2007/2008 GK-12 PROJECT OUTLINE Andrew Slaughter Montana State University Department of Civil Engineering & The Big Sky Institute The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program is a national program that provides the opportunity for graduate students to participate in the K-12 education process. At Montana State University (MSU) the GK-12 program is overseen by the Big Sky Institute (BSI), which is an interdisciplinary educational outreach organization. The goals of the GK-12 program are to 1. strengthen MSU’s institutional support for training experiences in a K-12 context in order to enhance the communication and leadership skills of graduate and undergraduate scientists; and, 2. enhance science education in rural K-12 settings by infusing locally relevant, current environmental science research about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem into K-12 classrooms. The information contained within this document outlines the specifics of the projects being implemented by myself, Andrew Slaughter, a PhD candidate in Applied Mechanics, at Ophir School in Big Sky, MT. Overview My GK-12 project is divided into two main components: bridge engineering and snow science. The snow science component aligns closely with my PhD research; however, for various reasons the bridge component was added. Foremost, it provides the students with multiple topics, which breaks up the monotony of a single year-long program. Additionally, the bridge component provides the students with a glimpse into the engineering side of science. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of a dual project is opportunity to convey the interrelated aspects of the two projects, those being bridge design and snow avalanches – the similarities are quite strong, with the main difference being only the material being considered. Resources During the 2007/2008 academic calendar I will be working with Dave Neal’s 5th grade science class at Ophir School in Big Sky, MT. However, the education activities I am establishing draw on various resources and rely on various individuals and organizations, including the 5th grade English teacher, Mrs. Barton, the Big Sky Interim High School, Big Sky Ski Patrol, Yellowstone Club Ski Patrol, and Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.
Lasting Project The lasting project for my project at Ophir contains two main components. Foremost, I plan on establishing detailed lesson and project descriptions for use by other teachers and fellows, especially for those equipped to teach basic engineering principles and snow science background. These lessons will be separated into three different documents, as divided in the outline below. Each will be a standalone document that includes a lesson description, some basic background knowledge, handouts, quizzes, answer keys, and observations when the lesson was delivered. The objective of these documents will be to provide the basis for further developing the lesson to be a comprehensive protocol for implementing the lesson by any motivated teacher or fellow, and hopefully be available via an interactive website. Ophir School has an established weather station, but it is non-operational. The second lasting project will involve repairing this station and developing a simple user manual regarding its wiring and operation. The purpose is to establish the necessary tools for the weather station to be maintainable even after I depart the school as a fellow. Project Outline I. BRIDGE DESIGN: This project utilizes a well known computer based bridge design software package (http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/) to introduce the basics of bridge engineering to the students. 1.) Bridge Design Lessons. Lesson 1: An introduction to compression, tension, and buckling. Lesson 2: An introduction structural stability Lesson 3: Introduced West Point Bridge Design Software Lesson 4: Overview of Bridge Cost calculations Lesson 5: Students Present Bridge Designs 2.) Bridge Design Project. Near the beginning of the lessons, a bridge design competition is assigned, which challenges the students to design the lowest costing bridge. Throughout the first half of the semester the students design and refine their designs while keeping a running list of the lowest costing bridges. Then after completing all of the lessons and allowing ample time for design the students present their designs, including failures and interesting designs. II. SNOW SCIENCE: This project is setup to provide the students with a basic understanding of snow metamorphism, snow avalanches, and safe backcountry travel. It also highlights the similarities between bridge failure and snow avalanches.
1.) Snow Science Lessons: Lesson 1: An introduction to the basics of snow avalanches. Lesson 2: An introduction to terrain, snowpack, and weather. Lesson 3: View “A Dozen More Turns”, an avalanche awareness film. Lesson 4: Snowpack: The different types of snow. Lesson 5: Snowpack: Temperature gradient and snow metamorphism Lesson 6: Review temperature gradient and an avalanche quiz. Lesson 7: Terrain: Establish vocabulary for mountain terrain. Lesson 8: Terrain: Identifying hazardous terrain and safe travel routes. Lesson 9: Review terrain and give the second avalanche quiz. Lesson 10: Weather: Introduce weather terminology. Lesson 11: Weather: Practice identifying dangerous weather conditions. Lesson 12: Review weather and give third avalanche quiz. Lesson 13: Decision making: practice implementing what they learned. 2.) Snow Observation Project: After the Christmas break, the main snow science project is implemented, which has the students collectively making daily snow observations at Ophir. These observations are overseen by myself as well as the High School students and are focused on avalanche danger and snow metamorphism. Then, also on a daily basis, the students report their observations to the GNFAC to assist the center with their avalanche forecasts. The daily reports are completed as a portion of the students’ English course. This project allows the students to have hands-on experience as well as participate in the community and satisfying the “service-learning” requirement of Ophir School. 3.) Field Trips: Throughout the winter season the students will have opportunities to travel to the local ski resort to perform a more detailed study of snow that is not possible on the grounds of Ophir. These trips focus on the assessment off the snow stability using stability tests. These trips are overseen by myself, but draw on the expertise of the local ski patrollers. III. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION: This project is a follow-up to the computer based bridge design that the students completed at the beginning of the school year. The purpose is to give the students and opportunity to apply their understanding of bridges to a miniature, balsa wood bridge. 1.) Balsa Bridge Project: The balsa bridge project is fairly straightforward, as with the computer based design, a simple problem is established: design the most efficient bridge. In this case, efficiency is defined by the bridges strength and weight. The students are provided with the design requirements as well as the necessary tools for building their bridges. Again, after ample time, the students test the bridges together and determine the most efficient bridge.