Here we are, another blog post that starts off with “wow where has the time gone?!?” In the past two months I collected my final field samples (thanks to an awesome volunteer), tore down my study site, submitted a grant, and managed to finish the semester.
This summer is going to be a little different, I’ve spent the past six years doing field work but now I am working exclusively inside! I’ve got a growth chamber experiment and several small test experiments running. I’m also taking a STEM teaching course and writing my research proposal. I can already feel the summer flying by.
On a different note, I want to focus this post on a program I’ve been volunteering with since 2011 and some new exciting changes! The program is PlantingScience, an online learning community that pairs high school students with scientist mentors. The students design and conduct their own plant biology experiment with help from their mentor. This program gives students a chance to connect with real scientists and develop a more rigorous understanding of the scientific process. But, plant biology isn’t all we do anymore!
Beginning in the fall of 2015 PlantingScience, in partnership with the Agronomy Society of America, began working on a new learning module called “Agronomy Feeds the World (AFW).” I am a part of the team creating this new module, and a few weekends ago we had a writing session. We managed to hammer out and draft a really cool module where students will learn about agronomy, the food system, and the scientific process (including an intro to experimental design). By the end of the module students will be able to answer:
If you are interested in PlantingScience AFW for your classroom please let us know! AFW will need mentors starting fall 2017, but if you are interested in mentoring this fall PlantingScience needs help with the plant biology modules. For me, PlantingScience has been so rewarding. The students get so into their projects and they love learning that scientists are real people. If you have any PlantingScience questions please don’t hesitate to ask!
This summer is going to be a little different, I’ve spent the past six years doing field work but now I am working exclusively inside! I’ve got a growth chamber experiment and several small test experiments running. I’m also taking a STEM teaching course and writing my research proposal. I can already feel the summer flying by.
On a different note, I want to focus this post on a program I’ve been volunteering with since 2011 and some new exciting changes! The program is PlantingScience, an online learning community that pairs high school students with scientist mentors. The students design and conduct their own plant biology experiment with help from their mentor. This program gives students a chance to connect with real scientists and develop a more rigorous understanding of the scientific process. But, plant biology isn’t all we do anymore!
Beginning in the fall of 2015 PlantingScience, in partnership with the Agronomy Society of America, began working on a new learning module called “Agronomy Feeds the World (AFW).” I am a part of the team creating this new module, and a few weekends ago we had a writing session. We managed to hammer out and draft a really cool module where students will learn about agronomy, the food system, and the scientific process (including an intro to experimental design). By the end of the module students will be able to answer:
- “What is agronomy?”
- “Where does my food come from?”
- “What role does soil play in agriculture?”
- “What stresses impact crops?”
- “What management decisions do farmers make?”
If you are interested in PlantingScience AFW for your classroom please let us know! AFW will need mentors starting fall 2017, but if you are interested in mentoring this fall PlantingScience needs help with the plant biology modules. For me, PlantingScience has been so rewarding. The students get so into their projects and they love learning that scientists are real people. If you have any PlantingScience questions please don’t hesitate to ask!