2008 Toyota TAPESTRY Mini-Grant Awardees

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Simon Says: Take Two Steps Towards Scientific Literacy
Project Director: Dr. Tracy Alley
Madeira Elementary School
Madeira, Ohio 45243
513-985-6080
talley@madeiracityschools.org; talley@cinci.rr.com

The third and fourth grade students in my gifted resource room will become "Disaster Detectives" during and after the readings of Seymour Simon's award winning children's science books. My goal is to utilize quality literature filled with spectacular photographs, entertaining hands-on experiments, fun technology projects, and outstanding community resources to teach my students about weather and environmental phenomena such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes. After we have fully conducted our research, my students will visit classrooms, along with Seymour the Robotic Meteorologist, to disseminate the knowledge they have acquired through engaging lessons using technology and hands-on learning. In addition, we will visit the science museum plus a combined trip to the arboretum and conservatory to further enhance our knowledge of weather and the environment. Students will enjoy being trained by the various experts during this project. Then, the students will become the experts and teach our school community.

American Kestrel Banding and Genetics Survey
Project Director: Michael Baird
Enterprise High School
201 SE 4th Street
Enterprise, Oregon 97828
541-426-3504
mbaird@enterprise.k12.or.us; mbaird@454@gmail.com

This Toyota TAPESTRY proposal provides funding for banding and genetic laboratory work associated with establishing baseline data on the American kestrel, Falco sparverius, population in Wallowa County, Oregon. Over the course of several years, as the science classes at Enterprise High School assisted with Oregon's annual winter raptor surveys, questions arose about the population density and movement of local populations of American kestrels. Science teacher, Mike Baird, began the project by building and setting out kestrel nest boxes with the objectives of both increasing nesting habitat for kestrels and monitoring kestrel nesting locations in Wallowa County, Oregon. Mr. Baird, in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), obtained a Master Bird Banding license and a permit to capture and band kestrels. Students will capture kestrels in their nest boxes; and the birds will be banded with a numbered USFWS metal leg band and a plastic colored band which will aid in the future identification of birds without necessitating their recapture. When initially captured a feather will be obtained which will provide a DNA sample. After collection of feathers, DNA will be isolated using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification procedures. The students will learn genetic laboratory techniques while participating in a real research project. Students will create a database and a digital Geographic Information System map of locations and movements of the banded birds.

Working Together for a Better Tomorrow
Project Director: Debbie Blackmon
Staff: Joy Priester-Starks, Pam Wiltshire
New Directions School
1881 Shivers Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29210
803-896-9549
dcblac@scdjj.net; jeffanddeb@comporium.net

My students and I want to provide a natural habitat for the animals in our area that their habitats have been destroyed. Some of the animals are on the endangered list such as the eagle. There's several red tail hawks that have been coming around our school but have no where to nest and we would like to change this. My students are juvenile delinquents that range in age from ten to seventeen years of age. They stay in our program anywhere from thirty days to a year. Most of them have a truancy charge so school is important while they are with us. Short term: Setting up areas and items to entice animals to relocate in our community. The annual flowers that the students planted will have enhanced the beauty of the school grounds while attracting different animals, butterflies and insects. When the plants are weeded, leaves trimmed or plants removed from the area they are placed in one area for composting, which will be used in the garden for fertilizer Long term: Providing a place for the hawks to nest and hopefully the eagle that has been seen several times down by our school. Platforms will allow this. Birdhouses placed outside will entice the birds to return yearly, giving them their own habitat. (Our area will not expand and the habitats be destroyed again.) Perennials planted will add beautification to the property for years and make visitation for the families a more relaxing place. They will also provide food for insects, butterflies and other animals, providing homes not only for birds but other wildlife. Allowing an area to grow up down toward our pond to give back to the animal their habitat that man has destroyed around here, especially on Shivers Rd with construction of buildings and cutting down trees to do this. My students and I want to make our schoolyard become a national schoolyard wildlife habitat. The school is located between two cow pastures with a pond on one side too. Our goals are to:

1. Provide a designated area where the grass won't be cut near the pond to provide a natural home for insects, animals and plants.
2. Make a Carolina fence garden.
3. Provide birdhouses, platforms on poles and feeders in different areas to provide nesting places and food for the birds.
4. Make a butterfly garden.
5. Give back to the soil through composting and gardening and how insects play a positive role in the garden.
6. Instill in the students the importance they play in protecting natural habitats and the environment.

