At the beginning of a whole new millennium, modern science is now helping us construct a truly big picture. We are coming to appreciate how all objects—from quarks to quasars, from microbes to minds—are interrelated. We are attempting to decipher the scenario of cosmic evolution: a grand synthesis of all the many varied changes in the assembly and composition of radiation, matter, and life throughout the history of the Universe.
The 3-d Quadrat Program is designed to facilitate an understanding of earth system science. The Earth system is very dynamic and involves multiple variables that are all very dependent on each other. hese variables included aspects of all five spheres: the atmosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, and the cryosphere. TToo often students are asked to make observations and collect data from only one sphere and do not gain experience in understanding the entire system. 3-d quadrats create a workable sized space that encourages and allows collecting observations and data from multiple interactive parts of the Earth system. Though 1m3 is the basic unit of size for the 3-d Quadrat Program we encourage the creation of other multiple of this size and 10m3 space may be the perfect size for an entire ecology lab for a class or school.
The International Environmental Change Workshop Series is a series of 4-day teacher workshops on global environmental change to be presented during the summers of 2003, 2004, 2005, and beyond. Each workshop in the series is co-sponsored and co-directed by the Wright Center for Innovative Science Education and will focus on environmental change from the perspective of one of Earth¹s spheres: the cryosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, the the lithosphere, and the atmosphere. These workshops will enable teams of teachers (K-12) to investigate environmental change through classroom instruction and hands-on involvement in current scientific field and/or laboratory research. Workshops have taken place at locations across the United States and in the Caribbean: cryosphere, summer 2003; biosphere, summer 2004; hydrosphere, summer 2005; hydrosphere, summer 2006; cryosphere, summer 2007.
Glaciers, Climate, and the Landscape
Ever wonder about ice ages? Climate change, perhaps? If so, take a look at Zach Smith's book, Glaciers, Climate, and the Landscape to learn more about the forces involved in transforming the surface of our planet.
Science Olympiad Events, Study Materials and Resources
Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education, increasing male, female and minority interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. These goals are achieved by participating in Science Olympiad tournaments, incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom curriculum and attending teacher training institutes.
On this CD you will find an educational program designed by a high school science teacher for use in high school and middle school science classrooms. This program uses the intrigue of the unknown to help students develop research skills as they learn about 30 of the greatest scientific minds of all time. Teachers can present clues to their students on a daily basis, revealing more each time about the selected mystery scientist. Informational clues range from easy to difficult, obscure to obvious, personal to professional, and are visually presented in an easy-to-use format. Students are charged with not only guessing the scientist’s identity, but identifying the relevance of each clue to the scientist. You will be amazed at how eager students are to see the next clues, as they try to unravel the identity of the mystery scientist. Created by Alvin Lamarre, Wright Fellow 2000.
Science Visualization Lab (SVL)
The Science Visualization Lab, (SVL) was founded in 1994 by the Wright Center as a place where cutting-edge visualization of scientific concepts, theories and ideas could be produced.
The products of the SVL are 3D computer animations, illustrations and educational posters. The illustrations and posters are generated by means of computers and traditional media.
The end-users of the SVL's products are news organizations, documentary film producers, multi-media producers, researchers and educators, and was featured in the Emmy Award winning "3 Minutes to Impact" produced by York Films on behalf of the Discovery Channel.
Physics of Music
The Physics of Music and Musical Instruments covers the physics of waves, sound, music, and musical instruments at a level designed for high school physics. However, it is also a resource for those teaching or learning waves and sound from the middle school through college, at the mathematical or conceptual level. The material will be most useful for high school physics teachers and for high school physics students who have neither a background in waves nor in music but who desire a firm foundation in both. Most books written on the topic of musical acoustics tend to be either very theoretical or very cookbook style. The theoretical ones provide for little student interaction other than some end of the chapter questions and problems. The "cookbook" style provides instructions for building musical instruments with little or no explanation of the physics behind the construction. This curriculum attempts to not only marry the best ideas from both types of books, but to include pedagogical aids not found in other available resources. Created by David Lapp, Wright Fellow 2003.
Requires Acrobat
- Introduction (2.1MB)
- Chapter 1: Waves and Sound (5.2MB)
- Chapter 2: Musical Scales (4.4MB)
- Chapter 3: Standing Waves (3.0MB)
- Chapter 4: Stringed Instruments (4.1MB)
- Chapter 5: Wind Instruments (5.9MB)
- Chapter 6 part #1: Percussion Instruments (7.7MB)
- Chapter 7: Musical Instrument Timbre (5.5MB)
- References (214kb)
- Or you may download the entire book in one single PDF file
STARFINDER Hubble Space Telescope
video series
With NASA's launch of the Hubble Space Telescope aboard the space shuttle Discovery, a new era in astronomy has begun. The HST, orbiting above the distortion of the atmosphere, has already provided us with remarkable views of the cosmos. Scientists are looking forward to the continuing stream of data from the telescope's five onobard instruments, providing new insights into the size, formation, and make up of the universe.
STARFINDER is a 30-part video series with teacher guide. Programs are appropriate for junior high and high school students, and for beginning classes in astronomy at the college level. Some topics are more advanced and complex than others.
Innovative Science Curriculum
Series
This Innovative Curriculum Series is not meant to develop a whole new curriculum of science instruction. Rather, we honor the diverse and individual efforts of our Fellows by encouraging them to produce short modules that are designed to supplement and enrich existing curricula in the sciences.
Requires Acrobat
Coral Reefs - Research on Maui
Coral reefs are breathtaking in beauty and staggering in complexity. It is easy to see why this underwater world engages our imagination and intrigues our students.
Yet coral reefs are in danger. Researchers believe that 10% of coral reefs worldwide have been destroyed and another 30% are imperiled. Because so many life forms depend on these habitats, this peril has a dramatic ripple effect.
Education is essential in protecting remaining reefs--and the exotic species they support. Dive in and take a look at the curriculum guide and educational video.
Requires Acrobat
Girls and the Physical Sciences
The Girls and the Physical Sciences Symposium had three distinct components. Opened by keynote speeches from two leading researchers and scholars, Sheila Tobias and Pat Cambell, Part One placed the teaching of physical science into a national context. These introductory comments helped set the stage for the second set of offerings, a series of workshop presentations. Each of these sessions began with a set of findings or experiences illuminating the practice of physical science. Participants ultimately joined in discussions on one of the selected topics. These conversations contributed to the third phase of the conference, teacher exchanges, and led to a host of practical suggestions for classroom reform.
Requires Acrobat
Benjamin Franklin and Electrostatics
2006 marks the tercentenary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth. Franklin is celebrated for many things, but his scientific work on electricity made major contributions to the progress of the field, and established his reputation as one of the leading intellects of his age. Created and Collected by Robert A. Morse, Wright Fellow 2004.
Discover how cancer and other cells move. View a time-lapse video of cell division and growth.
This is an exciting, large scale 6-8 week project to illustrate the use of operant conditioning techniques. With student perseverance rats master pushing a marble up a ramp and out a hole, pushing down on a teeter-totter, jumping through a raised hoop, and pulling in a wooden rod.
There is a WOMAN IN THE MOON but many people have never seen her. She is much more obvious than the "Man in the Moon." Seen in profile, the appearance of THE WOMAN IN THE MOON changes with varying light.
An initiation ceremony into the Royal Order of the Mole is an exciting way to end the school year. The students have been asking about the "secret society" since the start of school and now it is time for mysteries to be revealed.
It's not a spy, a machine for digging tunnels, a burrowing animal, or a spot of skin pigmentation - it's a unit of measurement containing about 6.02 x 1023 particles.