A Starfish Can Grow a New Arm, Why Can't? - Phase I & II Educational Partnership

描述(由申请者提供)：这个项目是与正式和非正式的教育工作者、临床医生和研究人员合作，以开发一个永久性的科学中心展览和相关的、系统地整合的正式和非正式的教育计划-所有这些都旨在刺激和有意义地吸引学生接触科学和组织工程(TE)和干细胞研究领域的奇迹。为了以亲身实践的方式向中学生介绍TE/再生医学的基本概念，匹兹堡组织工程倡议(PTEI)与通过卓越教学实现学生成功(ASSET)、卡内基科学中心(CSC)和匹兹堡大学学习研究和发展中心(LRDC)合作，将开发一个1200平方英尺的永久性TE展览，首先安装在宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡的卡内基科学中心。展览《如果海星能长出一只新胳膊，为什么我不能？》以及附带的标准和探究式课程材料将面向6-8年级的学生和他们的老师。这一独特的TE展会将有三个活动集群(Kiosk)，每个Kiosk有3-4个活动。第一个信息亭，自然世界，将展示低等生命形式自我再生身体部分的先天能力的生物学背景，以及高等生命形式这种能力的丧失。第二个信息亭，TE科学，将展示TE和干细胞研究的组成部分，包括天然和合成支架材料的类型，可以种植到支架上的前体细胞类型，以及使这些细胞能够生长到体内各种组织的生长因子、分化因子和营养物质。第三个信息亭，临床应用和未来问题，将展示细胞种植支架成功恢复人类功能的临床案例，互动的“询问科学家”视频，以及TE的未来。目前在宾夕法尼亚州和其他计划复制展览的美国城市使用的生命科学教学模块将有基于探究的TE课程增强，用于课堂和教师专业发展。尤其重要的是，将在整个过程中进行详细的项目效果评估。总而言之，这场为6-8年级学生举办的展览及其为学生和教师提供的配套教材，将进一步了解各种生命形式中的基本生物、化学和工程原理，以及科学和技术如何通过TE利用这些原理以自然的方式促进组织功能的愈合和恢复。这一经历将为学生欣赏未来生物科学的跨学科性质铺平道路，并灌输对公共卫生和公共政策影响的欣赏和理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project is a partnership with formal and informal educators, clinicians, and researchers to develop a permanent science center exhibition and related, systemically integrated formal and informal educational programming -- all of which are aimed at exciting and meaningfully engaging students to the wonders of science and the field of tissue engineering (TE) and stem cell research. To introduce basic TE/Regenerative Medicine concepts to middle-school students in a hands-on, engaging way, The Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative ( PTEI), in collaboration with Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching (ASSET), the Carnegie Science Center (CSC) and the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC), will develop a 1,200 square foot permanent TE Exhibit to be first installed at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The exhibit, If A Starfish Can Grow a New Arm, Why Can't I?, and accompanying standards- and inquiry-based curricula materials will target 6th-8th grade students and their teachers. This unique TE exhibit will have three activity clusters (kiosks), with 3-4 activities per kiosk. The first kiosk, The Natural World, will present as background the biology of the innate ability of lower life forms to self-regenerate body parts, and the loss of this ability in higher life forms. The second kiosk, The Science of TE, will present the components of TE and stem cell research, including types of natural and synthetic scaffolding materials, types of precursor cells that can be seeded onto scaffolds, and the growth factors, differentiating factors, and nutrients that enable these cells to grow into various tissues within the body. The third kiosk, Clinical Applications and Future Questions, will feature clinical cases in which cell-seeded scaffolds have successfully restored function in humans, interactive "ask the scientist" videos, and the future of TE. Life-science teaching modules currently used in PA and other U.S. cities planned for replicating the exhibit will have inquiry-based TE curricula enhancements constructed for use in classrooms and in teacher professional development. Of particular importance, detailed project effectiveness assessments will be conducted throughout. In all, this exhibit for 6th-8th graders and its accompanying instructional materials for students and teachers, will further understanding of principles of basic biology, chemistry, and engineering within various life forms and how science and technology, through TE, take advantage of these principles to promote healing and restoration of tissue function in a natural way. This experience will pave the way for students' appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of biosciences of the future and inculcate an appreciation and understanding of public health and public policy implications.