2010

Bertie High School
Bertie County Schools
Mentor: Dr. Thomas Rossbach, Elizabeth City State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Improving Student Understanding of Evolution Across the High School Curriculum
Kenan Fellow Bruce Boller is teaming with Dr. Thomas Rossbach, a geologist and physical scientist at Elizabeth City State University to allow K-12 students to see and work with new field research tools. The collaboration with Dr. Rossbach enriches earth science, biology and AP biology classes with new, inquiry-based classroom activities including: 1) mapping the Earth’s changing geology, 2) collecting fossils through virtual field trips to Western New York and West Virginia, and 3) identifying extant and extinct organisms in earth science. Mr. Boller’s biology students are using computer simulations to observe how genomic changes cause evolution. They are conducting their own experiments in a computer ‘environment’ and presenting their findings through research papers and posters.

Eastern Alamance High School
Alamance County Schools
Mentor: Dr. Ron Sederoff, NC State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Saving the American Chestnut
What happens in the ecosystem when a species like the American Chestnut, Castanea dentate, a tree that once reigned over 200 million acres of eastern woodland, nears extinction? Why does this impact history? How is it scientifically important? Are there solutions to the problem? Dr. Sederoff and Ms. Casey are developing multi-media lessons to encourage students to answer these compelling questions. Ms. Casey’s students will study how biotechnology has been used to map the Chestnut genome and develop a blight resistant tree. They will engage in hands-on activities that explore the biological, historical and economic impacts of the American Chestnut.

Panther Creek High School
Wake County Schools
Mentor: Dr. Pam Carpenter, NC Solar Center
Sponsor: Progress Energy Foundation

Investigating Alternative Energy Sources for Transportation
Today’s students will be the homeowners of tomorrow. As such, they will be responsible for making wise energy choices. Progress Energy, an electric utility company that serves about 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida, is supporting a Kenan Fellow to create a curriculum for high school students to help them understand energy efficiency and alternative energy resources. Kenan Fellow Travis Chapman is working with the NC Solar Center to produce a comprehensive curriculum about alternative fuels used to power vehicles. Students will expand their knowledge through discussion, inquiry-based activities and research on the innovative technology related to alternative fuel vehicles.

Carrboro Elementary School
Chapel Hill – Carrboro Schools
Mentors: Dr. Carolyn Dunn, Debbie Stroud; NC State Cooperative Extension
Sponsor: Goodnight Educational Foundation

I Am on a Diet and I Am Proud of It!
Many people are on diets, but they may not be healthy ones. Working with researchers Dr. Dunn and Ms. Stroud, from NC State’s Cooperative Extension, Kenan Fellow Karina Colon is creating a web based curriculum of integrated lessons aimed at developing healthy habits for students while increasing their knowledge of STEM related content. These challenging lessons involve holistic, inquiry-based activities that cut across a range of subject areas including chemistry, math and physical education. In this creative way, Ms. Colon’s students are applying what they have learned in STEM and improving their overall nutritional habits.

Rugby Middle School
Henderson County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Michael Castelaz, Christi Whitworth, Dr. Dave Clavier, PARI; Kirsten Weeks, Cisco Systems
Sponsor: Cisco Systems Foundation

Scientific Inquiry of the Universe through Modern Technology
In collaboration with the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), on the site of a former NASA tracking station in the Pisgah National Forest, and Cisco Systems, Mr. Dennis is developing ways to help his students learn the basics of scientific inquiry, methodology, critical thinking and communication by conducting hands-on scientific investigations with innovative radio and optical astronomy technologies. Students will be able to remotely access and control scientific devices at PARI including radio and solar telescopes. Podcasts, blogs and virtual activities help keep students at all levels engaged. Dennis is designing the hands-on experience with PARI to stimulate students’ desire to learn more science, while expanding their knowledge of the universe.

Wakefield Middle School
Wake County Schools
Mentor: Dr. Alan Karr, National Institute of Statistical Sciences
Sponsors: Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute, National Institute of Statistical Sciences

Critical Thinking in Science
The collaboration between this middle school teacher and a professor of statistics and biostatistics at SAMSI draws on the new center’s expertise in using both statistical and applied math to describe and study complex phenomena such as climate modeling, bioinformatics, HIV dynamics and nanotechnology. Ms. DiFrancesca’s work will help students develop and use critical thinking skills throughout each eighth grade science content strand. The inquiry-based lessons she is designing will lead students to create testable questions, design and perform experiments, and organize and analyze data. Current topics, local issues and real life situations are used to help students find deeper meaning in course materials.

Surry Early College High School
Surry County Schools
Mentor: Dr.Sara Zimmerman, Appalachian State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Literacy Strategies for the High School Classroom
Mr. Jeff Edwards was convinced that his students would have a deeper understanding of science if they had a stronger grasp of literacy strategies that would improve their overall abilities in comprehension. Teaming with his Mentor, Dr. Zimmerman, Jeff is building an innovative toolkit of strategies to help high school science students increase literacy skills across the content areas of biology, graphic or fine arts, health sciences and information systems technology. The literacy strategies in the toolkit are designed to support students’ ability to interact with text, conduct research, write about science and present effectively.

Sanderson High School
Wake County Schools
Mentor: Dr. Lisa Bullard, NC State University
Sponsor: NSF Science and Technology Center at NC State

Integrating Chemistry & Algebra 2 Using Technology and Real World Applications
Ms. Elmo, in partnership with Dr. Lisa Bullard, NC State’s Director of Undergraduate Studies in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is creating lessons that link the understanding of concepts in chemistry to skills learned in algebra II. Using systems of equations in solving problems, Ms. Elmo’s students are utilizing matrices to balance chemical reactions and direct and inverse variations. This fresh approach reinforces students’ understanding of the relationship between two disciplines that have traditionally been taught separately.

McGee’s Crossroads Middle School
Johnston County Schools
Mentor: Dr. Robin Hyde-DeRuyscher, Biogen Idec
Sponsor: Biogen Idec

Biotechnology in North Carolina Today
Biotechnology is one of the leading high-tech industries in North Carolina, but many citizens are unfamiliar with careers in the biotech field. Kenan Fellow Cinnamon Frame is working in partnership with Biogen Idec, a global leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapies. Together, they are developing a course of study that engages students in the exploration of careers in biotechnology. Through the use of hands-on activities, students gain knowledge regarding the role of biotechnology, test and produce a biological product, and learn about the impact of biotechnology on the North Carolina economy. The ethical implications of biotechnology are also a focus of study.

Bugg Creative Arts and Science Magnet School
Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Sarah Carrier, Dr. Eric Wiebe, NC State University; Dr. David Teachout, Dr. Patricia Gray, UNC-Greensboro
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

BioMusic: The Sounds and Songs of Life
BioMusic is an exciting new field that explores the phenomenon found throughout nature where participants use sound and time to create meaning. This study blends music and the sciences; pitch, rhythm, musical memory and acoustics as well as neuroscience, biology, math and anthropology. Two Fellows are part of the groundbreaking NSF UBEATS project that will incorporate BioMusic into elementary math and science curricula and allow science and music teachers to work together to teach biodiversity and cultural diversity, the physics of sound and human evolution. Ms. Hall is collaborating on the design of lessons about the songs of the humpback whales to help students learn about properties of sound and water, the physics of waves, the technology used in recording and identifying the songs, and the important role these complex vocalizations play in whale societies.

Athens Drive High School
Wake County Schools
Mentor: Dr. David Ollis, NC State University
Sponsor: NSF Science and Technology Center at NC State

Making Chemistry Relevant to High School Students
Capitalizing on the chemistry students encounter in everyday life, Kenan Fellow Lisa Hibler is partnering with the NSF Science and Technology Center at North Carolina State University to make current issues real for her science students. Her lessons will cover a wide range of topics. Some think alternative energy is key to the United State’s energy policy for the future. Ms. Hibler believes an informed public will help shape this decision. Therefore, as an integral part of their chemistry course, her students will study various alternative energy options: solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells, plug-in hybrid vehicles, a house that heats and cools itself, biofuels and ethanol production. In the area of human health, students will calculate the energy required, expended and balanced in biological processes. They will determine the calories derived from food and balance that with calories used during physical activity. They will also investigate the potential of nanotechnology in everyday applications.

Carrboro High School
Chapel Hill – Carrboro Schools
Mentor: Dr. Jean Ristaino, NC State University
Sponsors: National Science Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline

Late Blight and the Irish Potato Famine
The Irish potato famine had a significant impact on American culture, through the immigration of people from Ireland to the United States. With support from the National Science Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline, Kenan Fellow Rebecca Hite is developing resources for the investigation of this agricultural disaster. Students, acting as modern day CSI agents, will examine leaf samples to identify the pathogen that causes potato blight, and determine how agricultural biotechnology techniques are useful in maintaining a sustainable global society. Students will propose biological interventions to protect a potato crop and evaluate their success through a simulated growing season.

Fayetteville Technical Community College
Mentors: Dr. Susan Moore, Renee Strnad, NC State University; Jennifer Grantham, NC Forestry Association; Linda Holton, Weyerhaeuser TOSA
Sponsor: Weyerhaeuser Foundation

Sustainable Forestry: Forest Wildlife Conservation and Management
Conservation and management of wildlife is necessary to protect diverse ecosystems in North Carolina. In collaboration with NC State’s Department of Forestry, the NC Forestry Association and Weyerhaeuser, LeRoy Humphries’ biology and environmental science students explore best management practices in sustainable forestry to promote wildlife conservation and produce quality timber harvests. Students engage in projects that demonstrate forest ecology and discover factors that influence wildlife populations and forest health. They utilize a variety of hands-on activities and web-based applications to study forest ecosystem sustainability. Through this unit, students research, investigate, and design a management plan for a forested area to protect the wildlife that inhabits the region.

Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Karen Erickson, UNC-Chapel Hill; Dr. Patricia Porter, Center for Literacy and Disability Studies
Sponsors: NC Council on Developmental Disabilities and New Voices Foundation

Adapting Lessons to Support Students with Severe Communication and Physical Disabilities
In collaboration with UNC School of Medicine’s Center for Literacy and Disabilities and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Ms. Lewis is working to develop best practices that will assist special needs students with severe communication and mobility disabilities. She is focusing on the use of new technology applications and aligned support that would “unlock” the academic potential of these children helping them to develop communication and literacy skills. Her models will assist teachers in creating and modifying lessons in science, engineering, math and literacy through the use of assistive technologies. The best practices developed as a result of this fellowship will be disseminated to K-12 schools across the state.

Rochester High School
Thurston County Schools, WA
Mentors: Dr. Nicholas Wheeler, University of Washington; Dr. David Neale, University of California, Davis
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Applying Genomics and Biotechnology to Tree Improvement
Plants and animals used in agriculture today are often very different from their ancestors. Early humans selected plants that possessed desirable traits for sowing; they were tasty and produced a lot of seeds. Innovations in cross breeding over time have allowed for still more bountiful crops and livestock. With the advance of genetic knowledge, we are not only able to select plants and animals by their genetic fingerprints, but can manipulate them through genetic modification. Fellow Harold Mackin, from the state of Washington, will help students explore the development of agriculture, from early domestication of plants and animals to current technology in plant and animal selection.

Exploris Middle School
NC Charter Schools
Mentor: William Beck, MeadWestvaco
Sponsor: MeadWestvaco

Price Check: What is the True Cost?
Ms. McKay’s students are interested in more than just buying new products; they want to know how to package and sell them. With the support of MeadWestvaco, an international packaging solutions provider, students benefit from an authentic collaboration to gain insight on innovation, culture and social perspectives. Ms. McKay’s students are working on international teams to investigate global issues surrounding the science of packaging, consumerism, and environmental sustainability. The students from Exploris communicate with a partner school in India, using 21st Century web technologies like blogs and videoconferencing. Together these students explore the life-cycle of products, analyzing current packaging trends, and developing smart solutions.

