Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

You Be The Judge, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

You Be the Judge introduces students to some basic principles involved in chemistry, the application of chemistry as well as process skills required to create and carry out meaningful investigations. After students have experienced the concepts in a lab setting, they will have a chance to apply their knowledge and lab skills in a variety of simulations throughout the unit. Students will take the role of experts and identify problems, develop methods of testing, and conduct the tests. After gathering, analyzing, and interpreting results, students will make and share evidence based decisions in a variety of settings.

Dive In: Oceanographic Engineering, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

Although some is known about the oceans, many believe that there is still a majority of the oceans that remains unexplored. The oceans are home to wide variety of organisms and are constantly changing. Humans rely on the ocean for a multitude of reasons including food, products, recreation, and energy. Engineering is involved in all aspects of harnessing these resources. During Dive In: Oceanographic Engineering, students will be engaged in identifying problems, designing, testing, and evaluating potential solutions.

Engineering: Design & Build, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

Engineering: Design & Build focuses on investigating engineering. Student led teams conceptualize, build, test and acquire knowledge while becoming familiar with the engineering design process. Using an open-ended inquiry approach students are able to foster their creativity. Students learn to apply multiple skills and develop the habits of innovators.

Students are encouraged to think about needs, requirements, and alternatives as they progress throughout the curriculum. Additionally, students consider materials, energy, inputs and outputs. Unit lessons combine generative, analytical, synthesis, and evaluative thinking to allow students to finalize their design choice and initiate construction.

Living In A Material World, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

Materials science is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the understanding and application of the properties of matter. Materials scientists study the connections between the underlying structure of material, its properties, its processing methods, and its performance in applications.

Scholars have long classified eras of ancient civilizations by their progress in materials science, coining such terms the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. What is known about ancient cultures, especially those without written records, often comes from a scientific examination of the artifacts they left behind. Advances in materials science often went hand-in-hand with other cultural developments. In many cases …

Mars: Manifest Destiny, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

From the earliest days of space exploration, no other object has excited the imagination of writers, scientists, engineers, and the public more than Mars. A neighbor in space, and visible to the naked eye on many clear evenings, the Red Planet beckons.

The development of modern rocketry was advanced by visionaries such as Robert Goddard and Werner von Braun, who always considered Mars to be their true destination. Today, we have the technology to make that dream a reality. What’s more, there is a compelling reason to go, beyond the human instinct for exploration. Life on Earth has suffered a …

Out Of The Silo: Agronomic Stem, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

Out of the Silo: Agronomic STEM is a grade 6 – 8 curriculum which highlights the interplay between science, technology, engineering and mathematics inherent in the field of Agronomy. The growing of plants for commercial use, particularly food, is the essence of agronomy and the heart of this curriculum.

Agronomy in the Illinois region began long before Europeans arrived. Native Americans found the soil and climate well suited to growing corn and so it remains today. Fields for growing corn and soybeans dominate the state, as can be seen easily from the air. Students living in urban centers, who were …

Secret Communications: Sharing Concealed Messages, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

Secret Communications: Sharing Concealed Messages presents learners with examples of various encryption methods. Opportunities abound to use inquiry as an approach to get into the mind of the code writer in order to decipher messages encrypted in various fashions.

Exposure to such examples empowers learners with the capacity to transfer and extend their knowledge of logical schemes and rules to different and novel situations. This ability is an earmark of genuine understanding.

Synthetic Scorecard, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Fusion

Fusion

Synthetic biology is a young field with promises of finding solutions to issues such as water and environmental pollution, making more nutritional food, treating cancer and other medical conditions, cleaner energy, and improving computer power. Biologists, electrical engineers, and computer scientists merged forces to develop this venture. Taking the approach of design, test, build enables participants to work together to develop methods of standardization, abstraction, and synthesis that are used while engineering biological systems. The genetic code of G, A, T, C can be written and programmed at the cellular level inexpensively with a predictable outcome. In order for this …

2020 Viewbook, Office Of Admissions

Viewbook

IMSA fosters the discoverers. The thinkers. The problem-solvers of the future who can change the world. Our mission is to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition. We are a diverse community that promotes curiosity and exploration. We’re about more than great college prospects and great jobs, we’re about making our families proud. We’re about a better world for everyone through immersive learning experiences.

In 2017, we adopted the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call to action that commissions us all to make the right choices now to improve life for …

Graphic Novels In Biology – A Novel Assessment Idea, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

Galileo once said, “You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.” (Goodreads, 2020). I have often pondered upon how best I could use this advice. I have been an educator for 24 years and have loved every minute of it. During this time, I have seen students of all cadres come and go, but they all have one thing in common - their innate fear of written assessments. In general, students in high school tend to have a different perspective on education than their adult counterparts - they tend to procrastinate, are usually …

Collaboration And Inquiry For The Science Classroom, Jessica Amacher, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Faculty Publications & Research

Science is a collaborative endeavor, where most of the significantly influential advances are achieved by groups of scientists working together across varying institutions and disciplines. To reflect this, we should offer opportunities for our students to learn, research, and communicate with their peers. In this workshop, we share models that we have found successful for designing opportunities, as well as ideas for topics that promote real world application and cross disciplinary work for students, drawing from our experiences with the International Student Science Fair and other international strategies. We will help interested teachers in developing their own working groups to …

Using Forensics To Introduce Ir Spectroscopy & Molecular Modeling, Joseph T. Golab

Faculty Publications & Research

A student activity is reported that analyzes “medical evidence” with experimental and computational methods. The lesson demonstrates benefits of solving practical problems with integrated tools.

