The Cornell Science Inquiry Partnerships (CSIP) will involve graduate fellows working with science teachers in grades 7-12 in rural and urban schools in upstate NY. CSIP will have a broad disciplinary base, incorporating fellows from the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Arts and Sciences, and Engineering. Through CSIP, middle school and high school students will be engaged in three types of inquiry: (1) open-ended explorations of unexplained phenomena, (2) highly structured investigations that proceed toward known outcomes and are designed to teach specific concepts or principles, and (3) activities that lead to an understanding of the nature of scientific research, (e.g., the importance of peer review). Fellows also will teach specific concepts related to their research, the students' inquiry projects, and required course content. GK-12 fellows will develop leadership, mentoring, and teaching skills; the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams; and partnerships with faculty, peers, and teachers--all of which will aid them in their research and future employment. Teachers will enhance their ability to guide student researchers and will develop collaborations with universy faculty and community organizations. Through CSIP, university students, faculty, and high school and middle school teachers will develop long-term partnerships, create new approaches to enhance inquiry learning, and update science content taught in secondary schools. An important outcome of CSIP will be that these new instructional materials and models can be disseminated for the benefit of other students and teachers nationwide.
Partner School Districts: Cortland City, Ithaca City, Newark Valley Central, Rochester City, Seneca Falls Central, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES, Whitney Point Central Budget: $1,500,006 (total for 3 years) No of Fellows/year: 10 Graduate Fellows Target Audience: Middle & High School Setting: Urban, Rural Disciplines: Life Sciences, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering
