Presentations & Workshops

2009 – 2010 Presentations

Bringing Cutting Edge Research to the Middle School Classroom

National Science Teachers Association
2010 National Conference in Philadelphia, PA
March 18 – 21, 2010

The principal investigators, of the NSF and EPSCoR supported Forestry Bioproducts Research Initiative (FBRI), at the University of Maine, recognize the importance of involving young people in scientific research. They have incorporated two successful summer programs within their research collaboration. The first program is the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), where undergraduates from across the country come to conduct guided research investigations. The other program is Research Experience for Teachers (RET). Through the RET program middle school teachers explore the research from several different disciplines and create inquiry based activities for middle school students. FBRI feels it is important to target the middle schools with interesting and tangible inquiry lessons that inspire students to take more STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses in high school and college. FBRI encompasses many different research disciplines ranging from chemical engineering to forest operations science; this allows middle school teachers to select the most appropriate activities for their classrooms. One inquiry activity investigates the properties of different composites’ strength while another investigates the antibacterial properties of leaf and bark extracts. Many of the lessons incorporate technology as well as mathematical concepts. All of the activities are aligned with the National Science Standards.

Download slides (pdf format – 3 slides/page)

Cutting Edge Maine Research in the Middle School Classroom

Maine Association for Middle Level Education Annual Conference
October 22 & 23, 2009  –   Sugarloaf U.S.A.

The principal investigators of the Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative (FBRI), at the University of Maine, recognize the importance of involving young people in scientific research. A middle school teacher has spent the last three summers as a RET (Research Experience for Teachers) researching the different FBRI disciplines and creating inquiry based activities, which complement the cutting edge research being conducted at the University of Maine. Several activities will be shared through this hands-on workshop.

Download slides (pdf format – 3 slides/page)

Past Presentations

No Question Left Behind: Guided Inquiry Curricula into Science and Mathematics Classrooms

Wood Your Students Use Real Data?
T. Vassiliev & P. Bernhardt James F. Doughty School, Bangor, ME.
B. Haynes. Troy Howard Middle School, Belfast, ME.
D. Neivandt & D. Donahue, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Maine.

This workshop and poster presentation focuses on the University of Maine’s Forestry Bioproducts Research Initiative (FBRI) and how their support of summertime RET (research experience for teachers) has been the gateway between the cutting-edge research being conducted at the University of Maine and Maine middle schools. The poster outlines several interesting and cost effective activities that middle school teachers can do with their students. All of the FBRI activities are aligned with Maine’ Parameters of Essential Instruction and foster creative and critical thinking skills which may inspire students to take more science and mathematics courses in high school and therefore better prepare them to major in STEM subjects in college.

Although rooted in middle school science and mathematics, several of the activities can be used across curriculum. All of the actives incorporate the Maine Learning Initiative with the infusion of technology. The activities being developed ask interesting questions and heavily promote inquiry in the classroom. The Center for Science and Mathematical Research at the University of Maine has provided FBRI a means to share these lessons with teachers and receive valuable feedback through the Middle School Collaborative.

Middle School Collaborative: Guided Inquiry in Middle School Mathematics and Science

Workshop #1
Trees, Me and Technology:  Using Data to Ignite Critical Thinking
Date:  October 29, 2008
Time:  4:30-7:30 PM
Location:  Library, Troy A. Howard Middle School, Belfast, Maine

Workshop #2
Microscopic Pie:  Experiments students can conduct to predict the medicinal properties of some well known plants
Date:  December 10, 2008
Time:  4:30-7:30 PM
Location:  114 Bennett Hall, University of Maine, Orono

Workshop #3
Middle School Engineers: Mirroring current research being conducting at the University of Maine’s Advanced Engineering Wood Composites (AEWC) Center. The Advanced Engineering Wood Composites (AEWC) Center at the University of Maine in Orono, is conducting cutting edge and collaborative research on hybrid wood composites, which are 6 to 7 times stronger than wood alone. We will use inquiry to make and test wood composite planks to determine the most durable recipe.
Date: January 27th
Time: 4:30 -7:30PM
Location: 114 Bennett Hall, University of Maine, Orono

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *