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LASF and the Stanley Intermediate Science Department

By Sandy Mouat
CORRESPONDENT

The super-charged Science department at Stanley Intermediate School is evidence of how much the curricular focus and concern for different learning styles has progressed from the days when Junior High science was an adversity to endure in order to graduate.
        In striking contrast, Stanley students eagerly anticipate their science classes, which involve the teachers' own engaging curriculum supplemented by Lafayette Arts and Sciences Foundation docent presentations and innovative projects funded by LASF grants.
        Through an LASF grant, Science teacher Michael Meneghetti expanded his Magnetic-Levitation Train project, which gives the students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of concepts in electricity, magnetism, simple machines, and the scientific process to build a train that levitates and travels down a track made of magnets, with power supplied to the train by guard rails that run the entire length of the track.
        Meneghetti emphasizes that students need the opportunity to design, build, test, redesign, and rebuild a device that performs a task. He believes that because students don't often build models anymore, they miss the crucial learning experience of going through a series of trials and errors to achieve a goal.
        The students follow several steps before actually building the train. First, they participate in the LASF docent unit on electricity that covers concepts such as complete circuits, parallel and series circuits, conductors and resistors, and static electricity. They move on to a lab where they work with Ohm meters, buzzers, and build their own electric motors.
        Meneghetti challenges them to design the train within specific parameters, but they must figure out on their own how to accomplish this goal. His students relish every minute of the experimentation and discovery. They are completely engrossed in the assignment. Together with their partners, they work out all of the logistics of getting power from the guardrail to the motor mounted on the train platform, which powers a propeller. They must also incorporate into their designs a light bulb which is to remain lit as the train moves down the track.
        The students submit top and side view drawings of their proposed designs for approval by Meneghetti, before they receive the materials to start building. They have several opportunities to test their preliminary designs at different stations around the classroom, before they test their trains on the main track.
        This project focuses on physics in terms of balance, propulsion, and wind resistance, while developing critical thinking skills and following the state mandate that forty percent of class time be devoted to hands-on science activities.
        Said Meneghetti, "I think teaching or giving the opportunity for critical thinking experiences is a large part of what science is all about. Using concepts learned in class and giving students the opportunity to apply them and demonstrate their understanding of them is crucial to the science experience." He continued, "Science can be taught very effectively on a shoestring budget, however without the financial support of LASF, comprehensive units like this are nearly impossible."
        Through another project funded by an LASF grant, science and math teacher Michael Merrick incorporates video capture, editing, scientific analysis, and presentation skills into his curriculum, increasing student motivation, interest and concept understanding.
        Merrick's students document the results of their experiments and create video presentations at home or in the classroom, for their math, science, and core classes. Scripts, props, shot selection and acting must be carefully planned prior to shooting the video. They can download their images into a classroom computer and with Avid Cinema software they can trim shots, place them in sequence, add titles, sound and transitions, and even include video from a variety of other sources. The final product can be copied onto several different tape formats or prepared for viewing on the Internet.
        One area in which this technique is implemented is in the study of earthquakes and how to survive them. Students design and build structures that incorporate features intended to withstand a certain magnitude earthquake. The structures are then placed on a specially designed table that simulates an earthquake. Video cameras are used to capture how the building collapses and the image can be played back in slow motion to analyze the weak areas. The students use this method to interpret and analyze the scientific data and then incorporate their findings into final reports on safe architectural practices.
        The video equipment and editing software provide a creative means of presentation and assessment. Merrick believes that this type of assessment allows teachers to address different types of learning styles that may not shine on paper and pencil tasks.
        "I find the excitement to be very high when we are working with the video equipment. The students get a chance to be creative and apply critical thinking skills in terms of planning before shooting. The role playing of the different jobs needed to make a successful video and the skills and experience gained working with the equipment and software will open many doors for these creative minds. LASF has done a great job at understanding the need for a well rounded education that can blend the left-brain subjects of math and science with the right-brain focus of the arts."
        The Stanley science teachers create an environment in which their own exuberant enthusiasm and continuing growth do more than just spark an initial interest in science concepts. As they strive to find innovative avenues to inspire curiosity in their students, they demonstrate that the discovery and understanding of science concepts can be an enjoyable, lifelong journey.

5/5/99 Reprinted with permission. Visit the Contra Costa Times on the web at www.contracostatimes.com.

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