The National Academies of Science has some ideas for “Igniting a Passion for Science” in your students. The session this morning featured forensic anthropologist Diane France.
Before France spoke, attendees were encouraged to think about why they would integrate scientists into their teaching. The benefits mentioned included exposing students to alternative careers, making science ‘real’ and accessable, and the scientist’s complementary knowledge base. It was quite an animated discussion!
In case you’re wondering, this was not a lunch session – the fried chicken legs in the photo were dissected during the session as teachers got hands-on expereince with a lab they could share with their students back in the classroom. The talk ranged from variations of bone density caused by stress load, to osteoporosis, to steriods used for body building, and how forensic anthropologists can use that kind of information when identifying bones. There was also discussion of how bone fractures depending on when the break occurred in relation to time of death and the cause of the break.