What do Internet telescopes, sheep hearts, and M& Ms have in common?

They were all subjects of presentations made by Latin faculty at the National Science Teachers Association's Midwestern Area Convention held at Navy Pier in Chicago, November 10th through 12th.

Seven science faculty members joined nearly 4,000 colleagues from the Midwest region in early November to share curricular innovations, research findings, and both philosophical and practical ideas and strategies during the three-day event. Paul Sereno, professor of paleontology at the University of Chicago, and Leon Lederman, the 1988 Nobel Prize winner in physics, were among the convention's featured speakers.

Science chair John Jameson presented a session called “The Population Genetics of M&M's--an Advanced Biology Activity.” In this activity, teachers learned how to teach population genetics by using candy--M&M's and candy corn---to mimic live organisms and the changes that may occur in a population over multiple generations.

Latin students become the predators in poulation genetics activity, the subject of a session presented at the NSTA regional conference

“What at first may seem to students like sheer fun is actually an engaging way to teach about how genotypes can change as a result of natural selection,” said Jameson.

Jameson is in his fourth year at Latin, though he has been a Science Department Chair since 1984.

“This is by far the largest representation of science faculty presenting at a science educators conference I have ever had in one of my departments,” he said. “Latin should be proud that its faculty takes seriously its collegial responsibility to advance the profession by putting in the time to share what we do with others. And the quality of what we are presenting is right up there with the best.”

Last year's Middle School Science faculty jointly presented a session that demonstrated how they worked together to combine the teaching of science content with the process of scientific inquiry. Anil Chopra, Christine Tantoco, and Andrea Villegas showed colleagues how their arranging their teaching schedules to have some common planning times made a difference in the science curriculum to the benefit of all students. Then they shared specific laboratory activities, curriculum outlines, and other parts of their co-designed curriculum that engages and inspires Middle School scientists by showing how the methods of science fit into everyday life.

The three were invited to present this session at the National Conference in Anaheim, CA in April.

Latin's strength in astronomy was displayed in two different presentations. Dennis Erickson empowered teachers to teach their students how to hunt for asteroids, comets, and novae, even without a telescope. Steven Coberly and Lor Gehret's presentation featured the many ways that Latin students, working in Chicago, have used an Internet telescope and a CCD camera located in New Mexico to image galaxies and nebulae.

Coberly explained how this technology makes it possible for teachers anywhere in the world to bring the excitement of scientific discovery to their students.

"The Internet telescope gives us access to clear, dark skies that are not available to us in the urban environment of Chicago," he said. "Our students have the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge -- about visual magnitudes, apparent stellar motion, and celestial coordinates -- in the context of conducting a realistic astronomy investigation. Students are put into the role of actual scientific researchers, experiencing the frustrations of occasional cloud cover or an interfering full moon, as well as the joys and excitement of scientific discovery."

“It is wonderful that we have such strong programs that we can take out and share with our science educator colleagues,” said Jameson. “And besides,” he adds, “It's a lot of fun.”

The NSTA is the leading professional organization for science educators. Each year the organization holds one annual and three regional conferences, the locations of which vary from year to year. This year marked the 53rd annual national conference.

© 2008 The Latin School of Chicago

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