Gifted Education Commons^™

2018 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"This is IMSA's 31st year of leading in educational innovation and the 30th year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! ... These studies have all happened during the past year in a variety of laboratories, real or virtual, on and off campus. Students were asked to not only learn a great deal about complex topics, but to contribute to them in meaningful ways. The presentations you hear today reflect the various stages of their work on a myriad of projects."

An Exploration Of The Factors That Motivate Gifted And Talented Rural Students To Engage In Stem, Issabella Baldwin Zurek '18, Takudzwa George '18, Clinton Oshipitan '18, Robert Luo '18, Amy Wang '18

Student Publications & Research

Research Questions:

• What motivates rural students to pursue STEM?
• How can we use these factors to engage more rural students in STEM?

2018 Intersession Catalog, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Intersession Catalogs

No abstract provided.

2017 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"This is IMSA's 30th year of leading in educational innovation and the 29th year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! Welcome to another year of profound investigation and discovery! In these pages, you will find exciting abstracts on a variety of fantastic studies done by IMSA's great minds."

2017 Intersession Catalog, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Intersession Catalogs

No abstract provided.

2016 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"Welcome to the twenty-eighth year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! This is a program that is as old as IMSA. The SIR program represents our unending dedication to enabling our students to learn what it is to be an innovator and to make contributions to what is known on Earth."

2016 Intersession Catalog, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Intersession Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Evolution Practice 2, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

Evolution Problems

Genetic Drift Simulation, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

Genetic drift can be defined as a random fluctuation in gene frequency. More specifically, it tells us that different alleles may increase or decrease in a population in proportion to one another over time, just by chance, rather than due to any fitness advantage.

Mechanisms And Speciation 2: Evolution On The Web Questions, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

The website below, sponsored by UC Berkeley, is a reliable source for information about evolution. This will give you the introductory information about the mechanisms of Evolution.

Mechanisms And Speciation 1: The Modern Synthesis, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

The Modern Synthesis or Synthetic Theory of Evolution is an explanation of evolution that is based on modern genetic principles. According to the Modern Synthesis (a.k.a. Neo-Darwinism):

Evidence Of Evolution 2: Definitions For Evolutionary Evidence Lab, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

This lab activity was designed to provide you with opportunities to make inferences and draw conclusions about evolution and the common ancestry of various animals based on their anatomical characteristics and comparative anatomy. You will be given tasks to accomplish or questions to answer at each of 11 stations. In order to do this successfully, you must make careful observations of the specimens on display. You must also know the following definitions before beginning this activity:

Evolution Practice 1, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

Answer the following questions using information from the handouts, and examples from the LAB

Evidence Of Evolution 1: Structures, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

In order to investigate linage, evolutionary history, and common ancestry, you need to be familiar with the following structures.

Essential Questions, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

In order to understand the current state of biological life and how it has changed over time, the following questions must be addressed:

Evidence Of Evolution 3: Evolutionary Evidence And Inferences Lab: A Discussion Guide, Imsa Biology Team

Evolution

This lab activity was designed to provide you with opportunities to make inferences and draw conclusions about evolution and the common ancestry of various animals based on their anatomical characteristics and comparative anatomy. You will be given tasks to accomplish or questions to answer at each of 11 stations. In order to do this successfully, you must make careful observations of the specimens on display.

Readings On Current Biology: Bibliography, Imsa Biology Team

Nature of Science

No abstract provided.

Post-Assessment, Imsa Biology Team

Nature of Science

No abstract provided.

Current Readings In Biology: Guiding Questions, Imsa Biology Team

Nature of Science

No abstract provided.

Essential Questions, Imsa Biology Team

Nature of Science

Questions that must be addressed in order to understand the current state of biological life and how it has changed over time.

Nature Of Science Pre-Questions, Imsa Biology Team

Nature of Science

No abstract provided.

Science & Spaghetti Monsters: Understanding The Nature Of Scientific Knowledge & Research, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Nature of Science

What is science?

When students are asked to define science, many of them define science as “a body of knowledge gained by performing experiments.”

A more appropriate definition, however, is that “Science is … a process of inquiry aimed at building a testable body of knowledge open to rejection or confirmation” (Shermer, 2005).

There are three important points that this definition makes:

Course Syllabus: Fall 2015, Imsa Biology Team

Nature of Science

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Creating An Innovation Talent Pipeline, Britta Mckenna

Britta McKenna

Investing in the innovation pipeline today translates to Illinois business tomorrow. Somewhere between the rise of “STEM” and “staying globally competitive” in a time after Millennials is Generation Z. Gen Z digital natives are now making their way to and through primary and secondary education and we need to be ready to nurture the emerging talents of these and other future innovators. This is particularly important in Illinois where developing – and retaining – top talent will be a key driver of the state’s knowledge-based economy. There is hard work ahead reimagining what education should look like to support this …

Suburban Leaders Who Have Made A Difference: Jose Torres, José M. Torres

José M. Torres

This week we are featuring Dr. Jose Torres, the president of Aurora-based Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Torres was superintendent of Elgin Area School District U-46 from 2008 to 2014 and has served in various leadership roles, including regional superintendent/area instruction officer in Chicago Public Schools, and as the only superintendent on the Federal Equity and Excellence Commission of the United States Department of Education. Torres was one of three educators nationwide to receive the 2014 Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award from the AASA, the school superintendents association.

Technology Education For High-Ability Students, Carl Heine, James Gerry, Laurie S. Sutherland

Carl Heine

Technologically adept teens not only consume technology voraciously; they create it. Gifted and talented students are attracted to technology for its capacity to transform learners from “receptacles of knowledge to active producers who direct their own learning” (Siegle, n.d.). Beyond the capacity to produce or innovate with technology is the opportunity to conceive and produce innovative technologies, a distinct type of tech giftedness (Siegle, n.d.) and the focus of the present chapter. Technologically skilled teens have been doing this for some time, typically unassisted. It’s not hard to locate the connections between Facebook, Google, and YouTube and their gifted creators. …

2015 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"We want to express our gratitude for the generosity and steadfast support of all the experts and leaders who have nurtured These collaborative partnerships are the strength of our SIR program."

Addressing Misconceptions About Evolution, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Don Dosch

Evolution

"Leave with effective ways to identify and address misconceptions about evolution, with a particular focus on supporting explanations with evidence."

Engineering Education For High-Ability Students, Branson Lawrence, Diane Hinterlong, Laurie S. Sutherland

Publications & Research

Over the course of their careers, engineers command a breadth and depth of knowledge from science, mathematics, society, politics, and economics that is needed for continuously updating their knowledge of the latest discoveries and advances. Driven by curiosity and enabled by rapid information technology, engineers are kept abreast of the latest advancements almost instantaneously. Today’s scientific knowledge is fluid and complex, yet these traits of engineering remain constant: the ability to define structure, plan, repeatedly evaluate, and align results to the initial objective. Engineering teachers need to facilitate their students’ ability to access information effectively and to apply it appropriately, …

2015 Intersession Catalog, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Intersession Catalogs

The following intersession experience will be required for some students. Students will be notified of required participation prior to Intersession week. This experience will not be listed as a choice for students on the intersession request form, but is offered in the catalog for informational purposes only.