Reach for the Stars
Project Director: Carol Burch
Hannibal Central School
928 Cayuga Street
Hannibal, New York 13074
315-564-7910
cburch@hannibalcsd.org

Hannibal's "Reach for the Stars" project will put the tools of astronomy into the hands of young third and fourth grade students through a series of child & parent evening events. Kids will learn about their place in the universe, the night sky, basic astronomy, and how to use telescopes and binoculars to make observations. The program will also make auto-locating telescopes and narrating star finders available for loan to the families for short periods. The project's primary goals are to excite young students about science inquiry and to create a family-centered learning dynamic through a hobby that can be shared across generations. The easy to use compact telescopes and narrating star finders will assist novice astronomers in exploring the previously unseen night sky. It is hoped that sparking an early interest in science may result in some of these students choosing to pursue science-related careers.

Myth Busters
Project Director: Maria Cieslak
Project Staff: Francine Gollmer
Gene Ward Elementary
1555 E. Hacienda Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
702-799-5650
Mcjc123@aol.com; Maria_y._cieslak@interact.ccsd.net

Writing in complete, coherent sentences is difficult for our second language learners and economically disadvantaged population. What better way to engage 100 fifth graders to write informative and narrative texts when it involves them in creating podcasts over the Internet and innovative videos. Science not only comes alive for them, but also to the other 650 elementary students at our Title 1, "At Risk" school. Ten misconceptions that the school has in life, physical, and earth science will be studied by three fifth grade classes. The Project Director, Science Specialist, and staff will administer a science survey to preschool to 5th grade students at the end of the 2008 school year. Once the Project Director determines the school's ten most relevant misconceptions, fifth graders will conduct inquiry based experiments, consult with science experts from the University of Reno and the Nevada State College, conduct research over the Internet, and read nonfiction books to disprove the myths. Fifth grade teachers and the Science Specialist will monitor student progress and achievement of scientific concepts and writing skills. Fifth graders will be keeping detailed science notebooks of their investigative inquiries, using graphic organizers, scientific questions, and observations. They will record data with digital cameras and camcorders. Rubrics will be created for podcasts and videos to evaluate students' complete understanding of the scientific concepts. Writing abilities will be evaluated by a developmental writing program called "Write From the Beginning". In February, podcasts and videos will be determined accurate by the Project Staff. Videos and podcasts containing the ten scientific myth presentations will be viewed by every grade level over the Internet in March and April. After viewing the materials and listening to teacher Read-Alouds of nonfiction science books, all students will conduct experiments found in ten kits and take a post survey regarding the school's main science misconceptions. The Project Manager will then report the school wide analysis on the ten misconceptions in May 2009.

Gang Green and the Zap Squad
Project Director: Conni Crittenden
Staff: Deborah Sileo
Explorer Elementary School
416 Highland
Williamston, Michigan 48895
517-655-2174
crittec@wmston.k12.mi.us; crittec@gmail.com

"How do we make a difference at our school and our community?" This was the question that was posed to 44 fourth and fifth grade students in the multiage classroom recently as part of a "Serve to Learn" project discussion. Many ideas were generated, but the one that students really wanted to know was how they could make the biggest difference in the energy consumption at our school and in our homes. They felt we should be able to go far beyond the paper and water bottle recycling we were currently doing. What about the amount of electricity we use? What about the water usage? With the price of oil, how can we cut down expenses and help our environment? How big is our school's carbon footprint? We asked students to think about the kinds of investigations they might conduct to get at the answers to all these questions. Their responses included a variety of areas where they would like to do energy audits, then record their data and bring it back to the group for further discussion. They figured that from there they could propose ways to make our school more energy efficient. Thus the creation of "Gang Green" and "The Zap Team", student "green teams" that would be energy auditors, and energy educators! Having students designing and implementing investigations for a school-wide energy audit gives them a chance to do real world connected inquiry. They will have to determine how to make careful measurements, record their data, analyze their results , research the methods for testing, find alternatives that require less energy use, determine the right measurement tools for the job, along with being able to effectively communicate their findings to the right audiences. All this will strengthen and improve our students' informational text reading and writing skills as they work to investigate the way we use energy in our school and at home. Results of student audits and research will be shared with the school community, parents, administrators, and the local School Board in written communications, and through student created pod casts that will be posted on the school website.

Going Green: School Wide Recycling and Composting Initiative
Project Director: Michael Dietter
Northwest Village School
91 Plainville Drive
Plainville, Connecticut 06062
860-793-3787
mdietter@wheelerclinic.org; mdietter@sjc.edu

The Northwest Village School (NVS) and The Academy at Middletown, programs of Wheeler Clinic, make up the largest private special education program in Connecticut, serving more than 200 students from more than 50 districts in and around Hartford and central Connecticut. They combine the educational expertise of certified teachers and the therapeutic skills of the clinical staff to provide special education and support services to children who exhibit behavioral and/or learning difficulties. With a team of teachers, psychologists, social workers, recreational therapists, speech and hearing therapists, and occupational therapists all on staff, students receive their education and a host of other special services, all in one location in the course of the school day. Intensive social stimulation and a communication enhancement approach give students the experiences necessary to prepare them for their return and inclusion in their home school districts. The children of the clinic's special education programs range in age from three to 21 and are referred from their public school districts because they are having extreme difficulty functioning in a public school setting. They come with serious emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities, and a growing number have a combination of challenges that are increasingly complex. Additionally, they are an at-risk population due to poverty (80% qualify for free or reduced lunches), the restrictions of their disabilities, and other variables. The NVS staff and students produce over 25 pounds of compostable food waste each day. Developing a composting and recycling program at NVS will expand student awareness of consumption, waste and recycling practices. Composting and recycling are viable and worthwhile activities with many inherent benefits for students; taking responsibility for school waste, the community; reducing the amount of waste entering the refuse system, and the environment; returning valuable nutrients to the soil enhancing the schools organic garden.

Achieving Spatial Understanding through Inquiry Based Instruction with GPS Receivers
Project Director: Dennis Eickhoff
Frank Bergman Elementary School
3430 Lombard Drive
Manhattan, Kansas 66503
785-587-2865
dennise@manhattan.k12.ks.us

Spatial visualization skills are an important part of understanding and recognizing how things fit into our world. Pictorial representation is one of the oldest forms of communication used in the world today. These images not only communicate ideas, but also make reference to a process, thought or an outline. Many students have difficulty understanding or comprehending the graphic representation of three-dimensional objects. Most schools in America ignore the fact that spatial visualization skills can be taught in the primary grades as an integration piece in math, art and science. A child can develop and refine these skills to better understand spatial visualization. Research indicates that males are naturally better in this area of understanding and modeling, which would explain why more males enter into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields than women. I plan to assemble a series of lessons that I could utilze in my classroom that will reinforce spatial reasoning skills for all of my students using GPS's receivers. Understanding direction and spatial skills is something I feel I am proficient in being a land surveyor for 15 years. For me, the sense of direction and 3-dimensional modeling comes easy. In contrast, I see the daily struggles my students have in understanding spatial reasoning, especially females. I have noticed in the past that this lack of understanding impedes their application of key mathematical concepts, especially in the area of geometry. I will better understand the shortcomings students have in spatial visualization, develop lessons to increase their skills and attempt to change the ideology of the females in my class in that they can choose career fields in the STEM fields because they can perform at the same academic level as males regardless of the curriculum.

Management and Monitoring of Invasive Species in the Bishop's Tract Preserve Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Project Director: Rebecca Grella
Staff: Scott Graviano, Adrienne Davis, Jerry Cheng
Brentwood High School
1st and 6th Streets
Brentwood, New York 11717
631-434-2391
rebeccagrella@gmail.com; rgrella@bufsd.org

The Brentwood Union Free School District, located in central Suffolk County in New York State, is a racially and ethnically diverse community with a high level of poverty and a paucity of cultural or recreational inducements for the 16,500 students attending the public school district. Invasive species have long been a problem affecting the long island ecosystem. For this project we propose to investigate using GIS technology to infer the incidence of invasive species as an indicator of environmental disruption. Our proposed study involves sampling on nature preserve where hiking trails and litter have caused much disruption. Using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology and ecological field sampling techniques, we propose to engage our students in a wonder of the natural world and implement the "Management and Monitoring of Invasive Species", in the Bishops Tract Preserve. This proposed program will incorporate a pre-existing environmental science curriculum and introduce cutting-edge GIS monitoring software to closely monitor and maintain Bishop's Tract Preserve as well as promote environmental stewardship. Student involvement in environmental preservation and protection is critical in order to develop a future generation of informed policymakers. Given that this community has a high student drop-out rate and that the vast majority of students reside in poverty conditions, making them a high at-risk population, it is critical to address the needs of our environment to these students in order for them to make effective choices in the future as well as providing them with a first-rate, hands-on learning experience. The Brentwood Bishop's Tract Stewardship program is designed to inspire our students to discover more about the natural world through ecological sampling and GIS technology. We will work in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory and Suffolk County. Bishop's Tract GIS Stewardship Project encourages students to get involved in activities that promote environmental stewardship as well as learn about how invasive disrupt natural flora. The space we propose to study is a 38 acre parcel adjacent to the school.

Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Under the Big Sky
Project Director: Melissa Henthorn
Staff: Earle Adams, Nancy Marra, Tony Ward, Diana Vanek
Hellgate High School
900 South Higgins
Missoula, Montana 59825
406-728-2400
mhenthorn@mcps.k12.mt.us; mhenth@bresnan.net

In 2004 and 2006, two Toyota TAPESTRY grants were awarded to two veteran high school science teachers in western Montana. Their projects emanated from their collaboration with the Department of Chemistry and the Center for Environmental Health Sciences at The University of Montana. Both projects centered around "air toxics" studies in western Montana by involving high school students in participatory scientific research based on real environmental problems in their communities. Since the inception of this alliance a total of eight schools, including two American Indian high schools, have joined the student research initiatives in the area of environmental air chemistry. Over the years this growing collaborative group has become known as the "Air Toxics" program. Recent statistics show that people on the average spend 90% of their time indoors, which has resulted in greater attention and concern with air quality in homes and the workplace. Increasingly rigorous and sophisticated air studies are providing mounting evidence about the human health effects related to indoor air quality (IAQ). One chemical in the home and work place that is gaining more attention is carbon dioxide (CO2). It is a colorless odorless gas that may cause impaired breathing and even unconsciousness. CO2 has gained notoriety as a greenhouse gas and the primary factor driving global climate change but has received far less recognition as an indoor gas toxic. Indoor CO2 concentrations in rural residences are typically linked to inadequately ventilated heating and combustion processes. Along with other indoor toxics, it has been linked to upper respiratory illness implicated in Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). For this model study, two classes of 20 students at Hellgate High School will participate in collecting air quality data in homes, schools and public places to track and determine quality of indoor air in terms of CO2. High School students will coordinate with university researchers to learn certified techniques and interpretation of data. Students will be able to publicize their results at the annual "Air Toxics" symposium (www.umt.edu/cehs/airtox.html). They will work individually and as teams in data collection and analysis and will coordinate with Missoula County Health Department and school officials to identify and prioritize IAQ problems.

Light and Sound: Exploring Energy at the Playground
Project Director: Anne Hess-Mahan
Bishop Elementary School
25 Columbia Road
Arlington, Massachusetts 02474
781-316-3795
Hess-mahan@rcn.com

This project expands the science classroom to the outdoors through the unique collection of science-based play equipment installed on our elementary school playground. During science classes and recess, students will have the opportunity to explore and reinforce physical science concepts through hands-on activities and inquiry-based learning. This project allows students to test their hypotheses and observe the results related to the abstract concepts of light and sound. This innovative project is aimed at the 3rd and 5th grade curriculum to determine whether instruction of physical science concepts can be enhanced by providing science-based structures at a school playground for students to use in exploring sound and light energy concepts. It is our belief that regular, familiar experimentation with these difficult concepts will give the students very real experiences to reference in their studies. Every piece will be permanently installed at the playground and will directly correlate with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Framework upon which the school's science curriculum is based. Light and sound concepts are a significant part of the elementary science curriculum for grades 3 and 5 and are naturally suited to real world observation and interaction in an outdoor setting. An important goal is to get students outside to learn about sound and light, and experience it regularly. There are 2 main goals of this project: First, science education will be enhanced by allowing science teachers to take their classes outdoors to teach science lessons using the equipment installed at the playground. They will use existing curriculum to teach concepts with hands-on experimentation using the outdoor equipment. Second, since the science structures will be permanently installed, students will have the opportunity to reinforce what they learned in class by exploring through their own active play during recess. A community board will display a rotating series of questions related to the outdoor equipment that students can explore on their own during recess or after school.

Curious George Teaches Science
Project Director: Amanda Hinds
Lincoln Junior High School
1206 NW Leopard Lane
Bentonville, Arkansas 72712
479-254-5250
ahinds@bentonville.k12.ar.us; ahinds25@hotmail.com

It is my goal to develop and nurture a lifelong curiosity of the world and improve student's reading, writing, and scientific understanding through the integration of literacy and science. I will use the book series "Curious George," the state standards for 7th grade science, inquiry investigations, other types of text and the students' minds to make my goal a reality. For example, in the book "Curious George Rides a Bike" Newton's Laws of Motion are illustrated through George's curiosity. My students will first listen as the book is read aloud, using reading strategies while they listen (predict, infer, conclude, visualize, connect, and question). They will do a quick write in their interactive science journal of a connection they had with the book; they will then read about Newton's Laws of Motion. While they are reading and taking notes over the laws of motion, they will continue using the reading strategies mentioned earlier. When finished with the text, the students will work in small groups to design an experiment to demonstrate each law of motion. They will then perform the demonstration to show understanding. Lastly, the students will write a fact poem about motion. All of the work done will go in their science journal. The above was only one example of what I plan to do with this project; every unit won't work the exact same way. There will be times when the Curious George book or another illustrated book/poem will be used at the end of the unit or in the middle. The students will use their journal all year, they will do science inquiry investigations all year, and they will write about what they are learning (various forms: poetry, essay, open response, etc). The purpose is to take something familiar (a child's book) and teach something unfamiliar (a science concept) while creating curiosity and developing their scientific literacy skills.

