The Science Behind Our Food Program is improving achievement, comprehension and mastery of scientific concepts by middle and high school students. The program provides inquiry-based education in biology and chemistry by focusing on the application of these disciplines to solve real-world problems centered on the theme of science behind our food. The program creates a science community that includes graduate teaching fellows, science teachers, and University of Georgia (UGA) faculty. Research and teaching expertise is shared among the members of the group in a collaborative style. Teachers and fellows identify science concepts that students find difficult to grasp and/or that are inaccessible given the current resources. Through the use of a resource called Lessons In A Trunk, lesson plans and materials needed to conduct demonstrations and/or student-centered experiments are being created and used in classrooms. Weekend Discovery Kits contain resources for students to conduct experiments at home with family members. Thematic focus of lessons and kits are tied to food-related research being conducted by faculty on the UGA campuses. Through press releases, newsletters, and monthly videoconferencing, this community of scientists is introduced to the individual students. Videographic examples provide virtual field trips allowing students to visit these scientists' facilities. In all activities, fellows provide on-site support and expertise in collaboration with teachers' needs, including alignment to the State of Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum (QCC). All components of the grant-supported activities are created as resources for the broadest possible dissemination during and after the project, and are being designed for maximum sustainability. The specific lesson plans and newsletter content are being added to materials already available at www.uga.edu/discover/educators. Participating teachers are conducting in-service training for fellow teachers and are conducting workshops at state and national science teacher association meetings. Lessons In A Trunk and Weekend Discovery Kits are being maintained and expanded by science-based student clubs at the University of Georgia that charge a minimal fee for their services. Coordination of the "replenishment" program, continued newsletters, and web site maintenance, are the responsibility of a permanent graduate assistant who is currently a part of our program. The broader impacts of these activities accrue to a variety of beneficiaries. Science teachers are obtaining further expertise in the disciplines they teach and obtaining additional materials and lesson plans for inquiry-based instruction. Science faculty are obtaining enhanced teaching skills for classroom use, as well as enhanced communication skills to provide the general public with information about science. Teaching fellows are leaving the university with a set of science, teaching, and communication skills generally not found in graduates of a science program in a research institution.
Title: The Science Behind our Food Institution: University of Georgia PI/Co-PI: David knauft, Joseph Oliver, Wayne parrott, Andrew Paterson Partner School Districts: Ogelthorpe County, Tift County Public, Walton County, Turner County Funding: $1,449,117 Number of fellows/year: 10 graduate Setting: Urban, Suburban, Rural Target audience: middle-high school NSF supported disciplines involved: Biology