Millbrook High School
Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Yufeng Liu, UNC-Chapel Hill; Dr. Helen Zhang, NC State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Understanding Data Mining
Large sets of data, accessible through new technology, are paramount to forecasting trends in business and economics. In Algebra I, students typically study data sets with one predictor variable and one response variable. But in the real world, most response variables have numerous predictors which may significantly impact the data. It is important to be able to identify their effects and use them appropriately to make sound, valid predictions. Partnering with faculty from the Department of Statistics at NCSU, Ms. Midgette is working on lessons that will help her students navigate the basics of data mining, and then learn to determine which variables are most influential in a given situation.

NC School of Science and Mathematics
UNC System
Mentors: Gigi Karmous-Edwards, MCNC; Dr. Nancy Shaw, Project Lead the Way, Duke University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Problem Based Learning in the Physics Classroom
In collaboration with research scientist and problem-based learning specialist, Dr. Nancy Shaw at the College of Engineering at Duke University and Gigi Karmous Edwards from MCNC, two Kenan Fellows are helping high school students learn important principles of engineering. Jeff Milbourne, physics teacher at the NC School of Science and Math, and Miriam Morgan, engineering and technology teacher at Southern School of Engineering, are working together to create an exciting, collaborative project for students at both schools. Milbourne’s students will serve as the design team while Morgan’s students are the engineers for the project. For two weeks, they will collaborate to research, design and build a roller coaster. The project will enhance student understanding of energy types, energy conservation, and the work/energy theorem. This project has the potential to reach teachers across the state through the Virtual Computing Lab.

East Garner Magnet Middle School
Wake County Schools
Mentor: Dr. William Hoffmann, NC State University
Sponsors: National Science Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline

Ecology of the Savanna-Forest Boundaries in Central Brazil
During the summer of 2008, Ms. Miller traveled to Brazil with Dr. William Hoffman and a team of scientists to study the way humans impact evergreen forests at the savannah-forest boundaries. She has brought Dr. Hoffmann’s research on the rainforests back to her students, offering them an unparalleled perspective into the future of tropical forest fragments in human-dominated landscapes. Ms. Miller‘s students are learning first-hand about the diversity of species that inhabit this critical habitat. Ms. Miller’s project demonstrates the authentic transfer of research to practice and makes learning relevant and exciting for her students.

Southern School of Engineering
Durham County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Nancy Shaw, Project Lead the Way, Duke University; Gigi Karmous-Edwards, MCNC
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Engineering Skills through Problem Based Learning
Teaming with MCNC, and Project Lead the Way at Duke University, Miriam Morgan’s high school students at the Southern School of Engineering are collaborating on a project to create a model roller coaster, an excellent application for demonstrating concepts in physics and engineering. Her students will take on the role of engineers by remotely interacting with a design team at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, who will be working with them on the physics and design for the ride. With this project, students have the opportunity to build their own roller coaster and research the materials and mechanisms of roller coaster engineering. Designed using a hybrid style of project-based and problem-based learning, this highly collaborative project allows students to work in small teams to learn scientific concepts and apply them directly to a product.

Bugg Creative Arts and Science Magnet School
Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Sarah Carrier, Dr. Eric Wiebe, NC State University; Dr. David Teachout, Dr. Patricia Gray, UNC-Greensboro
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

BioMusic: The Sounds and Songs of Life
BioMusic is an exciting new field that explores the phenomenon found throughout nature where participants use sound and time to create meaning. This study blends music and the sciences; pitch, rhythm, musical memory and acoustics as well as neuroscience, biology, math and anthropology. Two Fellows are part of the groundbreaking NSF UBEATS project that will incorporate BioMusic into elementary math and science curricula and allow science and music teachers to work together to teach biodiversity and cultural diversity, the physics of sound and human evolution. Ms. Patillo is working with researchers to design a study of a 40,000 year old Neanderthal site that will allow students to discover how music was created and experienced. Students will ‘create’ musical artifacts such as flutes, percussion instruments and whistles to explore how they were used to enable a group to live and work together.

