Science education.

Chair: William J, Sumrall, University of Mississippi 

Vice-chair: Todd Adam, J. L. Scott Marine Education Center

THURSDAY MORNING

Meeting Room 5

8:00 A REVIEW OF THE 2005 J.L. SCOTT MARINE EDUCATION CENTER AND AQUARIUM'S (MEC & A) GEAR-UP MISSISSIPPI ISLAND ECOLOGY CAMP

Sam Clardy* and Chris Snyder, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A), Ocean Springs, MS 39566

The purpose of the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium's Gear-Up Mississippi Island Ecology Camp was to expose selected high school students to a variety of marine careers and environments. Participants lived on a remote houseboat off of the Chandeleur Islands and spent the days and evenings collecting specimens, exploring a variety of coastal habitats, fishing, and documenting their experiences on a variety of media. PowerPoint presentations were developed by the participants and specimen collections were identified and labeled for them to share with their classmates. All involved with this program came back with a better awareness and understanding of marine environments which will help them with future career choices and decisions regarding these precious resources.

8:15 J.L. SCOTT MARINE EDUCATION CENTER AND AQUARIUM'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: POST-HURRICANE KATRINA

Shelia A. Brown* and Sharon H. Walker, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A), Ocean Springs, MS 39566

The J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A) was directly in the path of Hurricane Katrina. The facility, exhibits, and most of the contents were a total loss. An interim facility is now operating as the MEC & A at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) in Ocean Springs, MS. The continuation of the Project Marine Discovery Program (PMD) Educational Series, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: Central Gulf of Mexico (COSEE: CGOM) Teacher/Scientist Summer Institutes, and teacher workshops will operate form the former Director's Residence, modular classrooms, and natural habitats surrounding the GCRL campus. Teachers can now register their students (K-12) for the high quality PMD formal and informal educational programs. Applications are being accepted for teacher institutes and workshop opportunities sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Mississippi's Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration.

8:30 WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BEACH?

Chris Snyder (1) and Tom Wissing (2), (1) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, MS, 39530, and (2) Naval Oceanographic Office, Oceanographic Department, Data Division

The purpose of this project is to introduce middle school students to basic information on coastal morphology, shoreline erosion and accretion, barrier island movement trends, and long shore transport trends. The concepts will be built into an activity on shoreline dynamics and coastal processes. Students will determine the best method of monitoring shorelines and coastal shoreline dynamics. The activity will also increase their understanding of the responses of the shoreline to human interaction and natural sea-level changes. Students will use GPS technology and land surveying techniques to monitor shoreline changes. All data collected during the activity will be entered into an interactive database maintained at the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium.

8:45 THE TOP 10 INVASIVE PLANTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 

Michael Carley, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A), Ocean Springs, MS 39566

The purpose of this project is to educate the public about invasive plant species which have established populations or which are establishing populations in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. Information from a variety of resources has been used to develop descriptive language delineating the location, native range, introduction history, species description, impacts, and status of the "Top 10" aquatic or wetland invasive species of the region. Through funds from the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), the species information has been used to develop a photographic, full color educational pamphlet and poster to be reproduced and disseminated at areas of public access to coastal waterways.

9:00 Break

9:15 THE PRODUCTION OF TWO VIDEOS, THE MICROSCOPE AND PLANTS AND ANIMAL CELLS, FOR BIOLOGY STUDENTS OF MISSISIPPI GULF COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Christopher Livingston*, Julie Parker*, and Doug Mansfield, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS 39533 and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522

The purpose of this project was to produce two educational videos for the Biology students at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jackson County Campus. The videos were developed to replace older versions with more dynamic presentations of information. The Microscope and Plant and Animal Cells were the titles of the two new videos. After viewing the older versions of the videos for ideas on modification and improvement, research was gathered on the topics of study to develop new storyboards. All parts of the microscope and their functions, information on care and proper use of the microscope, cell parts, and their functions, and difference between plant and animal cells became significant components of the storyboards. Extensive editing allowed for the production of the final videos now used at the community college.

