ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Toyota TAPESTRY - This Year's Winners</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <script language="JavaScript"> <!-- function MM_swapImgRestore() { //v3.0 var i,x,a=document.MM_sr; for(i=0;a&&i<a.length&&(x=a[i])&&x.oSrc;i++) x.src=x.oSrc; } function MM_preloadImages() { //v3.0 var d=document; if(d.images){ if(!d.MM_p) d.MM_p=new Array(); var i,j=d.MM_p.length,a=MM_preloadImages.arguments; for(i=0; i<a.length; i++) if (a[i].indexOf("#")!=0){ d.MM_p[j]=new Image; d.MM_p[j++].src=a[i];}} } function MM_swapImage() { //v3.0 var i,j=0,x,a=MM_swapImage.arguments; document.MM_sr=new Array; for(i=0;i<(a.length-2);i+=3) if ((x=MM_findObj(a[i]))!=null){document.MM_sr[j++]=x; if(!x.oSrc) x.oSrc=x.src; x.src=a[i+2];} } function MM_findObj(n, d) { //v4.0 var p,i,x; if(!d) d=document; if((p=n.indexOf("?"))>0&&parent.frames.length) { d=parent.frames[n.substring(p+1)].document; n=n.substring(0,p);} if(!(x=d[n])&&d.all) x=d.all[n]; for (i=0;!x&&i<d.forms.length;i++) x=d.forms[i][n]; for(i=0;!x&&d.layers&&i<d.layers.length;i++) x=MM_findObj(n,d.layers[i].document); if(!x && document.getElementById) x=document.getElementById(n); return x; } //--> </script> </head> <body bgcolor="#000000" onLoad="MM_preloadImages('pics/subpageroll_r04_c1.gif','pics/subpageroll_r05_c1.gif','pics/subpageroll_r06_c1.gif','pics/subpageroll_r07_c1.gif','pics/subpageroll_r08_c1.gif','pics/subpage_r2_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r3_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r4_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r5_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r6_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r7_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r8_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r9_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r10_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r11_c1_f2.gif','pics/subpage_r12_c1_f2.gif')"> <div align="center"> <p><img src="pics/thisyears.gif" width="643" height="122"></p> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" align="left" valign="top"> <td width="146" bgcolor="#000000"> <p><a href="index.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r2_c1','','pics/subpage_r2_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r2_c1" src="pics/subpage_r2_c1.gif" width="151" height="16" border="0"></a><br> </a><a href="thisyears.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r5_c1','','pics/subpage_r5_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r5_c1" src="pics/subpage_r5_c1.gif" width="151" height="24" border="0"></a><a href="#" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('Image5','','pics/subpageroll_r05_c1.gif',1)"><br> </a><a href="http://www2.nsta.org/programs/tapestry/pastwinners.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r6_c1','','pics/subpage_r6_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r6_c1" src="pics/subpage_r6_c1.gif" width="151" height="27" border="0"></a><a href="http://www2.nsta.org/programs/tapestry/pastwinners.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('Image6','','pics/subpageroll_r06_c1.gif',1)"><br> </a><a href="projectsinaction.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r7_c1','','pics/subpage_r7_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r7_c1" src="pics/subpage_r7_c1.gif" width="151" height="27" border="0"></a><a href="#" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('Image7','','pics/subpageroll_r07_c1.gif',1)"><br> </a><a href="faq.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r8_c1','','pics/subpage_r8_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r8_c1" src="pics/subpage_r8_c1.gif" width="151" height="19" border="0"></a><a href="faq.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('Image8','','pics/subpageroll_r08_c1.gif',1)"><br> </a><a href="tipsheet.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r9_c1','','pics/subpage_r9_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r9_c1" src="pics/subpage_r9_c1.gif" width="151" height="25" border="0"><br> </a><a href="guidelines.htm" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r10_c1','','pics/subpage_r10_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r10_c1" src="pics/subpage_r10_c1.gif" width="151" height="24" border="0"></a><a href="#" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('Image8','','pics/subpageroll_r08_c1.gif',1)"></a> <!--<a href="http://www2.nsta.org/programs/tapestry/forum/asktheexpert.asp" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r11_c1','','pics/subpage_r11_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r11_c1" src="pics/subpage_r11_c1.gif" width="151" height="24" border="0"></a>--> <a href="advisors.aspx" onMouseOut="MM_swapImgRestore()" onMouseOver="MM_swapImage('subpage_r12_c1','','pics/subpage_r12_c1_f2.gif',1)" ><img name="subpage_r12_c1" src="pics/subpage_r12_c1.gif" width="151" height="24" border="0"></a> </p> <!--<p><a href="videoclips/promovideo.rm"><img src="pics/promovid.gif" alt="Promo Video" border="0" name="PromoVid"></a></p>--> <p><a href="http://www.toyota.com"><img src="pics/toyotalogosub.gif" width="140" height="58" border="0"></a><br> <a href="http://www.nsta.org"><img src="pics/nstasubpage.gif" width="140" height="38" border="0"></a> </p> </td> <td colspan="2" width="476">&nbsp; <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="2%">&nbsp;</td> <td width="98%"> <p><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Trebuchet MS" size="4" color="#CC0033">2008 Toyota TAPESTRY Large Grant Awardees</font></b></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><a href="thisyears_mini.htm">:: 2008 Mini-Grant Awardees</a>&nbsp;&raquo;</strong></font></p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <p><font color="#CC0033" size="3"><strong>Physical Science Applications</strong></font></p> </font> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Active-ly Involved in Scientific Thinking</font><br> Project Director: Lynne Boucher<br> Staff: Carlyn Morton</strong><br> Ralph Williams Elementary<br> 1700 Clubhouse Drive<br> Rockledge, FL 32955<br> 321-617-7700<br> <a href="mailto:Aboucher1@cfl.rr.com">Aboucher1@cfl.rr.com</a>; <a href="mailto:Boucher.lynne@brevard.k12.fl.us">Boucher.lynne@brevard.k12.fl.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This project is designed to bring science into the vigorous lives of students at our school. Teachers will use simple recess equipment along with advanced technologies to guide students as they investigate such things as: how mass will affect a runner's time (using weight vests), how seismic waves travel and destroy structures (using a parachute), and how the position of the fulcrum will affect a student on a Balance Master. Students at our school will have opportunities to use the scientific method to learn about their world as well as their own physical fitness. They will then model real scientists by communicating with others to discuss their results, develop new questions, and design experiments to answer these questions. This project will benefit more than 45 teachers and 800 students at our school. To make this project more user-friendly, we are developing a book of activities that teachers can guide their students through. Each activity in the book will provide teachers and students with step by step instructions, background information, extension questions and experiments, and student data collection sheets. Activities from this project will be highlighted during parent/community nights at our school where students can show off what they have learned and encourage their parents to participate in some of the experiments.