Powers of Inquiry

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this Phase 1 SBIR application is to evaluate the feasibility of creating educational materials for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (MIEHS). Entitled Powers of Inquiry: Using image analysis to explore environmental health science, the materials will employ an advanced technology tool -- NASA Image2000 -- to lead middle and high school students through inquiry-based explorations of ten case studies related to the mission of NIEHS. A powerful image processing and analysis (IPA) software program designed specifically for use in education, NASA Image2000 will put substantial computing power in the hands of students, allowing them to develop their own research questions, conduct investigations, and come to their own conclusions about the data contained within digital images. A "powers of ten" format will organize the lessons in Powers of Inquiry. Each succeeding lesson in the materials will zoom in on environmental health issues, starting at the planetary level and moving through lessons about the organs, microscopic organisms, and human tissue cells to arrive at a lesson on how molecule-sized nano-detectors may serve as the first defense against bio-terrorism. The educational goal of the Powers of Inquiry materials will be to introduce environmental health science to middle and high school students with an engaging visual medium that involves them in inquiry-based activities supporting accomplishments of state and national standards for science, mathematics, and technology education. Accomplishing the following Phase 1 project milestones will further these goals: (1) Finalize a table of contents for the Powers of Inquiry materials; (2) Identify plug-ins and other modifications for NASA Image2000 that will facilitate use of the software for the Powers of Inquiry materials; (3) Develop and pilot-test a model Powers of Inquiry lesson; (4) Develop a plan for field-testing the instructional materials; (5) Create a product development plan for the lessons. The materials will be developed by Science-Approach, a newly created for-profit entity derived from the Center for Image Processing in Education (CIPE). CIPE, a well-respected nonprofit provider of instructional materials and professional development services to teachers, has a successful track record of developing and commercializing instructional materials similar to Powers of Inquiry.