9:30 DEVELOPING A DATABASE OF TEACHER CONTACTS TO AIDE IN MARKETING EFFORTS FOR THE J.L. SCOTT MARINE EDUCATION CENTER AND AQUARIUM'S (MEC & A) PROJECT MARINE DISCOVERY (PMD) PROGRAMS

Deeneaus Polk (1*) and Sam Clardy (2), (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS 39533, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522, and (2) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A), Ocean Springs, MS 39566

The purpose of this project was to develop a database of teacher contact information from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and the Florida panhandle region which allowed the MEC & A to market their PMD programs more effectively and in an environmentally friendly manner. Extensive Internet searches were conducted and new contacts were established, with each state Department of Education, to aide in expanding the database. The database was utilized to market PMD programs for the spring semester of the 2005-2006 academic year which resulted in a significant increase in program reservations. The database is presently maintained by the MEC & A educational staff and will be utilized for future marketing endeavors.

9:45 CREATING A DIGITAL IMAGE AND VIDEO DATABASE FOR THE J.L. SCOTT MARINE EDUCATION CENTER AND AQUARIUM

Katelin Weimer (1*) and Chris Snyder (2), (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS 39533, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522, and (2) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Ocean Springs, MS 39566

This project was designed to create a database for storage and use of electronic images and digital video footage gathered by the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium. Scott Aquarium has collected over 1,000 new digital images in the past 12 months and is presently producing 100-300 new images per month. These images need to be stored in such a way that they could be easily accessed and are protected so that in the event of technological failure, the images are not lost. The database was designed to be searched by subject matter and date.

10:00 DEVELOPMENT OF A STATIC EDUCATIONAL SNAKE PHOTOGRAPHIC DISPLAY FOR J.L. SCOTT MARINE EDUCATION CENTER AND AQUARIUM'S INTERIM FACILITY

Melissa Britt (1*), Nicole Calvert (1*), Binnaz Bradley (2) and Michael Carley (2), (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS 39533, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522 and (2) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A), Ocean Springs MS 39566

The purpose of the project was to design a static display and develop curricular materials to support the display for a new modular classroom of the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium's interim facility in Ocean Springs, MS. Using photographs of venomous and non-venomous snakes of Mississippi as the focal point, research on each species of snake was performed. Facts on biology, ecology, and natural history of the snakes were utilized to develop curricular materials for the Project Marine Discovery Program Series. Review questions, vocabulary terms, puzzles and word searches were developed as evaluation instruments. Goals, learning objectives and benefits of the Snake Photo Display were designed as teaching tools to enhance content knowledge of students K-12. Curricular materials were aligned with State and National Science Education Standards.

10:15 Break

10:30 COSTUME DESIGNS FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Vanessa Key (1*) and Shelia A. Brown (2), (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS 39533, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522, and (2) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A) Ocean Springs MS 39566

Costumes were designed of marine and aquatic invasive and noninvasive species. The organisms chosen were species used in educational programs of the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium's Project Marine Discovery Program (PMD) Series. Emphasis in design was placed on anatomical and adaptation characteristics of each species. Two types of costumes were constructed, sturdy fabric designs for the PMD educators to use during instructional programs and paper templates for students to create their own costumes. Curricular materials were developed to support the educational goals associated with costumes as instructional tools. Learning objectives, descriptions of the organisms, their biology and adaptations were included in the lesson plans. The learning objectives were aligned with State and National Science Educational Standards.

10:45 EXPOSURE OF AN ARTIST AND HIS WORK THROUGH FILM

Kyle B. Bellinger (1*), Patrick Shannon (1*), and Patricia Pinson (2). (1) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, MS 39533, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stennis Space Center, MS 39522, and (2) Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

The Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) has, in recent months, especially after Hurricane Katrina, experienced fewer visitors. For the purposes of public exposure and education, a film was made using slides of Walter Anderson's work and vignettes of an actor portraying the artist. The film was sent to local schools and colleges, as well as the Public Broadcast Station of Mississippi. A copy of the film was also kept by WAMA for presentations at the museum.