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">"Food for Thought"</font><br> Project Director: Nicole Cerqueira<br> Staff: Natalie Chick, Courtney Blair</strong><br> Salem County Vocational Technical School<br> 880 Route 45, Box 350<br> Woodstown, NJ 08098<br> 856-769-0101<br> <a href="mailto:cblair@scvts.org">cblair@scvts.org</a>; <a href="mailto:ncerqueira@scvts.org">ncerqueira@scvts.org</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The goal of the "Food for Thought" program is to inspire students to make informed nutritional decisions based on their own conclusive scientific study. Students will establish if a population will change their eating habits if they are informed of the nutritional value of their school lunch. The high school students will gather samples from each of the meal selections available through the cafeteria style lunch service. In our chemistry lab, they will blend and dehydrate the sample. Then using the calorimeter, they will assess the caloric intake that would result from each of the available selections. Nutritional fact sheets will be developed for each of the meal options, as well as, appropriate daily values based on age and body type. Before posting this information, students will complete an initial baseline analysis on the amount of food in a standard serving versus the amount of food waste disposed of at the cafeteria's close to determine on average how many calories the students and faculty are consuming. Then, the nutritional fact sheets will be posted in the lunch line. The science students will continue the data collection based on the items not served. Students will analyze the statistical data to determine if having the nutritional fact sheets posted has caused students, teachers, and administration to consume fewer calories. Does nutritional information provide food for thought?</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">A Passion for Pollen: Paleoecology, Environmental Change and Human Adaptation in the High Desert of Oregon</font><br> Project Director: Graham Dey<br> Staff: Steve Holman</strong><br> West Salem High School<br> 1776 Titan Drive NW<br> Salem, OR 97304<br> 503-399-5533 <br> <a href="mailto:Formalhaut1_4@msn.com">Formalhaut1_4@msn.com</a>; <a href="mailto:Dey_graham@salkeiz.k12.or.us">Dey_graham@salkeiz.k12.or.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Who were the first Oregonians? What environments did they find as they migrated into the Great Basin region of eastern Oregon over 10,000 years ago? How did these environments change over time and how did these cultures adapt to this challenging landscape in response? Students will explore the fields of ecology, archaeology and cultural ecology and conduct original research into these issues. The fusion of these disciplines combined with access to sophisticated technology will provide students a unique opportunity to appreciate different cultural patterns of living in the past and apply this awareness to the present. The field sites are located a few hours away from our school and from the moment they arrive students encounter evidence of past cultures literally underfoot. Petroglyphs adorn nearly every rock surface near the lakes which were central to life in the high desert. Large rock rings and food processing sites indicate the emergence of early villages and lithic fragments reflect millenia of tool making activity.<br /><br />Together, this fragmentary record hints at the complexity and depth of these peoples lives in the past. Camping near the sites, students will by day conduct field surveys using GPS, TOPO Oregon software and digital imaging technologies. Lake bed cores will be taken for pollen retrieval as will washings of food processing surfaces be taken for starch grain analysis. On return, students will analyze their field data and develop a model of the life world of these high desert cultures. Further, an environmental context will be constructed from pollen sampling efforts and changes in the artifact record compared to changes in the environmental record. Student projects, both individual and team, will be presented at the Junior Academy of Sciences and Intel Science Exposition and Fair competitions. Outreach events will occur at the middle and elementary schools that feed to West Salem High School and a presentation will be made to the Salem branch of the Oregon Archaeological Society. Lastly, students will construct a portfolio of their projects and field experiences and copies will be made and distributed to all members of the research team.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Integrating Technology into a Specially Designed Science Curriculum for Eighth Grade Students with Learning Disabilities</font><br> Project Director: Soo Feingold<br> Staff: Heather O'Connor, Courtney Nuzum-Jiminez, Vera Donovan</strong><br> Mary McDowell Center for Learning<br> 20 Bergen Street<br> Brooklyn, NY 11201<br> 718-625-3939<br> <a href="mailto:soof@mmcl.net">soof@mmcl.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Teachers at the Mary McDowell Center for Learning will integrate technology into a specially designed curriculum for eighth grade students with learning disabilities. Children with learning disabilities experience a variety of problems that create barriers to their understanding of the abstract scientific concepts central to the study of physical science. Our staff has developed an innovative, year-long curriculum incorporating interactive educational technologies into the study of physical science that will enable teachers to better meet the needs of our students. A multi-sensory, hands-on approach comprises the core of the science curriculum at the Mary McDowell Center for Learning, and makes learning possible for children with learning disabilities. Incorporating the technological tools provided by the Toyota TAPESTRY NSTA grant into our innovative curriculum will enable teachers to provide avenues for learning that are not otherwise available to students with learning disabilities, thus increasing our students' chances of academic success and ensuring that they move on to high school with a solid knowledge of physical science.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Turbine Technology: The Physics Behind the Wind</font><br> Project Director: Maureen Foelkl<br> Staff: Kathleen Hill, Carol Kilfoil, Jeremy Adams, Annie Seifer</strong><br> Chapman Hill Elementary<br> 1500 Doaks Ferry Road<br> Salem, OR 97304<br> 503-399-3195<br> <a href="mailto:Toma099@att.net">Toma099@att.net</a>; <a href="mailto:Foelkl_maureen@salkeiz.k12.or.us">Foelkl_maureen@salkeiz.k12.or.