Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

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.

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, …

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

Publications & Research

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. …

Field Trip Partnerships: Student-To-Student Mentoring, Aziza Darwish, Robyn Lee-Diaz

Publications & Research

Children running wild enjoying a day of freedom, exhausted chaperones, budget-conscious, hand-wringing administrators back at school -- all of these conjure troubling images for educators about field trips. These are far from the enjoyable, state-of-the-art, educational experiences that field trips could be for today's teachers and students.

For several years, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) has had longstanding partnerships with school districts throughout the state which have involved designing STEM field trip experiences that serve middle school educators and students. These field trips to the Academy are led by IMSA high school students who are enrolled in the …

An Exploration Of The Factors That Motivate Gifted And Talented Black Males To Engage In Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics In A Gifted, Residential Community, Adrienne L. Coleman

Publications & Research

This study was an exploration of the factors that motivated gifted and talented Black males to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The specific problem addressed was the lack of motivation among Black males to become gifted and talented learners engaged in STEM. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the factors that motivate gifted and talented Black males to engage in STEM at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), a residential academy for gifted/talented students. Qualitative methodology was used to interview focus groups of 20 gifted and talented Black males who currently attended IMSA …

Increasing Interest Of Young Women In Engineering, Diane Hinterlong, Branson Lawrence, Purva Devol

Publications & Research

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students in grades 10 through 12 in its advanced, residential college preparatory program. IMSA also serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry. IMSA also advances education through research, groundbreaking ventures and strategic partnerships.

The Value Of Creating An Innovation Talent Pipeline, Britta Mckenna

Publications & Research

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 …

The Imsa© Promise: Diverse Perspectives Do Enrich Understanding!, Barb J. Miller, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

For years we have grappled with the effects of the Achievement Gap, which has been defined by: (a) the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2011) as the “observed, persistent disparity of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity and gender; (b) The National Education Association (2013) as differences between the scores of students with different backgrounds (ethnic, racial, gender, disability, and income) are evident on large-scale standardized tests, adding that test score gaps often lead to longer-term gaps, including high school and college completion and the kinds of jobs students …

Discovering And Developing Diverse Stem Talent: Enabling Academically Talented Urban Youth To Flourish, Stephanie Pace Marshall, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee, Eric Mclaren, Catherine C. Veal

Publications & Research

The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education, Plucker, Burroughs, and Song (2010) provided compelling evidence that "the presence of an excellence gap is demonstrated on both national and state assessments of student performance," with "economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically underprivileged minorities representing a smaller proportion of students scoring at the highest levels of achievement" (p. 28). Three "case stories" of students from IMSA illuminate some of the (a) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting STEM talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (b) principles for designing and creating learning experiences and environments that ignite and nurture the …

Stem Talent: Moving Beyond Traditional Boundaries, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

The future well-being, prosperity and sustainability of our nation, the global community and our planet resides in igniting and nurturing decidedly different STEM minds that can advance both the new STEM frontier and the human future.

Igniting And Nurturing The Next Generation Of Stem Talent, Innovation And Leadership, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Regrettably, most American students experience STEM learning as an exclusive, individual, theoretical and “formulaic” enterprise. By decoupling STEM education from the human experience, we have distorted the essential nature of the scientific enterprise and advanced instrumentalist and utilitarian rationales for pursuing STEM careers—global economic superiority and technological competition.

Blessed Unrest: The Power Of Unreasonable People To Change The World, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

In her keynote address at the 2008 NCSSSMST Professional Conference, Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall addresses what work can be done with the collective resources of its Consortium members which beg to be shared and connected--and also explores what the source of "...our Blessed Unrest that will give us the courage to become unreasonable advocates for our children and for STEM transformation?"

Imsa20: Bold Ideas, Two-Decade Report Of The Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy 1986-2006, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

Twenty years ago, Illinois citizens dared to design a bold future by asking this visionary question. One of the astonishing outcomes of their brave imaginations is the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy...

2004-05 Annual Report, Igniting Talent And Leadership For Our State, Nation And World, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

In the mid 1980s, the state of Illinois, recognizing that the nation was on the verge of unprecedented technological advances and a sharply increased need for highly skilled leaders, founded the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy®. Twenty years later, the national demand for science and technology leaders has never been greater. The National Academies new report - Rising Above the Gathering Storm and the President's American Competitiveness Initiative address the growing concern that the U.S. is losing its competitive advantage as countries abroad invest heavily in the education and training of scientists and engineers. The report and the initiative call …