11:00 PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' PERCEPTION OF THE PARTICULATE NATURE OF MATTER

Kelle Curry and William Sumrall*, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

The study consisted of approximately 180 undergraduate elementary teacher education candidates at the University of Mississippi. The instruments used in this study consisted of the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (Lawson, 2002) and The Nature of Matter Inventory Rubric. The Nature of Matter Inventory Rubric was developed from a compilation of data gathered through a Nature of Matter Inventory that underwent a five category analysis. The researchers administered a pre-test to determine prior know ledge in relation to the particulate nature of matter and levels of scientific reasoning. Six teacher demonstration activities, i.e., three demonstrating Boyle's Law and three demonstrating Charles's Law were administered. A posttest determining if there were increases in levels of understanding the particulate nature of matter was conducted at the end of the study. Data analysis suggests that while levels of understanding improved after multiple demonstrations were conducted a significant relationship between Level of Scientific Reasoning and levels of understanding before or after the demonstrations did not exist.

11:15 MATH ACROSS THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM

William Sumrall*, Kelle Curry, and LeAnn Carter, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

Eighteen teachers from critical needs area schools participated in a workshop June 1-28, 2005 at the University of Mississippi. The workshop consisted of a four week program where teachers received training from technology, science and math education professors in the optimal ways to integrate math, science, and social studies curricula. The teachers were involved daily in inquiry based math, science, technology and social studies projects. Instructors provided technological training involving computer spreadsheet/graphing applications and software (i.e., Inspiration) created concept maps. The participants were also required to attend two one-day workshops in the fall and spring. During the course of the year, each teacher participant is expected to integrate the training they acquired in the workshop into their classroom. Criteria specific lesson plans, pre/post concept maps and pre/post tests are project requirements for teacher participants. Data from 2004/2005 and preliminary data from 2005/2006 will be disseminated. This grant was funded by the Mississippi Institution of Higher Learning through the No Child Left Behind: Improving Teacher Quality Grant Professional Development Program-U.S. Department of Education.

11:30 Divisional Business Meeting

THURSDAY AFTERNOON

Meeting Room 5

1:30 OCEAN LITERACY: THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPALS AND FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF OCEAN SCIENCES GUIDE

Shelia A. Brown* and Sharon H. Walker, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory's J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MEC & A), Ocean Springs, MS 39566

Ocean literacy is the basic understanding of the ocean's impact on people and how they influence the ocean. Ocean-literate people understand principals and fundamental concepts about how the ocean functions, can communicate about the ocean in meaningful ways, and are able to make responsible and informed decisions about the ocean and its resources. A guide developed through a community-wide consensus-building process includes essential principals and concepts of ocean sciences. Over 100 members of the ocean sciences and education communities were involved with the production of the guide with major participants being the National Geographic Society's Ocean Life Initiative, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers of Ocean Sciences Education Excellence, and National Marine Educators Association. Although many concepts and principals of ocean sciences do not neatly fall within a particular discipline, the guide has aligned the principals and concepts to National Science Education Standards (NSES) for K-12.

1:45 LIVING DINOSAURS! THE RECLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS AS THEROPOD DINOSAURS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXCITE STUDENTS AND EXPLAIN CLASSIFICATION THROUGH CLADISTICS.

John D. Davis, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Jackson MS 39202

Fascination with dinosaurs can be used to introduce students to cladistic methods of classification by demonstrating how all birds have been shown to be living theropod dinosaurs closely related to the "raptors" of popular fiction! 19th century suggestions that birds are closely related to dinosaurs were revived by John Ostrom's 1969 study of Deinonychus. More that 100 correspondences have been found for such dinosaurs and bird anatomy! An astonishing array of "feathered fossils" from the early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China show that feathers appeared before flight in unequivocal dinosaurs and that all birds are dinosaurs. Feathered dinosaurs include the Tyrannosaurs! Exciting images are available for such "birdish" forms as the "feather tailed" Caudipteryx zoui, the "four winged" Microraptor gui, and the first beaked "bird," Confuciusornis sanctus. Intrigued students can be introduced to the taxonomic approach called cladistics, literally "the study of branching." This is the grouping of organisms by relative recency of common ancestry. Branching diagrams are constructed using the features which seem most recently derived rather than those common to all members of larger groups. A group of organisms all descended from a common ancestor of the group forms a clade. It is a thrilling thought that predatory dinosaurs and the birds in your feeder are members of the same clade!

