What is the IES Sun Project?

Course Description

The SUN Project is a randomized, controlled study that will occur during the school years 2009-2011. Teacher participants will be randomly assigned to a workshop either in the summer of 2009 or 2010 during which they will learn about energy transfer in biology through the use of newly developed instructional tools. These tools include manipulatives that represent components of the mitochondrion and chloroplast, animations and other new instructional materials. Because this project will determine the feasibility of using these materials effectively, the teacher participants will be professional partners in formatively evaluating the workshop that introduces these ideas and materials and in evaluating the use of these materials in the classroom. The study will also generate student data regarding their impact on student learning.

During the workshop, teacher participants will explore the following:

How ATP provides energy to muscles
How respiration powers life and what this process has in common with a hydrogen fuel cell
The mechanism of the ATP synthase, the protein nanomachine that literally recycles ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate
How photosynthesis resembles respiration in terms of both protein components and strategies
The fundamental principles of energy transfer that underlie all of these biological processes
How this fundamental knowledge of energy transfer underlies many aspects of the biology curriculum including biodiversity, physiology, renewable fuels, and even evolution

Teachers will present a group lesson during the workshop and modify their biology curriculum to incorporate connections to energy transfer, a process they will continue to explore throughout the year as they take part in professional development activities such as focus groups, workshops to learn about additional extensions into other parts of the biology curriculum and partnering with another teacher through an exchange of ideas.

Through a variety of assessments regarding the impact of the workshop and materials, teachers will influence modifications to both the workshop and instructional materials and therefore maximize the effectiveness of the SUN Project. Besides content assessments and surveys that will be administered throughout the year, there will be one planned classroom observation per year with collaborative analysis by project staff and the teacher participant to determine how teaching practice has been influenced by the workshop. In appreciation for their service, there will be a $250 stipend for participation; but more importantly, teachers will receive some models and instructional materials for their own use. They will also have access to class sets that can be borrowed as needed. Housing will be provided during the workshop for those who are not reasonably able to drive home in the evenings. All teachers will be asked which administrators they would like for us to contact to familiarize them in a letter of recognition with their service to this project.

Important Dates

Teachers will participate in a randomized, controlled study throughout two school years, 2009- 2010 and 2010- 2011.

Applications will be accepted beginning in April of 2008. Apply early because space is limited.

Applicants will know by September of 2008 if they have been accepted and to which workshop they have been randomly assigned.

All teachers will assemble on the first day of each workshop at MSOE (August 3, 2009 and August 2, 2010) for information regarding implementation of the study, a presentation about new tools for the classroom, assessments, and a chance to interact with interested teachers from across the state.

Teachers randomly assigned to Group A will attend a two-week workshop on energy transfer in biology on August 3 - August 14, 2009 at MSOE.

Teachers randomly assigned to Group B will attend the same workshop August 2 – August 13, 2010.

Teachers will participate in 3 of 4 offered professional development activities either at MSOE or at regional centers throughout each year after they have the workshop.

Input from both teachers and their students will be collected throughout both school years through a variety of strategic assessments.

Instructors

Primary Instructors

Ann Batiza, Ph.D. is the principal investigator and developer of this study and a program director at the MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling. Dr. Batiza has experience teaching at all grade levels, pre K – college, has researched ion channels, and is the author of the trade textbook for young adults, Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics: Getting the Big Picture.
Mary Gruhl, Ph.D. is an award-winning teacher of middle school and high school science. She is a co-principal investigator for this project and is the retired director of the UW-Milwaukee Center for Science Education. Dr. Gruhl is currently teaching science methods classes at Northland College and is a co-developer of many of the resources that will be used during the course.
Tim Herman, Ph.D.is also a co-principal investigator for this project and is the Director of the MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling and the founder of 3D Molecular Designs.

Specialty Instructors

Professor David Nelson, Ph.D, a biochemistry professor at UW-Madison, is the Director of the UW-Madison Center for Biology Education and is the co-author of the premiere undergraduate textbook, Lehninger’s Biochemistry. He is a co-prinicipal investigator on this project and will present information about basic energy transfer. He will also give a special presentation during an evening lecture at Discovery World.
Retired physical chemistry professor Michael Patrick, Ph.D. of UW-Madison will present information about the physics and chemistry of energy transfer and be available at specified times to answer questions.

Teacher Instructors

Experienced teachers from Wisconsin who are members of the SUN Teacher Advisory Board will present some lessons and be available to answer questions and assist during some of the workshop activities.

Requirements for Application

Participants will fill out an application online.

Applications will be accepted beginning in April of 2008. Apply early because space is limited.

Applicants should be high school biology teachers who teach at least one class of regular biology (any grades 9-12) or anticipate teaching such a class during the school years of 2009-2010 and 2010 - 2011.

Preference will be given to Wisconsin applicants.

We hope that at least 30% of the participants to be from urban schools.

Because we will match teachers on a variety of criteria before random assignment to Group A (the workshop in the summer or 2009) or Group B (the workshop in the summer of 2010), no prior expertise in energy transfer or particular level of teaching experience is required.

Because the workshop for this course will be held during the first two weeks of August in 2009 and 2010, applicants should be free to attend either workshop to which they are randomly assigned and should plan to attend the first day of the workshop to which they are not assigned.

Applicants will know by September of 2008 if they have been accepted and to which workshop they have been randomly assigned. Unfortunately, because of the research design, we cannot honor any particular requests for one summer or the other.

Supported by grant R305B070443 from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Services