Kellogg Biological Station’s GK-12 Program

 

What is the KBS GK-12 Program? In 2010, KBS representatives Getty, Anderson, Gross, Lau, Robertson, and Tinghitella were awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for a new GK-12 (Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education) Program called the KBS GK-12 Bioenergy Sustainability Project. You can find a slideshow overview and introduction to our project here and a summary here. This program is part of a national network of GK-12 sites funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the common goal of providing science graduate students with skills that will broadly prepare them for their future careers, particularly communicating science with varied audiences. Through interactions with teachers and students in K-12 schools, graduate students are expected to improve communication and teaching skills while enriching science instruction in K-12 schools. For more information about the GK-12 program and links to GK-12 projects in other states, visit the National GK-12 website.

Tomomi and students in a BEST plot, 2012 Our GK-12 project has partnered with fifteen rural school districts in SW Michigan, all of whom are part of the ongoing K-12 Partnership at Kellogg Biological Station. In fall of 2010 we established a network of schoolyard research plots (see the BEST Research Network tab) at 22 schools in these 15 districts. The plots mimic those used at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center to conduct experiments testing the sustainability of bioenergy crops like switchgrass and native prairie. Students and teachers at our partner schools are asking the question “Can we grow our fuel and our flowers and butterflies too?

Please contact program director Tom Getty (getty@msu.edu) or program manager Sarah Bodbyl (bodbyl@msu.edu) for more information on the KBS GK-12 Bioenergy Sustainability Project.

Important Articles about the KBS GK-12 Bioenergy Research Project
Fellows Liz Schultheis and Nick Ballew receive awards

Fellows Liz Schultheis and Nick Ballew receive awards

Congratulations to former GK-12 Fellows Liz Schultheis and Nick Ballew for the following awards granted this spring:  Liz received the 2012-2013 Fields Teaching Award from the MSU Department of Plant Biology. The award is given once annually to a Plant Biology graduate student, “recognizing originality in teaching methods and a recipient’s ability to generate enthusiasm about learning and to influence student attitudes and interests”.   Liz has honed her teaching and science communication skills over the last three years of service as a GK-12 Fellow. She is also beginning a second year of partnering with the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action. She has created and presented many lesson plans for K-12 students, hosted workshops for K-12 teachers, and attended local and national education conferences (GK-12 annual meeting, MSTA, NABT, ESA Life Discovery). She helped co-create Data Nuggets and is [...]

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Project GREEEN call for proposals!

Project GREEEN call for proposals!

The above Call for Proposals is sponsored by Project GREEEN. Originally known as the Plant Initiative, Project GREEEN is a collaborative effort by plant-based commodities and businesses in cooperation with AgBioResearch (formerly the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station), MSU Extension, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to advance Michigan’s economy through its plant-based agriculture. Its mission is to develop research and educational programs, ensure and improve food safety and protect and preserve the quality of the environment. If you are curious where you can find Michigan native plants for your backyard or schoolyard, see: Michigan Retail Sources of Native plants (.docx)

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GK-12 Fellow showcases BoxCar2D at the MSU Science Festival

The inaugural MSU Science Festival kicked off this weekend in East Lansing and Fellow Anne Royer was featured as a presenter in this State News article. Anne ran a hands-on demonstration of “Darwin Builds Better Cars” all day Saturday and Sunday, in the Biomedical and Physical Sciences building on campus. Participants learned about evolutionary processes by first building Lego cars and testing their models on short tracks, then used online software (BoxCar2D) to optimize 2D car design on various types of terrain. Fellows Anne, Liz Schultheis, and Sara Garnett recently presented “Darwin Builds Better Cars” at the K-12 Partnership Workshop in March.

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BeSt Plot Data: Student-Guided Inquiry in Lawton Classrooms

BeSt Plot Data: Student-Guided Inquiry in Lawton Classrooms

After days of work in the field and lab collecting data on their BeSt biofuel plots, four classes at Lawton Community Schools – Ms. Angle’s 8th-graders and Ms. Visich’s Environmental Science class – finally got to enjoy the fruits of their labor.  As any scientist knows, no fruit is more satisfying than juicy, crunchable data. We started this adventure by looking at what kinds of data we had.  This included the planting, fertilization, and harvesting treatments as well as the data we collected, from plant and insect biodiversity to soil characteristics.  Each student made his or her own hypothesis about why a pair of variables might be related.  Does fertilization increase insect abundance?  Does moisture increase plant biomass production?   Only one way to find out… The students plotted their data by hand, then ventured into the computer lab to produce [...]

