications
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10th grade required class
Split into math intensive and general sections
Year long course
Approaches topics from a chemistry and biology point of view
Currently delivering our first year of the curriculum
STEM @ MICDS
• 11th grade
• Environmental Science or an AP Science (one or the other is required)
• AP Chem, AP Biology, or AP Environmental Science
• We offer AP Physics C (both Mechanics and E&M) but due to the calculus requirement of the
course it is usually taken by seniors
• Our Environmental Science course is a year long course
• Math Intensive students generally take an AP science so Environmental Science is not
split into Math Intensive and general sections
• We offer a variety of electives to complete a student’s science education
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Electronics and Robotics
Kinesiology
Forensics
Anatomy and Physiology
Botany
Neuroscience
Marine Biology
Science 9 – Course Topics
• Energy is a unifying theme throughout the year. The current topics in
Science 9 are:
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The Big Bang
Energy
Fundamental Particles
Nuclear Chemistry
Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure
Bonding in Molecules
Reactions of Molecules
Electrons in Motion
Arduinos
Force and Motion
• This year, we will be weaving some mini-units in learning to write computer
code during some early topics.
Science 10 – Course Topics
• Orbital Hybridization
• Structure and Properties of Molecules
• Kinetic Molecular Theory
• Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry
• Enthalpy of Reactions
• Metabolism
• Cell Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Evolutionary Theory
• Biodiversity
Science 9 – More details
• Summer reading
• Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything”,
Chapters 1-15
• Weaves a narrative around the important discoveries in science
– makes the scientists interesting people
• Re-appears for Science 10 summer reading
• Like Bill Bryson’s book, we begin Science 9 with the Big
Bang
• Unfortunately, there is not a lot of ready-to-use material for 9th
graders on the Big Bang
• This is true for much of what we do in Science 9
• We use what we can and create the rest
Science 9
• We have no textbook
• We use videos and simulations (such as those from PhET)
• We’ve used bits from the Big History Project on the Big Bang
• We create PowerPoint presentations that contain the important
information
• Serves as the reference for the students
• Creating these presentations can take a lot of time and is often information dense
• We create a variety of homework assignments
• Some homework serves as practice (number crunching)
• Some homework extends the topics discussed in class by requiring students to watch
videos and blog about what they have viewed and learned
• Some homework re-enforces concepts from class by having them use different
computer applications and tools
Science 9 - Topics
• Many of the topics are self-explanatory, however, a few will need some
details
• Fundamental Particles
• Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure
• Arduinos
• Fundamental Particles
• Our unit on Fundamental Particles flows naturally from our discussion of the Big
Bang and the experiments carried out at High Energy Physics Labs around the world.
• This is an example of what I am calling Forward Focus … this is the type of physical
science our students will read about “in the newspaper”.
• Focus on how science uses indirect measurement to obtain information
• Teaches the standard model – students learn about quarks, leptons, and force
carriers (bosons). They learn about combination particles.
• They learn how the experiments of today address concerns of the standard model.
Science 9: Fundamental Particles
• Expectations are kept in check with the
age group
• Don’t teach Feynman Diagrams!
• Let’s the kids see that scientists are still
trying to figure out the answers
• Last year we created Comic Life stories of
various fundamental particles
• We had plush toys from The Particle Zoo
representing the particles and each student
selected a particle to study in depth
• Students researched the background of the
scientists who discovered their particle, the
experiments that proved the existence of
their particle, and the basic properties of
their particle
• They devised a “Super Hero” story for their
particle and photo-shopped their particle
onto images and wove an interesting story.
Science 9: Quantum Theory and Atomic Structure
• If 9th graders are given any information on quantum
theory, it is often over simplified and provided as a
series of results
• We approached it differently …
• We imagined that this was our student’s only chance to learn
quantum theory. What do they need to know?
• What are the Big Ideas of Quantum Theory?
• Wave particle duality
• Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle
• Probability and the wavefunction
• What were the important experiments?
• Young’s double slit experiment (with light and electrons)
• Einstein’s photoelectric effect
• We studied atomic structure and the periodic table
• Used Odyssey to make the abstract nature of atomic
orbitals more concrete
• Students can rotate and manipulate the orbitals
Science 9: Arduinos
• The topic Electrons in Motion leads to a discussion about
electricity and simple circuits which naturally leads to our
Arduino unit.
• An Arduino is simple microcontroller board onto which a variety
of sensors and devices may be wired and controlled.
• It is coupled with an integrated development environment (IDE)
for writing the software that controls the board itself.
• Students need to write the code in a C++ like IDE
• Last year, we found that the students relied to much on teachers and
our IT department to write their code, so we are introducing code
writing earlier in the year.
• The project the students were given was very open ended ...
sense some data from the environment and do something with
that information.
• The picture on the middle right is a circuit with a temperature sensor
that flashes a red light if the temperature gets above a specific level.
• It was built by two girls who had never written any code or built a circuit.
• The picture on the bottom right is a circuit with a light dependent
resistor. The project was an “auto attendance” circuit built to count
students entering a room.
• It was built by two boys who got very excited by the project.
Science 9: Arduinos
• The Arduino project was a major engineering
project
• Writing computer code was new for most of the
students
• We taught them the basics, but it was hard for
many of them
• Students relied on using examples from the Internet
or having teachers or the IT department write their
code for them
• To counter this, we are teaching coding earlier
• Using Snap! from UC Berkeley (snap.berkeley.edu)
to teach coding logic
• Then we will use a web based system (still under
discussion) to teach the syntax of coding in Python
Science 9 – Connect with a Young Scientist
• Last year, we had one section experiment with Skyping with a
graduate student at a research university.
• The students asked questions of the graduate student they didn’t feel
comfortable asking the teacher.
• When the students asked a question that the graduate student did
not know the answer, the students seemed to like hearing “I don’t
know. Let’s see how we might figure that out.”
• We’d like to find a way to continue this with more students.
Science 9 – Some of the tools we use
• Web Assign
• For delivery of numeric based practice
• Randomizes numeric variables – focuses collaboration on the process to
solving problems not the solution
• Problems allow multiple solution attempts
• Display numeric answer and re-randomize numbers after two solution
attempts
• We write our own problems so that the experience is tailored to the course
content
Science 9 - Tools
• Odyssey from Wavefunction Inc ( www.wavefun.com )
• Software application that uses scientifically sound molecular simulations to
teach basic introductory chemistry
Run simulation
Science 9 - Tools
• Google +
• Each class is a community within Goggle+ and blogging is done using Google’s
blogging tools
• www.blogger.com
Science 9 - Tools
• Algodoo (www.algodoo.com)
• Algodoo is a interactive physics
playground.
• It is easy to learn to use.
• We’ve used it as a means to illustrate
energy transfers.
• Last year we had students make a
virtual Rube Goldberg machine in
Algodoo
• Last year, some students had issues
with Algodoo crashing on their
computers after they had built (but
forgot to save) a simulation
• Most students got into creating
wonderfully complex systems,
however, some students found it
difficult to use
Science 9 - Upcoming
• This year we are adding in a new dimension onto our Arduino unit
• We will be launching a Stratostar weather balloon carrying some of
our Arduino projects as payload
• The balloon should get to a height between 60,000 ft and 100,000 ft before
bursting and slowing falling back to earth with the aid of a parachute
• This will add another layer of engineering to the Arduino unit as the payload
will need to be protected
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Loads of testing before the launch
Loads of analyzing after the event
The launch will be coupled with various activities going on in math classes
Hope to connect with a college using Arduinos as part of their course work so that the
students can see the potential of their work
Summary
• Using science topics from what is happening
today in science creates a more interesting
curriculum.
• The magazines at right (Science News and
Chemical and Engineering News are two that I
read)
• 9th graders can successfully learn and
understand more than you think!
• A successful STEM program can have students
leaving a year of study more excited about
science than when they started.
Contact email: jgaw@micds.org
Stlinstl.org