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Native Americans gather knowledge from their observations of nature. This project fosters wonder and curiosity from our natural world while engaging authentic scientific inquiry through the physics of wind. Our community has constructed their first wind turbine positioned at the local high school. Elementary students are within walking distance, and during this project they will learn, along with their mentor high school students, the community's need to harvest renewable energy from the wind. Multiage groups will explore weather patterns that create wind, build their own classroom weather station, and measure wind speed with anemometers. Students will use their engineering skills as they design a tower to accommodate their wind turbine. They will form hypotheses, collect data, and construct their own scale model windmill. This experience instills hands-on opportunities that bring real world physics into the classroom. Designing wind turbines cultivates an understanding of the scientific process as it transmits awareness of the new technology located in our community. The lessons will be used district wide to promote physics education in our schools. Field trips to the high school and to our local aviation museum will prepare students to solve problems, think critically and use technology as they learn about blade design. Using teamwork and collaboration, the students will experience how energy is generated through their designer windmills. Final projects will be presented during the annual Community Environmental conference, the state Green School summit, the community art festival and the State Fair.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Switched on Physics: Engineering, Waves and Alternative Energy</font><br> Project Director: Alexander S. Graham<br> Staff: David C. White, Sheri Reddington, J. Paul Trahan </strong></font><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><br> </strong>Pasadena Memorial High School<br> 4410 Crenshaw<br> Pasadena, TX 77504<br> 713-740-0390<br> <a href="mailto:agraham@pasadenaisd.org">agraham@pasadenaisd.org</a>; <a href="mailto:chimneyville7@yahoo.com">chimneyville7@yahoo.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Switched-On Physics digital pipe organ project operates in a high profile manner to generate interest in our science, mathematics, technology, and engineering programs to increase participation among our students and their families in an integrated manner. Our classroom theoretical component will study wave phenomena, alternative energy, related wave topics such as tsunamis and electromagnetic radiation and wave propagation. We hope to encourage an interest in engineering by allowing students to design and build the fully functional organ powered exclusively by alternative energy so the students will conceive, design, build, test and operate the organ. The organ will be be housed in the cafeteria to encourage all of our students to become involved and learn to operate the organ. Each year the engineering and physics students will design and build a new mechanical rank of organ pipes from a different material, making this project extend into perpetuity as the ranks are added.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Physics of Music and Acoustics</font><br> Project Director: Matthew Hart<br> Staff: Rev. Daniel Becker</strong><br> Magnificat Academy and Choir School<br> P.O. Box 333<br> Warren, MA 01803<br> 413-436-7909<br> <a href="mailto:nikwega@charter.net">nikwega@charter.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The high-level goal of this project is to provide students with a physical and mathematical understanding of phenomena which they have a strong intuitive feel through use of local resources (buildings and human voices) and hands on activities. Students will learn the physics and mathematics which quantifies and clarifies phenomena which they have a strong intuitive feel for from years of participation in the school's music program. Key components of this program will exploit advantages which our school has:</font></p> <ol> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Small size allows older students more versed in laboratory operations to help mentor younger students in a collaboration which provides a deeper understanding to both groups;</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Flexible schedules permit us to organize laboratory sessions in manners other than 45-minute-hours; and</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Access to buildings in the Northeastern United States with acoustic properties that lend well to setup of experimental measures.</font></li> </ol> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The last two items are a key component of the laboratory endeavor since the students will have time and access to map the acoustics of the buildings within which they have performed.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Students Synthesizing Snow-data in Natural Objective Ways (SSSNOW)</font><br> Project Director: Kenneth L. Huff<br> Staff: Dr. Catherine Lange, Karen Wallace, Thomas Niziol</strong><br> Mill Middle School<br> 505 Mill Street<br> Williamsville, NY 14221<br> 716-626-8300<br> <a href="mailto:khuff@williamsvillek12.org">khuff@williamsvillek12.org</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In the atmosphere or on the ground, snow provides students with unique opportunities to discover winter weather patterns. The Students Synthesizing Snow-data in Natural Objective Ways (SSSNOW) project will provide a vehicle for students to study the physical properties of snow and the characteristics that contribute to the crystalline formation. Using data collection and analysis tools such as a Thermochron and density tubes, students will discover snow data patterns. The SSSNOW project will make science and discovery "cool" so students will want to know more about the snow that is a predominant part of their every day lives and their community identity.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Ground Level Ozone Pollution in our Community</font><br> Project Director: Trina Lee<br> Staff: Bill Kimmel</strong><br> Rocklin High School<br> 5301 Victory Lane<br> Rocklin, CA 95765<br> 916-632-1600<br> <a href="mailto:Tjlee74@gmail.com">Tjlee74@gmail.com</a>; <a href="mailto:tlee@rocklin.k12.ca.us">tlee@rocklin.k12.ca.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Chemistry students at Rocklin High School will collect and analyze air quality data to determine the causes of ozone pollution in their community. Using toxic gas probes and weather sensors, students will monitor the levels of the precursor gases involved in the production and accumulation of ozone, as well as actual ozone levels. Data will be collected throughout the year in a variety of conditions chosen by students, and analyzed for relationships to determine the major factors of ozone pollution in the city. As a secondary project, students will also collect data on other critical pollutants such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. They will assess whether the factors causing ozone pollution also play a roll in the accumulation of other major pollutants. Students will publish their findings on the project website and participate in educational outreach to the community via presentations, media infomercials, and podcasts. They will also implement simple solutions to our pollution problem at the local level. Completion of this project will give students real-world experience in scientific design, data collection, and analysis. They will also develop an awareness of the impact ozone and other pollutants have on the health of their community.