My First (Grade) Science Yearbook
Project Director: Gloria Ivery-Holmes
Staff: Tiana Covington
Leslie J. Steele Elementary School
2162 Second Avenue
Decatur, Georgia 30032
678-874-9102
Gloria_j_ivery@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us

The goal of this project is for the first grade students at Leslie J. Steele Elementary School to keep a record of their science experiences by creating individual yearbooks, as well as a common class yearbook, of their science activities throughout their entire first grade year. The yearbooks will include photographs of students participating in the activities, as well as students writing about what they are doing in the photographs (caption writing), group writing, data collections (like temperature data), drawings and other student-generated materials. By keeping yearbooks, we are giving students the opportunity to remember and reflect on everything they have done in science throughout the year. We are also giving them the opportunity to read and re-read their own writing. Finally, we are giving them a chance to use informational (nonfiction) reading and writing, which is typically done less often than fiction reading and writing in early elementary classrooms. Through the implementation of this project, we believe we will be increasing our students' love of reading and science by creating a science/literacy keepsake that they can go back and look at throughout their first grade year, and the years to come.

We Can Change the World
Project Director: Candace Leverette
Staff: Valiere Akins, Tonya Monroe
Aycock Middle School
811 Cypress Street
Greensboro, North Carolina 27405
336-370-8110
leverec@gcsnc.com

The goal of this field project is to provide 6th grade Science Magnet geology students of Aycock Middle School with the necessary training and equipment to conduct and monitor results of the soil quality of the school grounds. Students will conduct diversity studies of the eco-system to determine the most effective use of landscaping needed and determine the best areas to restore of the school to the standards of the historical district in which the school in located. The geology students will assist in the purchasing of the materials and equipment and in surveying the land for the best possible options and landscaping based on their findings. Teacher and students will be trained on how to use the study kits by the Project Director. The teams will be designated a specific task of the project to be completed. The field project will take from six to eight weeks to complete with growth possibilities for future years.

CROW Project: Connecting Reading through the Outdoor World
Project Director: Carol Loftus
Staff: Carrie Grundhauser, Jenifer Swenson, Paul Chepolis
Holland Township School
710 Milford-Warren Glenn Road
Milford, New Jersey 08848
908-995-2401
cloft@hts.k12.nj.us

The purpose of this project is to introduce elementary students to inquiry-based science in their own backyard while reinforcing early literacy skills. Reluctant readers will be exposed to high interest books that encourage outdoor explorations. The development of backpacks as part of our lending library will foster a home school connection and support parents in developing a love of reading and science in their children. The interactive blog will provide additional resources as well as an area for our budding scientists to display data and artifacts discovered in their own backyards. This is a middle school science club service project designed to benefit the students in the elementary school. The science club students will work with the science teachers and librarian to select, order materials, and assemble inquiry-based science backpacks that will be available to sign out in the library. Elementary students in grades K-4 will check out the backpacks. Families will be introduced to the project through a hands-on evening that utilizes the methodology of inquiry-based science and demonstrates the interactive technology. Each grade level will have five backpacks that stimulate outdoor investigations. The clear backpacks will contain three books from different genres that stimulate student interest in outdoor investigations. The website will also contain leading questions written by the middle school student to stimulate curiosity. Materials relevant to the topics will be included.

A Birds-Eye View
Project Director: Carolyn Nesbitt
Manzano Day School
1801 Central Avenue NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104
505-243-4711
cnesbitt@manxanodayschool.org

"A Bird's-Eye View" was developed to teach third grade students the process birds go through to develop their nest and raise their young. This project gives students an opportunity to observe the process first hand and to be involved in a national study. Four nest boxes with web cams will be placed by the third grade students in different habitats which enables them to learn about birds and the specific areas they live in. The nest boxes and web cams will be installed before the spring breeding season. Students will monitor them on a weekly basis through a secure website until they are inhabited, after which they will check them on a daily basis. Students will also observe the bird's movements through binoculars. Their observations and findings will be shared individually, in group discussions, presentations and will be included in a national study. Each activity the students participate in meets the New Mexico State Science Standards as well as the National Science Standards. Throughout this project students will use the scientific method, discover the process of nest building, work on identifying birds and habitats and compare and study birds to habitats and learn how to work with local and national organizations. "A Birds-Eye View" supports the current curriculum used in the third grade classrooms and will be a great addition to their three-month study of birds. This project will be evaluated on a continuing basis. Students will keep a journal with their observations and experiments and they will be tested at the end of the project. Other activities include bird watching and identification, building bird nests based on their observations, and predicting and testing their hypotheses.

Bowling Machines (Electrical Systems, Simple Machines)
Project Director: Patrick Pape
Staff: Gregory Wagoner
Pardeeville Middle School
120 S. Oak Street
P.O. Box 130
Pardeeville, Wisconsin 53954
608-429-2153
PapePa@pardeeville.k12.wi.us; pjpape@jvlnet.com

Students will learn to use simple machines and electrical circuits to create a system that will knock over plastic bowling pins in a tournament format. Teaching and review of simple machines, parallel and series circuits, laws of gravity and motion, leads students into applying these principles to a system that is designed to knock over bowling pins. Students design their own machine or improve upon a design from previous years plans, which are available to them. Technically, it's a technology unit and we experiment with unique strategies to accomplish the task. Since most have experienced some of these forms of technology in their daily lives, like an automatic door opener at the grocery store, getting them to apply the concept in their project will help them to identify, explain, and retain knowledge of the skill.

Migration Mystery: The Life History of the Hudsonian Godwit
Project Director: Andrea Pokrzywinski
Lower Kuskokwim School District
P.O. Box 305
Bethel, Alaska 99559
907-543-4926
Andrea_pokrzywinski@lksd.org; andreaupnort@gmail.com

The Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD), consists of 22 villages on the tundra of southwest Alaska. These Yupik villages are only accessible by plane or boat, except in the winter when the rivers freeze. Students have a limited opportunity to travel and many utilize distance learning tools to study science. The district is located in the middle of the largest wildlife refuge in the US. The Yukon Delta Wildlife Refuge is the summer breeding ground for rare shorebirds such as the Hudsonian Godwits. These shorebirds travel between Alaska, New Zealand, and South America. Some of these shorebirds perform the largest nonstop migrations in the world. This project will connect students that live along the flyway of rare shorebirds through migration research and technology. LKSD Students will partner with scientists to study shorebirds with scientists from the Yukon Delta Wildlife Refuge and the Pacific Shorebird Migration Project. Two students will join scientists in a week-long field trip to photograph and capture video for the project during the summer nesting season. They will investigate the Hudsonian Godwits of Aropuk Lake. This is one of three known places Hudsonian Godwits breed in the world for. There is little information about what these birds eat and what makes Aropuk Lake a good habitat. Media from the summer project will provide resources for the fall and spring Ecology students to create Migratory Spotlight reports. These reports will be integrated into the ecology unit, Arctic Nesting Shorebirds. Students will create their own video presentations to share shorebird research findings. They will present to international students who live along the same flyway. LKSD students will also share presentations by with the village schools around the delta and Alaska flyways. These presentations will be made over IP video conferencing connections. The Shorebird Sister Schools Project will connect LKSD students with other classes in Chile and Argentina through their international network.

Exploring Horseshoe Crabs as an Ecological Asset to Florida's Coastal Communities: An Experimentalist Approach
Project Director: Sean Sand
Staff; Catherine Marcinkiewcz, Carmella Osteen, Jane Brockmann
A.L. Mebane Middle School
16401 N. 140th Street
Alachua, Florida 32615
386-462-1648
Sean_sand@yahoo.com; saffron@ufl.edu

This project is designed to enhance the middle school science curriculum by using hands-on, inquiry-based experiments with horseshoe crabs in order to stimulate interest in ecology and the biological sciences. In this unit, students will gain an understanding of the evolutionary forces that made horseshoe crabs one of the most robust creatures on earth today, having survived 500 million years and changing very little in all that time. Students will come to appreciate the value of biodiversity in ecosystems as they learn how to maintain adult horseshoe crabs in the classroom, which relies on the interdependence of many different species such nitrifying bacteria, algae, and detritivores. They will conduct their own investigations into horseshoe crab development and behavior by raising horseshoe crabs in the classroom, from eggs to juveniles. The project will culminate in a field trip to Cedar Key, Florida, in which students will be deployed as "field researchers" as they collect their own water and sand samples near horseshoe crab nesting sites for "in house" analysis in the classroom. There they release the juvenile horseshoe crabs that were raised in the classroom so that they can reach maturity in their natural habitat. Through an ongoing collaboration between teachers at A.L. Mebane Middle School and scientists at the University of Florida facilitated by the NSF Science Partners in Inquiry-based Collaborative Education (SPICE) program, we will draw on a variety of expertise across disciplines in order to make this project a lasting success.

Got Grease? Let's Make Biodiesel (A Proposal to Make Biodiesel and Test its Emissions)
Project Director: Brian Sievers
Thornridge High School
15000 Cottage Grove
Dolton, Illinois 60419
708-271-4400 x4640
sievers.brian@district205.net

As teachers, one of the greatest gifts we can give to students is to empower and encourage them that they can have a positive impact on society. There is no greater way of motivating students than to give them a project in which they would physically construct something and have ownership of. My students are aware and concerned about air pollution, as we are located in the south suburbs of Chicago. The students in my physics classes at Thornridge High School often pose the question, "What can we do to help reduce air pollution?" Biodiesel fuel is proposed to lower exhaust emissions. The students in my physics classes and myself discussed the affects of "biodiesel" on the environment and we decided we would love to construct a biodiesel processor. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could give the students at Thornridge High School the opportunity to construct their own biodiesel processor to produce their own low emissions fuel and then have them perform tests to demonstrate that this fuel does indeed produce lower emissions than traditional fuel. Our hypothesis would be, "Biodiesel produces lower emissions than traditional diesel fuel." Our question would be, "By how much does biodiesel lower emissions as compared to traditional diesel fuel?" Using safe practices, students would construct a biodiesel processor, and through the amazing world of chemistry and physics, they would produce biodiesel fuel. Building a biodiesel processor and producing fuel from waste cooking oils, will provide students with an exciting and a rewarding opportunity to construct a working experiment. Not only will the students construct the biodiesel processor, they will create useable fuel from waste. In doing so, they would gain an awareness of recycling and reuse. Finally, the ultimate goal will be to have students use the scientific method to perform experiments in which they would measure the emissions output from two diesel vehicles; one vehicle running on traditional diesel fuel, and the other vehicle running on biodiesel that we would manufacture, and present their findings to our community. In Illinois, all vehicles are required to have emission tests. My students would coordinate emissions testing with our local emission testing facility and tabulate the results.

Gemology for Geology
Project Director: Michael Sinclair
Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center
600 West Vine, Suite 400
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008
269-337-0004
dragonphysics@yahoo.com; msinclair@kamsc.k12.mi.us

This project is to develop and implement a two-week gemology "short program" for my senior geology course. The students will examine, measure, characterize, and identify key features of a wide array of gemstones, and evaluate the economic value of the gems based on several key factors (the 4 C's; clarity, color, cut, and carat weight). The course outline will be created using extensive background research into both the physics of gemological structures of precious minerals—such as crystal habit, hardness, and refractive index—along with the standards set by the Gemological Institute of America for evaluation and appraisal. The project will also have the assistance of a licensed gemologist for the development of a formal laboratory investigation. The majority of the proposed budget will be used to purchase six sets of a variety of gemstones for the students to study, with the remainder of the monies spent on reference materials and equipment (such as magnifying loupes and polariscopes). Upon completion of the project, a summary of the unit and the laboratory exercise will be published and the unit will be presented at several area science teachers conferences.

Efficient Engineering with Simple Machines
Project Director: Diana Sturtevant
Staff: Kevin Evanco, Bill Kean, Dave Stephenson
Carl Von Linne Elementary School
3221 N. Sacramento
Chicago, Illinois 60618
773-534-5262
imsturt@sbcglobal.net; dnsturtevant@cps.edu

Efficient Engineering with Simple Machines is designed to engage students through research, hands-on experiences, and collaboration. The project will begin with shared and independent reading using trade books and informational books. Using information learned from reading and while working with parent volunteers and two visiting engineers, students will use real tools and materials to design and create functional models that use simple machines. Their models could include a pulley system to hang posters or a short bookshelf on wheels. Once they complete their models, students will present their learning in small groups to their peers. Our culminating event will be a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry for a focused experience with simple machines.

Flight for Survival: Kindergartners' Journey with the Whooping Cranes
Project Director: Laurie Sullivan
Staff: Susan Golden, Elizabeth Rente, Wendy Ratcliffe, Cristina Torres
Kate Waller Barrett Elementary
4401 North Henderson Road
Arlington, Virginia 22203
703-228-6288
Laurie_Sullivan@apsva.us; Laurie_Sullivan@yahoo.com

We will use the plight of the whooping crane, shared with us via the Journey North website, as our vehicle to make meaningful the science and literacy standards we are required to teach. The unit will also integrate art, music, social studies, mathematics, and career awareness. As we learn about the whooping cranes, we will also make connections and observations in our schoolyard habitat. What animals live in our area? What do they need? What birds do we see? Do we see them all the time? How has all the construction affected the animals' habitat? Our staff has read Robust Vocabulary Instruction: Bringing Works to Life by Isabel Beck and Margaret Mckeown. We will use the strategies to introduce vocabulary related to the cranes. We will create the Whooping Word Wall for the robust vocabulary. Other literacy activities include concept sorts, Readers Theater, poems, and songs. We will make an alphabet book relating to the crane migration. We have rafted a play for the students. The students will write observations in a journal of the local birds. We will produce a hardcover book of all the activities related to the whooping crane project. Multiple copies of the book will be available for check out from the library. One innovative aspect of the project is a new endeavor for us. We plan to use live streaming technology to produce a weekly Whooping Crane News Report. The students will have a green screen behind them to show images related to the report. Since the program is live, it encourages interaction. Anyone can post a question to the chat space and we can answer it. And if the students don't know the answer, you can bet they will be motivated to find the information for the following week's show.

