National Science Foundation/MESA

1
National Science Foundation/MESA SPAWAR TEACHING
INTERNSHIP
NSF Grant No. 0653277
NILO SHAW ONDEVILLA, WILSON PULIDO, Dr. JAMES
ROHR, SPAWAR San Diego City College
Method
Introduction
Subject Choices in Science Technology

• Students explore the materials design and
  function of a wide variety of balls used in
  athletics, as well as test and analyze their
  interactions with many surfaces they come in
  contact during play. Then students design a
  suitable material for use in a newly invented
  game.
• By incorporating everyday materials into science
  lessons, the Materials World Modules (MWM)
  program at Northwestern University has found the
  solution to getting students excited about
  learning science while helping teachers meet
  national and state education standards.
• The modules are easy to organize and inexpensive
  to run. They can be incorporated into any science
  class because of the breadth of subjects covered
  in the Activity and Design Project sections. Each
  module is a supplemental science unit that takes
  1-3 weeks of class time (approximately 10 hours)
  to complete.
• MWM will give students an opportunity to
  understand the world around them in a way they
  have never experienced before. The modules
  promote an awareness of the roles science and
  technology play in society and guide students to
  take increased control of their work.

Aligning to Standards "The MWM Program design
project meets local and state standards as well
as the skills of life. Students enjoy the
project."
K-12 science teachers and San Diego-based
scientists and engineers joined forces to explore
how their collaboration could make inquiry-based
science come alive for students in local schools.
DoDs Office of Basic Research and the Navys
Space Systems Center sponsored the two-day
workshop, which brought together almost 50
educators and lab-based professionals as part of
a national initiative that will engage the DoD
research enterprise and adjacent schools in nine
states. Todays technical workforce is a
powerful but under-utilized asset in K-12
education. Lab-based scientists and engineers can
complement classroom teachers by connecting
textbook lesson plans to real world challenges.
One of the tools that DoD will rely upon to
forge partnerships in San Diego and other sites
is Materials World Modules, a kit-based program
developed at Northwestern University.
Field-tested in middle and high schools around
the country, the program combines inquiry and
data collection with team-based design of
composites, concrete, food packaging, smart
sensors, and other materials. With guidance from
master teachers, workshop participants played the
roles of students learning about sports
materials.
Experience meets Technology MESA/NSF - SPAWAR
summer interns Nilo Ondevilla (Engineering major)
Wilson Pulido (Physics major) busy at work.
Physics Physical Science Forces Friction Energy Conservation of Energy Energy Absorption Stored and Kinetic Elastic and Plastic Deformation Inertia Language Arts Writing a report Public speaking Chemistry Properties of Matter Molecular Bonds Polymers Mathematics Measuring Graphing (Making, Reading and Analysis) Computing Averages Ratios Geology Earth Science Air Pressure and Altitude Environmental Issues Biology and Life Science Biological Materials Structure and Function Biomechanics Human Body Joints Metabolism Skin Technical Education Designing Materials Controlling Energy Absorption Controlling Friction
Facts

• Why Study Materials?
• Throughout much of human history, progress has
  been defined by advances in the materials human
  society uses, such as during the Stone Age, the
  Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.
• Today, in every sector of human activity,
  materials continue to impact all fronts of
  society and significantly enhance the quality of
  life.
• Materials are constantly concocted or invented
  to meet the demands of science and society. We
  can make synthetic skin, blood, and bone. We can
  make information superhighways from glass. We can
  make shields to protect planes that fly in and
  out of Earth's atmosphere. We can make materials
  that repair themselves, that swell and flex like
  muscles, that repel ink or paint and that capture
  the energy of the sun.

• Materials technology is the basis of all modern
  industries that drive the global economy.
• Few would have predicted fifty years ago that
  silicon would have such dominance in
  communications and information processing.
• Throughout the twenty-first century and beyond,
  materials will continue to enable technology that
  explores new frontiers, and develop more
  efficient and cleaner ways to power the world.
• MWM Pedagogy
• The main thrust of the MWM Program is to engage
  students in making sense of the rich tapestry of
  materials that surround them and to provide an
  opportunity to create new materials or fabrics
  for our world.
• The Materials World Modules create an
  environment of scientific inquiry within a design
  context involving material objects students
  ponder design problems that scientists and
  engineers encounter every day in the workplace.
• Incorporating inquiry within a materials design
  context helps to provide purpose and structure in
  the learning of underlying scientific concepts.
• Professional Development Workshops
• Most secondary school teachers are unfamiliar
  with the field of materials science. In both
  content and structure, the Materials World
  Modules (MWM) differs substantially from most
  traditional science textbooks.
• Because of these key differences, MWM provides
  teacher orientation workshops to new module users
  at MWM "hub sites," explaining how to effectively
  use and integrate the modules into their
  curricula.

Evoking Curiosity in Science and Encouraging Team
Building "It's a fun way to learn science,
because it grabs your attention and gives you a
chance to come to an agreement as a team member
with your classmates."
Teaching Experience at work
MWM hub sites are established in areas where
there is a concentration of 15 to 20 teachers
interested in MWM developments. Each hub site
provides face-to-face occasions for discussion
and for the trading of "classroom secrets," which
foster a close community of users in the
integration and application of MWM modules.
Promoting Critical Thinking "Most of all, this
program makes you think. It ties in everything
from math and science and shows how they relate
to life. You also learn more since the labs are
interactive."
Ideally, a target hub site is centrally located
and easily accessible within a 50-mile (or
one-hour one-way) travel radius of each teacher.
The hubs create a structure for the long-term
dissemination and sustenance of MWM module
implementation.
The Materials World Modules program takes pride
in establishing and maintaining strong
relationships with educators. The success of the
program depends on teacher input and
collaborations with MWM developers. MWM
appreciates receiving constructive feedback from
teachers and students and revising dimensions of
modules accordingly.
Students learn by listening to engaging lectures,
applying specific scientific instructions and
methods. Involved demonstrations allow students
hands-on experience while having fun thus making
the classroom environment more conducive for
participative learning.