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Fellows present at Plant Science Symposium

Fellows present at Plant Science Symposium

GK-12 fellows Tyler Bassett and Jake Nalley have been honing their public presentation skills all year in middle and high school classrooms. On March 29, they put those skills to good use by participating in the Plant Science Graduate Student Research Symposium that was hosted on Michigan State’s East Lansing campus. Both presented on their individual research topics in front of a small crowd and judges. Tyler and Jake both research the many benefits that can come from diversity, a topic that should be familiar to students and teachers that have studied the BEST Plots. Tyler focused on how diversity may be a crucial factor in resisting invasive species in restored prairies. Jake spoke about how growing multiple species of algae together results in higher levels of biomass that can be converted into biodiesel fuel. Tyler received third place in the [...]

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Water in the Classroom: Lake Mixing

Water in the Classroom: Lake Mixing

Ever wonder why when you dive in a lake, there is a sudden drop in temperature? Russ Stolberg’s 8th grade Earth Science students have been discussing why we observe this phenomenon in our lakes and oceans. It all has to do with density! Cold water has a higher density than warmer water, and as solar radiation continually warms the surface of our lakes it makes this separation even more pronounced.  I [Jake] had the pleasure working with the students on an exciting lab simulating how waters can become layered, or stratified, and then simulate how this stratification can be broken down through natural processes.  Groups of students each got to work with their own pond (a clear plastic tub), which was heated by the sun (a heat lamp) and received warm wind via a blow dryer. We started with “Winter” [...]

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GK-12 presents at MSTA

GK-12 presents at MSTA

  On March 8th, Dave Williams (GK-12 partner teacher and RET) and Liz Schultheis (GK-12 fellow) presented at the Michigan Science Teachers Association Conference (MSTA). Dave developed this lesson while working as an RET in Jen Lau’s lab, where graduate student Liz studies the role of natural enemies in plant invasions. The lesson covers invasive species in Michigan (like purple loosestrife and garlic mustard), and guides students through collecting data to test the Enemy Release Hypothesis – which predicts that invasive species escape from natural enemies in their invasive range, contributing to their success. In this lesson, students develop predictions, design experimental sampling methods, collect data, and create graphs for data interpretation. Participants were also introduced to Data Nuggets – worksheets where students can practice making claims based on scientific data. Lesson and other materials available via these links: Presentation [...]

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Register now for a FREE summer workshop for high school biology teachers!

Register now for a FREE summer workshop for high school biology teachers!

Whether you’re new to inquiry learning in your classroom, or you’re looking for new projects to spice up your curriculum, this workshop is for you! Come enjoy an intensive week of field and lab exploration, working with scientists and educators. Participants will experience five days of cutting edge research, while creating lessons that will work in the classroom and with the Next Generation Science Standards.  Lessons cover a diverse set of topics, including ecological field research, mathematical modeling, evolution, and computer simulations. Not only will participants come away with new research ideas, but more importantly, an increased comfort with the process of real science – including the unexpected and exciting new results that come from scientific inquiry! Room and board at Kellogg Biological Station paid by the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action at Michigan State University. [...]

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Garnett Jeopardy!

Garnett Jeopardy!

State News Article (in case the above link doesn’t work)

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Now Accepting Applications for 2013-2014 Teacher Partners

Now Accepting Applications for 2013-2014 Teacher Partners

The KBS GK-12 Bioenergy Sustainability Project is now accepting applications for Teacher Partners for 2013-14. Teacher Partners are K-12 teachers from 15 local school districts forming the KBS K-12 Partnership for Science Literacy. Teachers are paired with GK-12 graduate student fellows in a year-long relationship.Teacher Partners provide fellows with K-12 classroom and teaching experience. Fellows work with teacher partners to improve curricula and student learning, in part by utilizing established schoolyard science research plots (BEST plots) in K-12 Partner districts. These partnerships offer graduate students an opportunity to bring leading-edge research practices and findings to K-12 learning settings. Graduate Student Fellows are meant to serve as role models to K-12 students and help stimulate their interest in STEM disciplines. Please see the application form for more details on the project and teacher partner responsibilities and benefits. To apply, please submit (1) this completed application [...]

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