Worlds Apart: Connecting Continents through Children and Migratory Birds
Project Director: Patricia Swen
Blue Lake Elementary
282 North Blue Lake Avenue
DeLand, Florida 32724
386-822-6760
pgswen@volusia.k12.fl.us; pswen@bellsouth.net

This project proposes to link students at Blue Lake Elementary in DeLand, Florida with students at El Colegio Integrado de Fontibon in Bogota Colombia through a series of activities revolving around migratory birds. 1. Multi-level students will travel to Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge habitat to observe migratory birds A consortium of Blue Lake students from grades 2 through 5 will travel to Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge to utilize the birding trail and estuary to observe migratory birds. Students will travel through established trails through the Refuge in order view any of the 215 migratory wading water fowl. Students will use birding techniques to view, report, sketch observations and record various species of watering birds. Students will become familiar with the varied habitats on site and local history. Students will then present the information to science classes kindergarten through grade 5 through written and visual aids (reports, pictures, presentation boards, PowerPoint.) 2. Students create on-site observatory Students will then work to create an on-site observatory utilizing habitat study and observations made at Lake Woodruff. To attract birds from surrounding nesting and watering areas, students will help place water sites and feeding areas to attract birds to the campus. Students will help identify native wildlife and plant species. Students will clear two staging areas along a small wooded area on campus so that birds may be observed without disruption. The area will be conducive for a class-size group of students to write and sketch drawings. 3. Students share findings, track birds, share concerns over habitat and environmental loss Blue Lake students will communicate information at bi-monthly intervals through various artifacts with the students in Bogota including pictures, e-mail, letters, and/or web-camera communications. Students will discuss such issues as environments supporting habitats and habitat loss due to development and other economic or natural impact.

Science in the Lobby
Project Director: William Underly
Saint Cloud Elementary School
2701 Budinger Street
Saint Cloud, Florida 34769
407-891-3160
underlyw@osceola.k12.fl.us; underlybill@yahoo.com

The grant request was divided in to two distinct parts. The Orlando Science Center has a tremendous outreach program where they bring 20-25 hands-on science experiments to your school for an evening of science. The first part of our grant will guarantee three of the science nights for the next school year. The second part of the grant will provide funding to support a before school science program in our school lobby for grades K-5. I will develop hands-on experiments that will engage all students with fun activities utilizing the scientific method. The experiments will be facilitated by other students who have been briefed and trained on the experiment.

Understanding Physics through High-Speed Photography
Project Director: Steve Vonderfecht
Lathrop R-II
612 Center Street
Lathrop, Missouri 64465
816-528-7614
svonderfecht@lathrop.k12.mo.us; srvonderfecht@hotmail.com

What really happens when a golf ball is struck by a 5-iron? Classic energy and projectile motion events sometimes happen so fast that it is difficult for students to visualize what is taking place. If a rubber band is stretched over a nail and then let go, when does the rubber band lose contact with the nail? And more importantly, why does it behave the way it does? When a soap bubble is popped, does it explode simultaneously over the bubble or does it disengrate from a single point? These are just a few of the examples that students can investigate through high-speed photography. The purpose of this project is to obtain the equipment to allow the students to investigate collisions that can only be seen with high-speed photography and also to appreciate the visual art that sometimes escapes our eyesight.

Watch It Grow
Project Director: Kristi Wakefield
Staff: Michael Mumma
K.B. Polk Vanguard Elementary
6911 Victoria Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75209
972-794-8900
grafia@sbcglobal.net; kwakefield@dallasisd.org

The goal of this project is to allow my 280 inner-city kindergarten through third grades students get a first-hand experience at growing and observing plants. These students will be able to witness plants going through their complete life cycles and study actual plant structures. Students will keep detailed journals of their plants and make literary connections through the use of a class library. With the use of a GrowLab, students will have plants readily available for all lab observations. This Growlab will provide necessary space and lighting needed for plants to thrive in a school enviroment.

Feel the Earth Move
Project Director: Susan Yerino
Woodvale Elementary School
100 Leon Drive
Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
337-984-8011
scyerino@lpssonline.com; georino@cox.net

Feel the earth move will provide approximately 650 K to 4 students hands-on experience in how earth materials and features form and change. Students will study the difference in soils and see how erosion affects materials and creates soil. Students will use a stream table to show wind and water erosion and river age. Younger students will make rock types using edible materials then transfer that knowledge to real rock samples. They will classify rocks using a dichotomous key. Students will grow "minerals" in the classroom then classify real minerals based on physical characteristics. Students will shave crayons then press them together to make a sedimentary rock. As a class, we will deform the "rock" further to make a metamorphic rock, and then melt it to make an igneous rock. By the end, students should get a good feel for the rock cycle. Students will build rock sections from various materials and use compressive forces to study faulting and folding. They will use eggs and puzzles to study plate tectonics and relate to folding and faulting. Students will also use chemicals to see how a volcano erupts, both shield and composite. Students will examine fossils and how they are made. 3rd will create a timeline on computer, then compare and date fossil replicas using the time line. 4th will create a fossil map from a dig site and reconstruct the depositional environment.