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Harnessing Green Energy through the Development of Fuel Cells to be Installed onto a Modified Hydrogen Vehicle</font><br> Project Director: Dr. Paul J. McElligott<br> Staff: Kevin Fern<br> </strong>Fountain Hills High School<br> 16100 Palisades Blvd.<br> Fountain Hills, AZ 85268<br> 480-664-5573<br> <a href="mailto:pmcelligott@fhusd.org">pmcelligott@fhusd.org</a>; <a href="mailto:pjmcelligott@yahoo.com">pjmcelligott@yahoo.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Students are concerned about their world and what can turn around a destructive global path. They appreciate projects that allow them to evaluate alternative sources of energy and to utilize technology that is within their capability to understand and work with now. The Science Research Club of Fountain Hills High School in Fountain Hills, AZ has obtained two mixed fuel hydrogen/methane cars that act as rolling laboratories. The proposed project has three stages. Stage one, already in progress, is to complete the conversion of the motherboards and pressure valves so the cars will run at higher percentage hydrogen. Stage two will require students to monitor fuel efficiency, general performance, and exhaust composition at a variety of fuel mixtures. Building a new concept hybrid vehicle, the final stage, will combine a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine with an electric motor. We believe this configuration will improve efficiency to over 60%, compared to 8% efficiency with a standard gasoline engine. Throughout the project, students will actively apply basic science principles and technology to an authentic, real-life challenge.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Walk Through Missouri History</font><br> Project Director: Wendy Reis<br> </strong>Stanton Elmentary School<br> 1430 Flora Del Drive<br> Fenton, MO 63026<br> 636-866-7766 <br> <a href="mailto:reiswendy@rockwood.k12.mo.us">reiswendy@rockwood.k12.mo.us</a>; <a href="mailto:reisonsept14@sbcglobal.net">reisonsept14@sbcglobal.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">"A Geologic Walk through Missouri History with Fossils" is an Inquiry Based project designed to spark higher level questioning and learning as the students discover science through hands-on-exploration. This is a fun filled, month long unit with a wide variety of learning activities that students will participate in. Students will do a Web quest, take a field trip to a local river bed to dig for fossils left in the area in which they live and develop a time-line of Missouri history. The last part of the project involves taking the information the students learn from the timeline and building a sidewalk with signs on their playground. This sidewalk will be a wonderful addition to our school that students in the school and in the community can use to learn more about Missouri History because of this exciting, hands-on project.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">What's in a Color?</font><br> Project Director: Dan Rosa<br> Staff: Erling Antony, Steve Schmid</strong><br> Arrowhead Union High School<br> 800 North Avenue<br> Hartland, WI 53029<br> 262-369-3612<br> <a href="mailto:rosa@ahs.k12.wi.us">rosa@ahs.k12.wi.us</a>; <a href="mailto:drosa@wi.rr.com">drosa@wi.rr.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Imagine not being able to appreciate the colors of the sunset, the fall leaves or the colors of food upon your plate. Color is important to our world, our lives, and our classrooms. The ability to see and differentiate color is essential yet varies widely from person to person. This project will show students just how well they can differentiate colors and how to choose filters to assist in the process of differentiating colors. Students will develop solutions to classroom and everyday color differentiation problems and present their solutions so others may benefit as well.</font></p> <font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Where Have all the Flowers Gone?</font><br> Project Director: Steve Simpson<br> Staff: Barbara Simpson</strong><br> Sierra Ridge Middle School<br> 2700 Amber Trail<br> Pollock Pines, CA 95726<br> 530-644-2031 <br> <a href="mailto:barbandsteve@att.net">barbandsteve@att.net</a>; <a href="mailto:ssimpson@ppesd.org">ssimpson@ppesd.org</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Gardening project has several goals. The first goal, getting kids outside "doing" math and science, has students measuring, planning, calculating slope, probing compost piles, playing in the mud, gardening, and planting trees alongside the US Forest Service tree planters. Through the use of experiments and observations the students will study the causes and prevention of erosion at school and throughout the world. To help fertilize the garden students will begin a worm composting and ordinary composting program that will recycle cafeteria scraps for plant experiments and garden fertilizer.</font></p> <p><font color="#CC0033" size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Integrating Literacy and Science</strong></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Bring the Sea to Me!</font><br> Project Director: Maureen B. Barrett<br> </strong>Harrington Middle School<br> 514 Mt. Laurel Rd.<br> Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054<br> 856-234-1610<br> <a href="mailto:mbarrett@mountlaurel.k12.nj.us">mbarrett@mountlaurel.k12.nj.us</a>; <a href="mailto:mbbluebird@aol.com">mbbluebird@aol.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">"Bring the Sea to Me" will bring sea life into the classroom. It will provide students an opportunity to learn about marine organisms and the habitat in which they live. Lessons and activities will focus on the Atlantic Ocean ecosystem - the ocean ecosystem in our own backyard. This project includes field experiences, classroom activities, and the creation of wildlife documentaries and scientific posters with everything focusing on the marine environment. The work created will be shared with the public at two different venues. A touch tank will also be setup in the classroom to excite the students about the ocean and the life within it. Through research, writing, and hands-on activities, this ocean-based education will promote academic achievement while developing tomorrow's ocean stewards.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Can You Dig It?</font><br> Project Director: Terri Cloyde<br> </strong>Madill Elementary School<br> 701 West Tishomingo Street<br> Madill, OK 73446<br> 580-795-3680<br> <a href="mailto:tcloyde@madillok.com">tcloyde@madillok.com</a>; <a href="mailto:tcloyde@sbcglobal.net">tcloyde@sbcglobal.net</a><br> <br> Students will research archeology, fossils, and the processes used in dinosaur dig sites. They will then operate a replica of an archeological site. Students will keep journals of their processes and findings each day, as well as photos, fossils and bones. Their findings will be communicated through the afore mentioned and graphs, models, written reports and verbal summaries in a "dinosaur museum" that they will open to our entire elementary school. This museum will be used to teach students about the inquiry processes used in science and upon completing the tour each student will be given a 'dinosaur bones' excavation kit to take to use in his/her own class. Each teacher will receive lesson plans and reusable molds to use on this unit.