Wayne School of Engineering
Wayne County Schools
Mentor: Dr. JoAnn Burkholder, NC State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Wetland Ecology Insight through Field and Laboratory Study
The health of rivers and sounds is vital to our marine fisheries. Dr. JoAnn Burkholder’s research team at the Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology at NC State has designed and maintained a 14-year research and monitoring program on the Neuse River Estuary. Fellow Susan Randolph and Dr. Burkholder are collaborating on a project that enables students to gain insight into wetland ecology through authentic field and lab studies. Students will investigate and analyze real-time data and modeling from the Center’s website to reveal important factors and trends in estuary health. They will propose plans for constructed wetlands that improve water quality in the local watershed and protect estuaries.

Willim G. Enloe Magnet High School
Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Yufeng Liu, UNC-Chapel Hill; Dr. Helen Zhang, NC State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Data Mining: 21st Century Statistical Skills
Managing data is an essential job skill for workers in the 21st Century. Kenan Fellow Celia Rowland is creating activities that develop the skills necessary to give students a competitive edge in future careers. Students will use a statistical software package implemented in modeling processes by many multi-national companies and the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank to learn how to mine data and develop appropriate statistical models for large data sets. By giving them an early exposure to these tools in the AP statistics course, students not only gain experience in the use of software to support NC Standard Course of Study objectives, but develop leading-edge skills in statistical modeling that cut across disciplines.

West Cary Middle School
Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Michael Minion, Dr. Laura Miller, UNC-Chapel Hill
Sponsors: Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute, National Institute of Statistical Sciences

Pumping and Moving Through Fluids at Different Sizes: Mathematical Model to Describe Fluid Behavior
Kenan Fellow Jenny Rucker, working with faculty from the Department of Mathematics at the University of North Carolina, is creating activities to teach middle school students how to use math to model and predict natural phenomena. Through hands-on, inquiry-based labs, seventh and eighth grade students will explore the behavior and effects of fluid in and around objects and organisms. Students will investigate and create fluid transport systems and gather data to calculate natural frequencies. Using scale models to gain a better understanding, they will use data to predict real-life effects on trees and other structures.

Clayton Middle School
Johnston County Schools
Mentor: Richard Lawless, BTEC
Sponsor: Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center

A Day in the Life: Exploring Careers in Biomanufacturing
The Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing and Training Education Center (BTEC), located at North Carolina State University, is working to fuel the growth of the developing biotechnology industry by creating the most well-trained, industry-focused biomanufacturing workforce in the world. Partnering with BTEC, Kenan Fellow Lori Stroud helps students explore the varied careers in biomanufacturing by conducting a series of experiments that mimic the day-to-day operations practiced in industry. Students use yeast cells as the basis for their labs, growing them in a fashion similar to what is done in large-scale bioreactors. The activities she is creating can be used as part of a microbiology or biochemistry unit or as an introduction to biotechnology.

Wayne Early/Middle College High School
Wayne County Schools
Mentor: Dr. JoAnn Burkholder, NC State University
Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Life in the Neuse
No one doubts the importance of clean water in our lives. Dr. JoAnn Burkholder’s research team has designed and maintained a 14-year research and monitoring program on the Neuse River Estuary. Kenan Fellow Amanda Warren collaborates with Dr. Burkholder on a project that will enable students to gain insight into wetland ecology through authentic field and lab studies. Students are investigating and analyzing real-time data and modeling from the North Carolina State University Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology website to reveal important factors and trends in the health of the estuary. They will propose plans for constructed wetlands that improve water quality in the local watershed and protect estuaries.