February 2007
Science Fair outreachNow in its third year, the WISE-sponsored science fair outreach program took place in January at Scarlett Middle School. The program pairs 40 UM undergraduate and graduate students with 40 Scarlett Middle School students to meet weekly to work on science fair projects. Scarlett student projects include: What affect do mirrors have on the brightness of the light spectrum? How does the temperature at which microwave popcorn is stored affect how well it pops? How do different initial angles affect the period of the pendulum? What color absorbs the most heat? What materials will a snail cross? With strenuous homework and regular exams, one might wonder why these UM students aren’t playing video games or watching television instead of volunteering at Scarlett Middle School. “It’s a very rewarding experience for our students,” says WISE Director Dr. Cinda-Sue Davis. “While the Scarlett students need help with the planning and execution of their projects, they are very bright kids who are eager for the help and eager to learn. And our UM students get to be the teachers for a change!” Initial and consequential surveys show that the experience is also rewarding for the Scarlett students involved. By the end of the 4-week program, most of the middle school students involved in this mentoring experience improve their view of themselves as scientists, improve their opinion about doing science work, and improve their confidence in using the scientific method. They also all indicate they enjoyed working with their mentors very much. Some even felt the need to write in a few extra “very’s” on the survey. Funding for the outreach activity is generously supplied by Pfizer.
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