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Summer Science Institute
2009 Program Summary
Please check back in January 2010 for the 2010 SSI offerings.
2009 marks the fifth year for the UF Summer Science Institute (UF SSI), offering two content-rich science workshops this summer. As with all UF CPET workshops, participants will have the chance to work with UF faculty and graduate students, perform authentic research, visit laboratories and facilities, hear talks by research and industry leaders, develop classroom applications, and take several resources back to the classroom. This is an excellent professional development opportunity for science, technology and vocational teachers to increase their content knowledge and gain valuable hands-on experience that will renew their excitement in the classroom and their comfort with their curriculum. Participation in this workshop also forms a partnership between the teachers and the University of Florida and encourages further collaboration between schools and the University.
The University of Florida Center for Precollegiate Education and Training (UF CPET) was proud to host 27 outstanding teachers representing the following Florida counties: Alachua, Duval, Lee, Marion, Orange, Hernando, Hillsborough, and Walton. The participants in the two SSI workshops comprised a diverse group of experienced educators teaching elementary, middle and high school science. Each week of the program engaged the participants in various hands-on and minds-on activities. Celebrate Science! recognized the 2009 Year of Science (YoS), and drew on several YoS themes. They learned about the development of the telescope from Galileo’s time to the present, soared to the skies with the 3D AstroWall and viewed the constellations in a portable planetarium. Physics demonstrations and explanations provided ideas for the teachers to include in their physical science curriculum, and they made their own vortex drum. Bugs are fun for students of all ages, including educators. Insect products and uses were focused on, complete with larva art and insect cuisine.
Turning to biodiversity and conservation, a visit to the Lubee Bat Conservancy allowed the teachers a close look at fruit bats and a chance to learn about their declining numbers due to human influence. The teachers then explored insect-plant preferences by observations in the field, the butterfly rainforest, and through an activity they can do in their classrooms. They discussed how and why a new species would evolve, and the evidence needed to demonstrate the change. The teachers heard current UF molecular anthropology research regarding human migration from Africa.
The teachers concluded their celebration of science with an interactive discussion and hands-on activities in material science and engineering. They learned how and why different materials are made to fulfill engineering and technology challenges. They then tempered glass, created nylon, made spray foam insulation, flubber, and super bounce balls.
The second week of the workshop, Aquatic Systems: Emerging Problems and Creative Solutions, highlighted some of the most significant research on coastal and inland aquatic systems in Florida. Teachers participated in laboratory opportunities that combined field and bench work including plant identification, water chemistry, and assessing water quality through macroinvertebrate studies; spoke with researchers and community leaders about wetlands, water resources, and ownership of the water; and gained extensive field experience by visiting several areas of interest in North Central Florida. They examined the interconnectedness of water, emphasizing the contaminants (metals, endocrine disrupters, plant and animal toxins, pathogenic organisms) that affect human and environmental health. The Aquatic Systems teachers also had the chance to follow water from sinkhole, through a cave system, and finally as it surfaces in a spring and explore a functioning wetlands restoration project on the UF campus. The week concluded with a trip to Seahorse Key for sampling and a look at coastal problems.
All SSI teachers were asked to develop a teaching tool that would translate the new information gained at the University of Florida into their classroom curriculum. The SSI teachers return to their communities, having learned the most recent advances in science which, combined with their outstanding teaching talents, will bridge the research community with the general public.
2009 funding support generously provided by:
| Lastinger Center for Learning |  |
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| Florida Space Grant Consortium |  |
UF Alliance |  |
