GK-12 Project Summary

Title: Let’s Explore Applied Physical Science (LEAPS)

Institution: UCSB PI: Prof. Elisabeth Gwinn (Physics)

Co-PIs: Dr. Lynne Cavazos (Graduate School of Education), Prof. Jean Carlson (Physics), Prof. Anthony Cheetham (Materials and Chemistry), Dr. Fiona Goodchild (Materials Research Lab), Prof. Helen Hansma (Physics), Marilyn Garza (Santa Barbara Junior High School), Melissa Woods (Santa Barbara High School)

Number Fellows per year: 6 graduate, 2 undergraduate in Year1; 9 graduate, 3 undergraduate in Year 2; 12 graduate, 4 undergraduate in Year 3.

Target Audience: Grades 8 & 9 Project setting: Primarily urban

NSF supported disciplines involved: Physics, Chemistry, Engineering

Let’s Explore Applied Physical Science (LEAPS) will engage UCSB graduate and undergraduate Fellows as instructors and mentors for inquiry-based science in Grade 8 and Grade 9 science classrooms. The LEAPS Fellows will be selected from outstanding graduate students and undergraduates with research experience in the Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Departments. To implement hands-on, minds-on learning experiences in physical science, LEAPS will establish collaboration between the Fellows, science teachers, and UCSB scientists in school classrooms, at summer institutes, and by means of the internet and webcasting. LEAPS Fellows will assist in schools with a high percentage of students from groups that are under-represented in science.

The proposed project will be a partnership between the UCSB Physics Department, the NSF’s Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) at UCSB, and the Endowment for Youth Committee in Santa Barbara. LEAPS will build on existing science education outreach projects at UCSB: the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program in the MRL, and the Physics Circus, a Physics Department volunteer outreach program. LEAPS will integrate and expand these programs so that Fellows are trained to make a systemic impact on student learning and discovery in Grade 8 Physical Science and Grade 9 Conceptual Physics. LEAPS will develop a model for small group investigation that will be pilot-tested and disseminated through LEAPS Science Institutes to local teachers and at state and national science teaching conferences.

LEAPS has selected lead teachers who have been inspired to pursue inquiry learning through their participation in the RET program. These teachers wish to introduce hands-on investigation and discovery into the curriculum recently mandated by the California State Science Standards. They find this difficult because of large class size and lack of resources. LEAPS Fellows will be trained for classroom instruction by these lead teachers and UCSB educators and scientists. The Fellows will assist with inquiry labs and will serve as mentors. UCSB scientists will collaborate with Fellows and lead teachers in planning inquiry activities. This collaboration will enrich LEAPS fellows by providing understanding of content, by suggesting applications of concepts and principles in Physical Science, and by improving their teaching, communication, and leadership skills. LEAPS Fellows will work with lead teachers and their students to mentor science fair experiments. These will be presented at Family Science Nights at schools, to be attended by students, parents, teachers, LEAPS Fellows and UCSB scientists.