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Project GREENwich: Using Literature to Reinforce Ecological Instruction in the Science Classroom</font><br> Project Director: Nicole Dixson<br> Staff: Cortney Barber, Emily Aierstok, Randy Howard</strong><br> Greenwich Central School<br> 10 Gray Avenue<br> Greenwich, NY 12834<br> 518-692-9542 x4216<br> <a href="mailto:ndixson@greenwichcsd.org">ndixson@greenwichcsd.org</a>; <a href="mailto:nicoledixson@aol.com">nicoledixson@aol.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The purpose of this project is to create a cross-curricular, science and literature project that investigates ecological problems and pollution in our local community. Seventh grade, life science, will focus on water pollution. The students will read the book "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen. Many science activities will be preformed including: a macroinvertebrate and water quality study of the Battenkill, a local river, viewing the movie "Swim for the River" based on the Hudson River pollution, creating artwork and other activities/lessons. Readings besides "Flush" will include "Trout, Trout, Trout" by April Sayre and Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman. These address river ecosystems. Writing activities will include either a poem, fiction piece or children's story based on water pollution using these books as a mentor text. This project will lead up to a culminating project which has been active in the classroom all year. Trout in the Classroom (TIC), invites New York State schools to raise and release trout to help reestablish decimated trout populations their local watersheds. The end of Greenwich's TIC project will coincide with the end of Project Read the Way. As a final event students will release the trout into the Battenkill, the very river system they have been studying, encouraging stewardship. Eighth grade, physical science, will focus on global warming. The students will read the book "City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau. As the book is read many science activities that relate to global warming and carbon dioxide output will be performed. Students will gather real data from their local environment to measure air quality. In addition students will examine their own carbon dioxide output and how that affects Global Warming. Students will learn ways to reduce air pollution at personal, local and global levels. Beside the novel the children's book "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss will be read and students will write their own modern version of "The Lorax" addressing global warming. Students will watch "An Inconvenient Truth" about global warming trends. The culminating event for this project will be a letter written to their local congresswoman, Kirsten Gillibrand, proposing actions that can be done to reduce human impacts on global warming.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Nuturing Habitats</font><br> Project Director: Patricia A. Gill<br> Staff: Wendy Newman, Melissa Greenberg</strong><br> PS 115 Daniel Mucatel School<br> 1500 East 92nd Street<br> Brooklyn, NY 11236<br> 718-241-1000 <br> <a href="mailto:pgill2@school.nyc.gov">pgill2@school.nyc.gov</a>; <a href="mailto:murphymia@aol.com">murphymia@aol.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our New York City Public elementary school borders Jamaica Bay. We intend to introduce our students and faculty to the salt marsh ecosystem, which exists within the urban environment of our community. Emphasizing student discovery and observational skills, we will focus on the essential question: "What effect does seasonal change have on the ecosystem of the salt marsh?" Using walking tours over the changing seasons, hands on workshops with Park Rangers and local conservation groups, the creation of Field Journals, audio and digital photography, students will make observations and record field experiences. They will gather data, organize information, and make predictions using the inquiry method to assess how the salt marsh surrounding their community is affected by the seasons and human interaction. The project will open students' eyes to the role that urban ecosystems and their own survival interact and support each other.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">My Big Backyard</font><br> Project Director: Dr. Beth Howard<br> Staff: Marcia Segers</strong><br> Paine Primary School<br> 7500 Gadsden Highway<br> Trussville, AL 35173<br> 205-228-3200 <br> <a href="mailto:beth.howard@trussvillecityschools.com">beth.howard@trussvillecityschools.com</a>; <a href="mailto:littletigergrad@yahoo.com">littletigergrad@yahoo.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">"Hey, is that a pupa?" "No, that's an exoskeleton. Look, you can see where it came out. See THAT? THAT's a pupa." Is this a conversation among entomologists? Well ... yes and no. It's a conversation between budding entomologists&#8212;two kindergarten students who were busy observing mealworms as part of a project that linked science and literature through the study of oviparous animals. That experience reading good nonfiction books along with caring for living creatures was one that made life science COME ALIVE not only to those two students, but also the rest of their class and their teacher. It became the impetus for this project. As I watched my students intently and critically observe these small creatures, as I listened to the hypotheses that they formed and as I nodded in agreement with the many suggestions they had to discover the answers to our questions (such as looking it up on the internet, looking closely with a magnifying device, taking digital photographs over time, reading about it in a book, etc.), I began to formulate a plan on how we could extend the project. That idea became this proposed project, "My Big Backyard," which builds on children's natural interest and curiosity about animals and living things as a tool for exploring life science concepts. Young children are eager to learn about the world around them! "My Big Backyard" is a literature-based science theme that explores science and literacy concepts by focusing on the environment right here&#8212;in our community&#8212;right outside our own backdoor. Students in the collaborating classrooms will observe and care for a variety of living things native to our community, including frogs, grass, lizards, butterflies, beetles, trees, wildflowers and even weeds. We will explore our school backyard together through nature walks and involve our families with specific explorations in our own neighborhoods. Students will become researchers as they gather information through reading, observing, experimenting and listening. Students will also become reporters, using various means to convey what they have learned to others, including writing, drawing, class discussions, constructing models and art projects.