Health Sciences Research: Educating the Public - PHASE II

描述(由申请人提供)：纽约市许多公立学校缺乏专门的实验室和学生进行生命科学动手实验所需的设备。不足为奇的是，这些学校中的大多数位于纽约市的一些地区，那里的学生大多是在生命和健康科学领域代表性较低的少数族裔。为了满足这些学生的需求，我们在国家环保总局第一阶段拨款的支持下，开发了两个纽约市科学性能标准专用便携式实验室套件MicroLab II和分子与健康，并进行了试点测试。这些工具包包含了在一个只有桌子和电源插座的房间里进行相对复杂的生命科学实验所需的所有设备和其他材料。这些试剂盒适合7-12年级的生命和健康科学专业的学生使用。MicroLab II是一个基于显微镜的工具包，旨在探索细胞生物学和生理学的基本方面。《分子与健康》旨在阐明分子生物学的原理，并为学生提供操作和分析DMA的实践经验。本申请寻求国家环保总局第二阶段的支持，以培训教师使用这些工具包，并将其传播到纽约市各地的学校。此次环保总局宣传工程有四个具体目标。具体目标#1：提高纽约市在健康科学方面代表性不足的初中生的动手实验室、生命科学教学和生命科学成绩的质量。135名纽约市公立初中和高中的科学教师将在纽约科学馆接受为期3天的使用MicroLab II或分子和健康试剂盒的培训，如果需要，还将由纽约科学堂的一名专业开发人员提供为期两天的校内协助，帮助他们建立和使用这些试剂盒。具体目标2：在纽约科学馆参加为期4天的“科学夏令营”的同时，为参与目标1所述培训计划的教师班级设计最佳8年级“退出”项目的学生提供机会，进一步探索他们的项目并向公众演示。具体目标3：邀请在目标1中描述的培训计划中表现出色的6名初中或高中教师参加哥伦比亚大学暑期研究计划的高级实验室培训。具体目标4：评估该项目对教师和学生的几个影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Many New York City public schools lack dedicated laboratories and the equipment needed for students to perform hands-on experiments in the life sciences. Not surprisingly, most of these schools are located in sections of the City in which most of the students are minorities underrepresented in the life and health sciences. To address the needs of these students we have, with the support of a Phase I SEPA grant, developed and pilot tested two New York City science performance standards-specific portable laboratory kits, Microlab II and Molecules and Health. These kits contain all the equipment and other materials needed to perform relatively sophisticated life science experiments in a room that has only tables and electrical outlets. The kits are suitable for use by life and health sciences students in grades 7-12. Microlab II is a microscopy-based kit designed to explore basic aspects of cell biology and physiology. Molecules and Health is designed to illustrate the principles of molecular biology, and to provide students with hands-on experience in manipulating and analyzing DMA. The present application seeks SEPA Phase II support to train teachers to use these kits and to disseminate them to schools throughout New York City. This SEPA dissemination project has four specific aims. Specific Aim #1: Improve the quality of hands-on laboratory life sciences instruction and life sciences achievement of New York City middle and high school students underrepresented in the health sciences. One hundred and thirty five New York City public middle and high school science teachers will receive 3 days of training at the NY Hall of Science in the use of the Microlab II or Molecules and Health kits, and one, and if needed, two days of in-school assistance by a NY Hall of Science professional developer in setting up and using these kits. Specific Aim #2: Provide an opportunity for students who devise the best 8th grade "exit" projects in classes of teachers participating in the training program described in Aim #1 to further explore their project and demonstrate it to the public, while participating in a 4-day-long "Science Summer Camp" at the New York Hall of Science. Specific Aim #3: Invite 6 middle or high school teachers who perform at an exemplary level in the training program described in Aim #1 to obtain advanced laboratory training by participating in Columbia's Summer Research Program Specific Aim #4: Assess the several impacts of this project on teachers and students.