Montana Teachers Investigate Ecology

June/July 2000

THIS ISSUE:

Research
NCUR Notes: Students showcase research and creative efforts at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Biological Sciences
Dog Days of Summer: Aimee Hurt's bear scat study was made possible through IBS-CORE, a program that funds projects for undergraduate researchers.

Science
Montana Academy of Sciences: High school students and professionals from around the state are "part of a community," thanks to this science organization.

Joint effort: Astronaut Jerry Ross gives a tour of the International Space Station.

Briefs
Lost in Space Camp: Kids learned about rockets, teachers received GIS training and the public saw stunning NASA images at the Big Sky Rendez-Vous.

Rediscovering Lewis and Clark: A UM program will host a new National Lewis and Clark Education Center.

Out of the Classroom, Into the Field: Teachers spend part of their summer at UM, learning research skills in the Montana Teachers Investigate Ecology Project.

Exercising Minds: Montana students win big at Detroit's International Science and Engineering Fair.

INDEX:
Archives

Teachers study ecology in the field.

Out of the Classroom,
Into the Field
Eleven western Montana middle school and high school teachers will conduct ecological research this summer, thanks to a National Science Foundation Grant awarded to UM.

Carol Brewer, an associate professor with UM’s Division of Biological Sciences, says the two-year, $286,055 grant will fund the Montana Teachers Investigate Ecology Project. MT-TIE will allow teachers to interact with UM scientists and learn research skills that should make their classroom science instruction more relevant and engaging.

“The teachers conducting research this summer will collect and analyze data and develop curricula to get their students more involved in research,” says Brewer, the grant’s principal investigator. “It’s a nice partnership among UM, the state’s teachers and students.”

She says up to 20 teachers will be selected for MT-TIE each year for eight weeks of research. The 11 teachers working on projects this summer will investigate everything from small-mammal population distribution to conifer photosynthesis. All Montana teachers of biology in grades six through 12 are eligible for the program, and they are paid for their participation.

Brewer says six UM faculty members will act as mentors for one or two of the teachers this summer. In future years she hopes to include researchers from agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service as mentors.

“Using ecology to teach science research is a perfect match for Montana,” she says. “We live in one of the greatest natural laboratories in the world.”

Teachers participating in the program this summer are Nathan Beckwith of Victor High School, David Fitzpatrick of Charlo High School, Bruce Fryar of Missoula’s DeSmet Middle School, Linda Hicks of Bonner’s Potomac School, John Hughes of Kalispell’s Linderman School, Sue Ibsen of Condon’s Swan Valley School, Kathleen Kennedy of Missoula’s Sentinel High School, Dave Oberbillig of Missoula’s Big Sky High School, Mike Plautz of Missoula’s Hellgate High School, Joe Quinn of Charlo School and Betsy Sharkey of Potomac School.

For more information, e-mail cabrewer@selway.umt.edu.