2:00 A METHOD TO ENHANCE THE ANALYTICAL WRITING SECTION ON THE GRADUATE RECORD EXAM

Carolyn Beck*, Susan Bourland, and Marilyn Ellzey, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

In recent years the Graduate Record Exam has added a writing component to the general test. This section, called Analytical Writing, strives to supply graduate admissions committees with information about the writing ability of applicants for graduate school. Writing is a critical skill for graduate students at a time when writing skills are declining nationally. The purpose of this study was to determine if students preparing for the GRE could improve Analytical Writing scores. For the past 3 summers students in the McNair Scholars Program have been exposed to a variety of methods to enhance writing performance. The suthors report on a method found to improve the scores of students through the use of a writing template developed over the three year period for each of the two types of essays required on the exam. Thorough teaching of the template method together with Kaplan Preparation Srategies has enabled students to increase writing scores so that the majority now perform above the national mean. Improvement was measured using both the online Score It Now! program (ETS) and actual writing scores from the GRE exam. We have determined that students can increase scores on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE.

2:15 ENCOURAGING SCIENTIFIC LITERACY THROUGH THE USE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE 

Susan Bender (1*), Jammy Hemphill (2), Ben Lundy (2), Cindy Cook (3), and R.W. Rockhold (4), (1) Jim Hill High School, Jackson, MS 38204, (2) Forest Hill High School, Jackson, MS 39212, (3) Murrah High School, Jackson, MS 39202, and (4) University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216

Students enrolled in honors and advanced science classes in the Jackson Public School District have been provided with forensic based novels purchased as a part of the Base Pair, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grant and The University of Mississippi Medical Center. The novels include books by Richard Preston, Mary Manhein, Patricia Cornwell, Robin Cook, and Hugh Miller. There are four high schools currently participating in this literacy component, and 277 students have been provided books. Of the 277 students involved in the project, 95% or 263 students have completed all of the required assignments and portfolios that accompany the assigned books. This course and the infused novels and the activities that stem from them provide an opportunity for teachers to capture the students enthusiasm generated from all of the popular crime scene dramas that now saturate the air waves. The lead teachers allow students an opportunity to experience the techniques used by scientists and law enforcement professionals and point some on the path to a successful career in science or criminal justice.

2:30 Break

2:45 INTRODUCTION OF THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF MICROORGANISMS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS

Ashley Nicole Lee*, Mary Lux, and Margot Hall, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Our society tends to focus only on the pathogenic aspects of microorganisms. We sometimes forget about the many and diverse beneficial roles that microorganisms play in human health. A presentation was developed to emphasize the beneficial uses of microorganisms for several common clinical conditions. This is known as probiotic therapy. Probiotic therapy is the use of live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts to confer a beneficial health effect on the host. The inclusion of probiotics in microbiology courses is one of the many ways to balance the students' perceptions of the positive functions that microorganisms perform to promote human health. Students from 4 diverse classes were given a pretest to evaluate their knowledge of probiotics. The students who participated were enrolled in the following courses: 2 sections BIO 2924, a community college microbiology course with a majority of the students pursing a health-related profession; 1 section of CHS 622, a graduate epidemiology course with a majority of students pursing a MPH degree; 1 section of UNV 101, a general orientation course limited to first year university students. The total number of student participants was 54. The average score on the pretest was 44%. Following the probiotics presentation, the average score was 95%. Students from a variety of backgrounds demonstrated an enhanced knowledge of probiotics following presentation.

3:00 DO STUDENTS WHO EARN THE GRADE OF "A" IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE MICROBIOLOGY COURSE HAVE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES FROM CLASSMATES WHO EARN LOWER GRADES?

Mary Lux, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

In a limited study of community college students, differences in self-reported learning styles had little effect on the course outcome for students whom completed the microbiology course. The sixty-eight students who participated in the study were enrolled in Microbiology at the Forrest County Center of Pearl River Community College. The students completed a short survey, Learning Styles, developed by Colin Rose and available at www.chaminade.org/inspire.learnstl.htm. The test items were designed to indicate a preference for learning style in three categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile. The high score for any category is 9. The mean scores for all students were visual, 4.18; auditory, 2.16; and kinesthetic/tactile, 2.68. The mean scores for students who earned a grade of A in the course (n = 23) were visual, 4.00; auditory, 2.26; and kinesthetic/tactile, 2.70. The mean scores for students who earned a grade of B or C in the course (n = 42) were visual, 4.24; auditory, 2.11; and kinesthetic/tactile, 2.88. The data suggest that 1) most successful students were visual learners, and 2) the visual learning style was not a differentiating factor among students who had an excellent, good, or average performance in the course.