Personal Reflections / 5.31.19, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

No abstract provided.

Bringing Stem Resources To Underprivileged Students, Ethan Haque '21, Juan Chiu '21, Natalie Oliven '21, Delicia Chen '21

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

The Goal of our project is to address the lack of STEM education in lower-income communities caused by a lack of fun and easy to use resources. These centers will contain resources such as fun stem projects and workbooks that allow students to enjoy learning essential STEM-related topics. We intend to do this by implementing Little Stem Centers in school libraries and community centers. That benefit most of our potential partners as our solution provides a low-cost solution to stem materials that can be replenished and repaired easily using commonly found recyclables. The product will be sold to local school …

2019 Imsaloquium: Student Inquiry And Research Program And Imsa Internship Program, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

Welcome to IMSAloquium 2019! This is IMSA’s 32^nd year of leading in educational innovation, the 31^st year of the IMSA Student Inquiry and Research (SIR) Program, and the first year of the newly imagined IMSA Internship Program.

Content Validity Of A Mathematics Placement Test For A Gifted High School, Hannah R. Anderson

Publications & Research

The Content Validity of a mathematics placement test at a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) gifted residential high school is examined. Data were collected from internal and external mathematics subject matter experts (SMEs) using a card- sorting task and were analyzed using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). Results demonstrate some congruence between the two configurations, suggesting marginal evidence of Content Validity.

Context Is Critical: K-5th Grade Three-Act Math Tasks, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Mathematicians view mathematics within interesting and natural contexts. In this session, participants will engage and explore Three-Act Math Tasks; a story-telling pedagogical strategy that elicits student curiosity, collaboration, and questioning while redefining the term “real-world context” and the role that students play in the learning process. Resources will be provided

Teaching With A Full Deck: Card Sorts, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Card sorts tend to make students do the “thing” we value most: talk. Beyond making matches, card sorts provide opportunities for students to classify, rank, sequence, and mind map while setting a natural context for argumentation and use of the claim-evidence-reasoning framework. Join me for a series of card sorts to explore how this easy-to-prep tool will encourage your students to reason and think critically. Math and science resources will be shared.

Resources available below for download include all cards used in the training.

Back To Basics: Mathematical Play, Lindsey Herlehy

Publications & Research

Our youngest students are curious and creative with the skills and practices needed to be successful mathematicians. Engaging in play, students naturally take risks and pursue their own questions. Research shows this practice is beneficial for all students, regardless of grade level. So, let’s play!

Promise Programs: Providing Opportunities For Mathematics And Science Enrichment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Promise Programs

IMSA is committed to excellence and equity including active recruitment of students from all areas of Illinois. IMSA’s PROMISE programs address the challenges of culturally, linguistically and economically diverse students through year-round academic enrichment programming at low or no cost.

House Resolution No. 1247, Linda Chapa La Via

Documents

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Leon Max Lederman, who passed away on October 3, 2018; and

Imsa Allies Program: The Power Of Near-Peer Teaching, Gwen Seeley-Joosse, Megan Scherer

Publications & Research

IMSA ALLIES is a STEM leadership development program that trains high school students as teachers and group leaders to deliver inquiry based hands on science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities (STEM) in the community. In this session you will learn about the benefits of this type of program and how to implement one at your school.

Reading Robot Light-Up Bookmarks, Professional Field Services

Hands-on STEM Activities

Materials: Robot Bookmark Template, LED light, 3V Lithium Battery, 3 strips of copper tape (approx. 3 in. or 8 cm.)

Proclamation, Bruce Rauner

Documents

WHEREAS, Leon Max Lederman was born on July 15, 1922, in Manhattan, New York to Morris and Minna Lederman; and,

Teacher Project Idea Form, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

ISSF 2018 Documents

Explain the problem you would like to address at ISSF 2018.

Stem Storytelling: Using Picture Books To Integrate Mathematics - "Dare To Tinker", Lindsey Herlehy, Karen Togliatti

Publications & Research

This series of activities invites students to engage in a design challenge that elicits mathematical and scientific thinking. In the first activity, the picture book The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires will be used as a catalyst to discuss the engineering design process as experienced by the protagonist, a little girl. Suggested questioning techniques and inferential reasoning strategies will focus on the trials and tribulations, frustrations, and successes achieved by the little girl. Additionally, discussion prompts are included to provide students an opportunity to reflect on the little girl as a mathematician and scientist as she takes action and …

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."

Impact Report 2018: Equity And Excellence, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Impact Reports

For over 30 years, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) has pioneered the future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education through its two legislative charges: 1) to provide a uniquely challenging education for students talented in the areas of mathematics and science; and 2) to stimulate further excellence for all Illinois schools in mathematics and science. IMSA champions these goals through:

• Residential education: Helping talented 10th-12th graders representing over 93% of Illinois counties to date reach their fullest potential.
• Student and educator outreach: Leading the charge to continually innovate K-12 STEM education, creating a strong and diverse …

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?

Promise Programs: Providing Opportunities For Mathematics And Science Enrichment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Promise Programs

IMSA is committed to excellence and equity including active recruitment of students from all areas of Illinois. IMSA’s PROMISE programs address the challenges of underrepresented and underserved students through year-round academic enrichment programming at low or no cost.