In this Phase I/II application, we describe a comprehensive plan for the development and dissemination of unique, interdisciplinary educational materials on infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDs, for middle school audiences. The proposed MicroMatters project involves major scientific and educational partnerships at national and local levels during all phases. Project activities will reach more than 36,000 students in grades 5-8 and their teachers. The project aims to increase understanding by middle school students, their teachers and their families of infectious diseases, biomedical research, healthy lifestyle choices, risk factors for disease, and the everyday relevance of science; stimulate middle school students' interest and awareness of science/health careers; and promote science/health teaching and learning through guided inquiry. The MicroMatters project will: (1) Develop a new interdisciplinary model for middle school science and health instruction that includes life science, personal health, career awareness and the assumption of responsibility for one's own actions; (2) Create, evaluate, revise and publish three units of teaching materials (Infection and Disease; HIV/AIDS - A Modem Pandemic; Diseases in the Global Age); (3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the new units with diverse populations of teachers and students; (4) Promote adoption and use of the new materials by teachers, schools and parents through dissemination and sustained teacher professional development at each of 10 partner dissemination sites; (5) Provide ongoing user support and direct opportunities for teachers to interact with one another, other educators and scientists through face-to-face and asynchronous electronic pathways; (6) Evaluate the effectiveness of the dissemination model in promoting ongoing use of the materials in classrooms by teachers and students. MicroMatters will capitalize on ten years of experience at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in the creation and dissemination of interdisciplinary, standards-aligned science educational materials for elementary and middle school students. Successful Baylor-created materials include BrainLink and My Health My World. Both are now published and distributed nationally. Proposed project partners include: Baylor's Center for AIDS Research; Centers for AIDS Research National Executive Committee; American Physiological Society; Carolina Biological Supply Company; Texas Rural Systemic Initiative; Houston Independent School District; and partnerships led by Centers for AIDS Research at Case Western Reserve University, Emory University, New York University, Northwestern University/University of Wisconsin/Chicago Public Schools, Tufts/Brown Universities, University of Alabama-Birmingham; University of California-San Diego, and University of Washington.
| Moreno, Nancy P; Erdmann, Deanne B (2010) SPORE: Science Prize for Online Resources in Education. Addressing science teacher needs. Science 327:1589-90 |