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Puertas Abiertas: Infusing Literacy into Science Inquiry</font><br> Project Director: Linda C. Johnson</strong><br> <strong>Staff: Linda Markley, Mimi Maldonado</strong> <br> West Shore Jr./Sr. High School<br> 250 Wildcat Alley<br> Melbourne, FL 32935<br> 321-242-4730 <br> <a href="mailto:johnsonli@brevard.k12.fl.us">johnsonli@brevard.k12.fl.us</a>; <a href="mailto:longhair1018@netscape.net">longhair1018@netscape.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The grant, Puertas Abiertas, targets fifth grade English language learners with science and literacy enrichment activities during the summer and on Saturday mornings in an effort to improve standardized test scores. West Shore Jr./Sr. High students will mentor fifth graders during controlled experiments, hands on explorations, computer activities, non-fiction science reading and science notebook writing. The mentoring relationships will increase science achievement, improve academic language skills and encourage ELLs to set high academic goals for the future. Spanish speaking family members will be invited to Family Science Shareouts where they will engage in science inquiry with their student and provide feedback about the program. Community organizations will contribute time and resources to promote enrichment activities that teach the science standards and deliver life skills like first aid, fishing, and hurricane safety. Toyota TAPESTRY funding for Puertas Abiertas will foster further experimentation by students, parents and teachers to increase student achievement for English language learners in Fellsmere.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Let There Be Night</font><br> Project Director: Art Klinger<br> Staff: Chuck Bueter</strong><br> Penn High School<br> 56100 Bittersweet Road <br> Mishawaka, IN 46545<br> 574-258-9569 <br> <a href="mailto:aklinger@phm.k12.in.us">aklinger@phm.k12.in.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Light pollution is an emerging environmental concern for which limited educational material exists. In conjunction with the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, we propose to introduce students to outdoor lighting issues at a planetarium and to coordinate an experiment in which students quantify local sky glow through visual observations and with hand-held Sky Quality Meters (SQMs). After all classes interpret and discuss the results, some students will present recommendations to the school district's energy conservation coordinator and to the School Board. Over 6,000 students in grades 3-8 will attend an interactive planetarium program in which they experience three side effects from an unshielded light (glare, light trespass, and sky glow); try solutions they propose; and prepare for the main experiment. Because the project staff will have compiled multiple resources (with permission to duplicate from the respective copyright holders), we will bundle the existing material along with newly created content onto a DVD for other users. Two regional planetarium associations will then duplicate and distribute this multi-user resource to over 300 facilities nationwide. The proposed experiment will have the full support of the district's Learning Division, school principals, and School Board of Trustees. With guidance from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, all students in grades 3-8 will quantify the limiting magnitude of the stars by comparing their backyard observations of Orion with seven star charts that having increasing numbers of visible stars. Small student teams from each of 13 schools will concurrently quantify sky glow throughout the district using hand-held SQMs. Students in grades 5 and 8 will correlate the sky glow observed with the naked eye with sky glow measured by the meter. In the classroom, teachers will guide students in analyzing the data and discussing the side effects of lighting technology. A representative group of students will present and defend their overall findings and suggest solutions for the school district.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Fairy Tale Forensics</font><br> Project Director: Jacqueline Lampley<br> </strong>Hillview Elementary School<br> 1520 Cherry Avenue<br> Birmingham, AL 35214<br> 205-379-4050 <br> <a href="mailto:jbecklamp@yahoo.com">jbecklamp@yahoo.com</a>; <a href="mailto:jlampley@jefcoed.com">jlampley@jefcoed.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Have you ever dreamed of living in a forest filled with animals that spoke to you and trees that actually came alive? The Fairy Tale Forensics project will take students in grades 2-5, who have been identified with various reading deficiencies, on a magic journey to the land of Fairy Tales where animals and plants come to life and students become forensic scientists that examine the entire process. The Fairy Tale Forensics project will use selected fiction and nonfiction literature, hands-on writing activities, inquiry-based tasks, and interactive computer programs to help "student forensics scientists" identify factual information about animal and plant features and behaviors that can help or hinder their survival in the fairy tale habitat. Students will be taught how to use basic Biology/DNA forensic science procedures to observe local plants and animals in their habitats and learn which animals can eat both plants and each other, as well as appropriate shelter and nesting environments. Students will use the information obtained through the forensic investigation along with the literature books to solve the fairy tale plot. The student scientist will discuss specific terms like predator, prey, continent, climate and habitat to create a variety of podcasts that explain the exact animal or plant studied.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Appalachian Science</font><br> Project Director: Nancy Moore<br> Staff: Dena Good, Bill Heis, Esther Morrison, Amanda Thompson</strong> <br> Spencer Middle School<br> 102 Chapman Avenue<br> Spencer, WV 25276<br> 304-927-6415<br> <a href="mailto:namoore@access.k12.wv.us">namoore@access.k12.wv.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Most West Virginians are aware of the Hatfields and McCoys and the fact that those families feuded for years, but many of us are not clear as to what started the feud and what was involved. The book, "The Coffin Quilt", tells the story from the viewpoint of a young girl in the McCoy family, Fanny McCoy. Her older sister Ro attempts to join the Hatfield clan and begins working on a quilt featuring cloth coffins with the names of the family members on it. As members of both families begin to be killed one by one, the Coffin Quilt becomes a symbol of death. In reading class, the 8th grade students will read the historical fiction novel "The Coffin Quilt" by Ann Rinaldi and will read several of the books on Appalachian superstitions and ghosts by Ruth Ann Musick. In science class, the students will use the scientific method to test out some Appalachian superstitions. The students will learn to identify the trees of West Virginia and will print leaves on squares of fabric. Each student will make one of the squares into a pillow for himself, and the classes will make 12 squares which will be sewn into a small quilt which will be called the "Tree of Life Quilt" which will be displayed in the school. The students will also visit a town in the region of West Virginia in which the feud took place to view the natural resources and to experience the culture and history of the area. The social studies classes will study the history of coal mining and of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. The math teacher will make some wooden puzzles similar to the toys made by one of the characters in the book. The music, art, and physical education teacher will become involved as they teach the games and songs of the era in which the feud took place, and as they have the students illustrate the story. Additionally, as students study the natural resources in their state, they will learn how to make decisions that are environmentally sound and that will help to conserve our resources for future generations.