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The Science House
North Carolina State University
A Progress Report
July 1, 1996 - August 15, 1997
The Science House is a learning outreach program of North Carolina State University. The mission of The Science House is to work in partnership with K-12 teachers to emphasize the use of hands-on learning in mathematics and science. This mission is accomplished through teacher and student programs that span North Carolina.
(note: we have changed the report schedule to better reflect the activity cycle of The Science House)
In 1993 The Science House embarked on two major high school science teacher training and support projects entitled NSF Team Science and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Precollege Program. These projects have reached over 38 teachers and 21 high schools. Over the last four academic years about 14,000 students have been taught by these teachers and have used laboratory equipment loaned from NC State. The teachers have participated each summer in several weeks of summer training activities and have been loaned computer-based laboratory equipment on a regular basis. These "pioneers" have now in turn taught other teachers how to use teaching technology, and have led their school systems in obtaining equipment for their own labs.
Beginning of NSF EMPOWER Project
With funding from the National Science Foundation we will work with 120 middle school science and mathematics teachers over three years to help them learn to use computer- and calculator-based laboratory equipment in their classrooms. In the summer, 1997, we began EMPOWER with a cohort of 54 teachers from 22 schools in rural NC. The teachers received three weeks of training at NC State, at Triton High School in Erwin, and Imagination Station in Wilson. During the school year eight classroom activity sets, including computers, calculators and laboratory equipment, are being circulated to the participating teachers and schools.
The Caldwell County Satellite
With support from NC State and the Glaxo Wellcome Foundation we have established a Science House "Satellite" at the Education Center of Caldwell County Schools in Lenoir. Charlie Lewis, an ex-high school science teacher, is the resident Master Teacher. He brings a van load of computers and laboratory equipment to science teachers in six collaborating high schools in Caldwell, Catawba and Burke counties. He also led a two week summer teacher training program for twenty middle and high school teachers from the region in summer, 1997.
The Henderson Area Project
The Duke Power Company Foundation has provided support for a developing collaboration between The Science House and the schools of Henderson, Polk and Transylvania Counties. The project will include teacher training, equipment support and other Science House programs in the region. The initial teacher training workshops will begin in September, 1997.
Additional Student Programs in Summer, 1997
In addition to the Imhotep Academy for African American students (Saturdays in the academic year and two weeks in the summer) and the Jurassic Jam day camp, the Science House hosted or co-hosted three residential student programs. For the first time PAMS Academic Camps in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences were administered by The Science House. The ten Army Research Office Scholars were high achieving rising high school seniors who worked for seven weeks in the research laboratories of PAMS faculty. The Summer Science Research Camp was a two week program for 14 high school students in which they learned about the science in sports and performed original laboratory investigations.
In July, 1996, The Science House conducted a two week training project for 19 middle school science and math teachers from Wake County. The teachers learned to use calculator-based laboratory equipment to integrate math and science. A kit of calculators and CBL equipment was loaned to the teachers during the school year and a booklet of CBL activities was printed. The Science House provided technology training workshops for schools and school systems such as Charlotte-Mecklenberg schools, Pitt County, Franklin County, Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, and Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. In addition, workshops were presented at meetings of the NC Science Teachers Association, and the South Carolina Science Council. We hosted a visit of the NASA Teacher Van and presented other programs such as WWW.teach.science.
The materials from two of our popular workshops on how to use low tech materials in teaching science have been published as "Physics From the Junk Drawer/Countertop Chemistry" by the Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Science on the Road
The Physics, Chemistry and EarthCycle school visitation programs continue to reach schools across the state. One highlight of the year was a special "Isaac and Albert's Excellent Adventure," a physics demonstration program presented in Atlanta in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society.
Increased Collaborations
The Science House has partnered with several organizations to develop proposals or new programs. Proposals were developed with the NC Sea Grant Project, Sci-Link/Globe-Net, MCNC, UNC and NCCU. The Science House is now a collaborator in the Education Future Center project which is led by the NC School of Science and Mathematics.
Move to Centennial Campus, Research Building IV
In late September, 1996, The Science House moved from Nelson Hall to the new Research Building IV on the NC State Centennial Campus. The facilities include two classrooms, a fully operational chemistry laboratory, a computer teaching classroom with ten networked Macintoshes and PC's, the Scibrary (our reference library), and offices for staff and faculty. The Biology Outreach office is included in The Science House area.
Science Junction Web Project
We are working on a major web-based K-12 education resource project, entitled the Science Junction, which will provide lessons, data, learning activities and information for NC math and science teachers. One part of the project will focus on making the math, science and technology research of NC State accessible to high school students and teachers. The Science Junction will be officially launched in January, 1998.
Other Activities
The Science House participated in planning and providing facilities and staff for the National Science Olympiad at NC State, the Expanding Your Horizons program for seventh grade women, and the Satellite program for high school students.
Summary Information
The Science House (July 1, 1996 - August 15, 1997)
| Number of Staff and Faculty | 12 |
| Number of Science on the Road school visits | 108, reaching 12,500 students |
| Students reached through other student programs or school support projects | 6,000 |
| Teacher workshops | 27 |
| Number of teachers participating in training programs | 500 |
| NC Counties served | 36 |
The Glaxo Wellcome Foundation
The UNC-MSEN Eisenhower Program
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund
The Duke Power Company Foundation
Vernier Software
Texas Instruments
The National Science Foundation
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Imagination Station, Wilson, NC
The US Army Research Office
NASA
Staff and Associated Faculty
Kyran Anderson
Dr. Alton Banks
Dr. Reese Barrick
Pat Cooper
Tracey Diggs (through 9/96)
Dr. David Haase (Director)
Charlie Lewis
Dr. Charles Lytle
Dr. John Park
Judy Powell
Scott Ragan
Shelley Sink (through 7/97)
Mike Smith
Dr. William Switzer
The Science House
Suite 1200, Research Building IV
909 Capability Drive
Box 8211, NC State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8211
Phone (919) 515-6118
FAX (919) 515-7545
email: Science_House@ncsu.edu
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/pams/science_house/
location N 35o 36.381' W 78o 40.182'
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