3:15 MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS' PERFORMANCE IN FIVE SCIENCE COURSES DESIGNED TO TEACH CONTENT

Meheri Fadavi*, and Abu Khan, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

Five science courses were offered to middle school science teachers from schools in central Mississippi. These courses were Physics & Astronomy, Geology, Biology, Meteorology and Chemistry. They were arranged through project MAST (Mississippi Academy of Science Teaching) at Jackson State University. Project MAST was funded by a grant from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE). The content of these courses was designed with due attention to the requirements of middle school students' learning goals and objectives as defined by MDE. The strategy for delivering instruction was to teach the essentials of theory through activities. Materials used for these activities were chosen to be inexpensive and readily available. Modern technologies for measurements using sophisticated instrumentation were also introduced. The effectiveness of these courses was measured by comparing scores of a pre- and a post-test taken by the participants. Average pre-test scores in all subjects were less than 60%, with a minimum of 25% in Chemistry and a maximum of 59% in Biology. Comparisons were also made between pre- and post-test scores of all participants in all subjects taken together, for each subject separately, and for a subset of participants who have taken all of the topics offered. It was found that, on the average, participants' understanding of the content significantly improved (p<.05) after taking these courses. This was found to be the case for all courses taken together, for courses separately, and for participants who took all of the offered topics. Of special note is the fact that participants had difficulty with the mathematics necessary for success in the study of physics. The most improvement was observed in Geology, and the least in Physics & Astronomy.

3:30 TEACHER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, EMPHASIZING TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION, FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS

Babu Patlolla (1*), Noland Boyd (1), Theophilus Danzy (1), Josephine Posey (1), Latronda Veals Gayton (1), Pamela Davis (3), and Tracy Banks (4), (1) Alcorn State University, Alcorn State, MS 39096, (2) William Winans Middle School, Centerville, MS 39631, (3) Alexander Junior High School, Brookhaven, MS 39601, and (4) Warren Central Intermediate, Vicksburg, MS 39182

Alcorn State University hosted a four week workshop for twenty in service math and science teachers from the surrounding school districts from June 1-28, 2005. Another high school teacher was appointed as a 'Master teacher' to serve as a mentor instructor in the program. Activities included technology integration (using PDA, graphing calculator, and software), molecular biology techniques (DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and PCR), chemistry (atomic structure, measurements, and organic chemistry), and mathematics (algebra equations, conversions, and solving equations). Additionally participants took field trips to Gulf coast research lab and Aquarium in Biloxi, Natural Science Museum in Jackson and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station at Crystal Springs. Two follow-up sessions will take place in the next academic year to discuss the implementation of the learned material at their local schools. Each participant was given a PDA, graphing calculator, 512 MB flash drive, and SD card to take back to their school and use in their teaching. Participants enjoyed the workshop and are excited to share their new knowledge with their colleagues and students. (This project was funded by Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning through No Child Left Behind: Improving Teacher Quality Grant Professional Development Program # 2005-91E.)

3:45 MICROSOFT EXCEL SPREAD SHEET AS A GRADE BOOK

Mudlagiri Goli, Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Bena, MS 38941

The Grading is an essential part of teaching process. The teacher has no choice but has to do it. To accomplish that we need a recording mechanism that we call it as Grade Book. To get a better gauge on the student's performance, we put all the pertinent information in the grade book. For example, tests, quizzes, home works, assignments, class room participation, attendance to name few of those activities. There are two types of Grade Books that are still circulating on many campuses. The one is old style of hard copy of a book that the teacher can enter the information in and at the end of the semester he/she can manually tabulate all the information and give the grade. The other is computerized version, a spread sheet. It is very easy to use, not at all scary. The spread sheet reduces the tabulation time and minimizes the errors and is very slick and clean. If one has a banner system on the internet it is very easy to copy and paste the names of the students in the spread sheets too. Of course it is stored in the electronic form for many years to come. So it is very easy to search the past grade of a student if one demands for it. This short talk is about versatility of Excel in tabulation and grading process.