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Coffee Talk for Science</font><br> Project Director: Patricia K. Morris<br> Staff: Debbie Courtney</strong><br> Strom Thurmond High School<br> 1131 Columbia Road<br> Johnston, SC 29832<br> 803-275-1764<br> <a href="mailto:pmorris@edgefield.k12.sc.us">pmorris@edgefield.k12.sc.us</a>; <a href="mailto:pennyem@wctel.net">pennyem@wctel.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">"Coffee Talk for Science" will bring together girls from at-risk, rural settings to use their natural, verbal skills and curious dispositions to talk about physical science, research, the ethics of science, engineering, technology, and we hope, future careers in science and engineering. The leadership team will set up coffee pots and treats and facilitate conversational, small group settings in which girls will have the opportunity to "talk" about science through listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities that embed standards naturally and effectively. "Coffee Talk for Science" employs other "Coffee Shop" traits, such as "Open Mike Scientist Night", in which local scientists will take the mike and share experiences, much like poets or musicians would in a real coffee shop. The target areas for our coffee talks will include: alternate fuel sources, project design, mechanics, bio-medical research, and wildlife toxicology. We plan to include management strategies to help young women negotiate the delicate balances required to maintain careers in science and desired family lives, which has been cited as one of the reasons fewer girls pursue such careers.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Cultivating Literacy and Science</font><br> Project Director: Sheila Ochoa<br> </strong> Little Bay Primary<br> P.O. Box 907<br> Rockport, TX 78381<br> 361-790-2000 <br> <a href="mailto:sochoa@acisd.org">sochoa@acisd.org</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Themed areas will be created within the existing school garden. Some areas will have enough space for an entire class to participate in a science or literacy activity, and other areas will be more intimate  just the right size for paired reading or small group work. Tools for observing and investigating nature, including bird houses, spider web frames and a weather station will be added to the garden. Books, puppets, storytelling sets, clipboards, and lesson plans will be stored in a cart located in the office and will be available to teachers, as well as parent and community volunteers and high school PALS who provide tutoring to individual students and small groups. Lessons which include grade-appropriate content aligned with Texas standards as well as opportunities for exploration and investigation will be created for use in the garden. This will ensure that available resources are utilized and all students are provided experiences which will help them understand science concepts and make connections to the natural world. We believe that using our garden for literacy and science activities will enhance our instructional program and be an avenue for further parent participation. Students will plan and conduct investigations using simple equipment and tools to extend the senses. They will learn about basic needs of plants and animals, patterns of growth, and how to conserve natural resources. They will record their knowledge of a topic in various ways and show connections among ideas.<br> <br> <strong><font size="3">Igniting Inquiry-Living with Fire</font><br> Project Director: Wendy Pierce<br> Staff: Heather Fisher, Talia Martin, Judy McKenna</strong><br> Chief Joseph Middle School<br> 309 N. 11th Street<br> Bozeman, MT 59715<br> 406-522-6329<br> <a href="mailto:Wendy.pierce@bsd7.org">Wendy.pierce@bsd7.org</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Each year as our students head back to school, the air becomes hazy, the sun turns a blood red and the faint smell of wood smoke becomes pervasive. This is fire season in the West. Wildfires are always scary, often damaging, and sometimes deadly. The goal of the grant- Igniting Inquiry- Living with Fire is two fold. It merges scientific inquiry with literacy. In this project sixth grade students will analyze science trade books and participate in direct instruction about wildfires. Using their authentic questions generated from direct instruction, students will develop an investigation that uses scientific inquiry or research, and then write, illustrate and publish children's books based on their investigations. By sharing the children's books that are generated from this project our hope is to not only increase students' knowledge about wildfires and climate change, but to also reduce students' fears and feelings of powerlessness about wildfire, while helping them feel personal connection to and responsibility for the issue.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Garden of Seedin'</font><br> Project Director: Leonard Pizza<br> Staff: Justin Girard, Cecil Cherignan, Patricia Capuano, Electra Martini</strong> <br> P.S. 142 <br> 100 Attorney Street<br> New York, NY 10002<br> 212-598-3800<br> <a href="mailto:Lpizza2@schools.nyc.gov">Lpizza2@schools.nyc.gov</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In partnership with the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, Brooklyn Botanical Garden and New York Botanical Garden, PS 142's four second grade classes plan to study the plant cycle and primeval forest. At the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment students will study seeds through writing, drawing and dissection and follow the plant cycle from seed back to reproduction of new seeds. Students will be able to identify and compare the physical structures of a variety of plant parts (roots, leaves, stems, flowers, seeds). They will observe and describe how plants grow and change in predictable ways. They will observe plant life cycles and life spans and describe the basic needs of plants such as light, air, water, and soil. They will observe that plants respond to changes in their environment (e.g., leaves turning toward the sun, seasonal changes). Students will prepare projects based on planting and the plant cycle for the annual PS 142 science fair as well as citywide science initiatives. Students will write their own fictional stories as well as nonfiction (how-to books and all-about books as they relate to gardening, planting, the life of the forest and plant ecosystems).</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Engaging Adolescents in Reading to Learn: Building a Crosswalk Between Science & Literacy Education</font> <br> Project Director: Charles Kevin Roush<br> Staff: Debora Harman, Daina Greller, James McFall, Wendy Butistie</strong><br> Brown County Junior High School<br> 95 S. School House Lane<br> Nashville, IN 47448<br> 812-988-5415 <br> <a href="mailto:croush@brownco.k12.in.us">croush@brownco.k12.in.us</a>; <a href="mailto:kkzroush@kiva.net">kkzroush@kiva.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This project integrates the latest research on adolescent literacy with best practices in science education. Collaboration among Science, English and Special Education teachers will assure access to science content and a purpose for reading, writing, speaking, and listening that actively engages students and builds content literacy skills. Community partners in the project will provide professional development for teachers and enhanced educational opportunities for students. All 7th graders will study the environmental plight of the owl as they</font></p> <ol> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dissect owl pellets and work in research teams to gain understanding of pellet formation from recording and classifying their findings;</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Read the Newberry Award winning novel Hoot by Carl Hiaasen;</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Use leveled informational texts as resources for writing a feature article about an endangered species; and</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Compose a persuasive essay or speech as a venue for convincing classmates to be conservationists.</font></li> </ol> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> All 8th graders will study epidemiology through</font></p> <ol> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Constructing cell models in a lab;</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Reading the NSTA award&#8211;winning novel <em>Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney</em>;</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Using informational texts as resources for writing a feature article about an infectious disease; and</font></li> <li><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Participating in an "outbreak" as a victim or scientist with the responsibility to "respond".</font></li> </ol> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <strong><font size="3">Penguins & PS-Paws: The Antarctic Connection</font><br> Project Director: Louise Smith<br> </strong>Brashear Elementary<br> Adair County R-II<br> Brashear, MO 63533<br> 660-323-5727<br> <a href="mailto:Louise_smith@brashear.k12.mo.us">Louise_smith@brashear.k12.mo.us</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This grant targets fifth grade students from rural Northeast Missouri families who have limited background experience because of the low socio-economic conditions of the region. Students will be given the opportunity to expand their knowledge of Antarctica by collaborating with a local educator who recently traveled to Antarctica on an NSF research-based expedition. Students will be given pre and post tests to evaluate changes in their knowledge of Antarctic and Missouri ecosystems, their knowledge of the work of scientists, and their overall improvement in language arts and reading literacy skills. Using the Antarctic theme, students will research and compare the Antarctic and Missouri ecosystems, use science notebooks, publish an Antarctic-themed newspaper to be distributed to all patrons of the school district, and utilize Penguin & PS-PAWS take-home backpacks with inquiry based investigations and leveled readers focusing on expository and informational text. They will also write copy and select photographs for books to be published for 2nd through 4th grade students, present short lessons on penguins for K-1st Grade classes as well as community groups. The project will culminate with an Antarctic Family Learning Event being held for the entire community at our school.</font></p> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <p><font color="#CC0033" size="3"><strong>Environmental Science Education</strong></font></p> </font> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Help for the Endangered Snail Kate</font><br> Project Director: William Bartenslager<br> Staff: Lucas Basso, Clive, Pinnock, Alissa Koch, Christian Koch</strong><br> Palm Beach Central High School<br> 8499 West Forest Hill Blvd. <br> Wellington, FL 33411<br> 561-304-1000<br> <a href="mailto:Helix03@msn.com">Helix03@msn.com</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For the last two years, South Florida has been enduring a record drought. One of the animals most affected by this is the endangered snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis). This is because the snail kite feeds almost exclusively on the Florida apple snail (Pomacea paludosa), whose population has plummeted due to low water levels that adversely affect their reproductive cycle. This project will help restore the local Florida apple snail population by setting up a breeding program, which in turn will increase the snail kite population. Students will be examining genotypic and phenotypic differences among the Florida apple snail along with the four exotic species of apple snails to see if there are any significant differences that may be disadvantageous to the native population. In addition, students will develop hands-on lessons aligned with the state benchmarks, presenting lessons to fellow high school students along with students from our feeder middle schools, to increase scores on our state s standardized science test (FCAT).</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font size="3">Exploring and Reducing the Environmental Impact of the California Water Project</font><br> Project Director: Dr. Brian J. Boyle<br> Staff: Melaine Andrews, Sarah Beland, Laurie Guest, Angie Montez</strong><br> Mare Island Technology Academy<br> 2 Positive Place<br> Vallejo, CA 94589<br> 707-552-6483<br> <a href="mailto:bboyle@mitacademy.org">bboyle@mitacademy.org</a>; <a href="mailto:b.j.boyle@comcast.net">b.j.boyle@comcast.net</a></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our project proposes to research and quantify the impacts of unaddressed evaporative losses by the California Aqueduct&#8212;and investigate ways to mitigate them. The Water Project's vast scale might make such losses seem insignificant, but the very magnitude of those multipliers could turn tiny savings into savings of species. Further, the project seeks to explore technologies for transforming this liability&#8212;the unwanted solar influx driving wasteful evaporation&#8212;into an asset, its energy captured and harnessed to offload those pumping stations vast electrical demand. Our project offers 8th- to 12th-grade students the opportunity to use real science and technology to make a real difference in their community, the environment and the real world that will be their home. It will transport them&#8212;many for the first time beyond the Bay Area&#8212;to emplace, monitor and recover specialized recording stations they have pers