Mississippi Delta MSEA Volume 3, Issue 1, Page 1, First Semester 1997

MISSISSIPPI DELTA

REPORTER

Volume 3, Issue 1, Page 1, Fisrt Semester 1997

Research Experiences for Science Teachers and Students in the Mississippi Delta Middle Schools Preproposal Submitted to the National Science Foundation

An exciting opportunity for teachers and students is a possibility through a cooperative effort between the Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Area project and Mississippi State University to seek funding from the National Science Foundation. Sandra H. Harpole, Professor of Physics and Director of the Human Resource Development Center, and Jonathan W. Pote, Director of the Water Resources Institute, have submitted a preproposal for consideration by NSF. Program officers will invite the submission, by September 1, of full proposals based on preproposal reviews.

This project, if funded, will introduce research methodology to teams of middle school teachers and students by scientists who are currently working on the Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) project and Mississippi State University faculty. A major objective of the MSEA project is to improve water quality in the Mississippi Delta through the development of alternative farming systems to reduce adverse effects on ecological processes. An opportunity to build on on-going research of importance to the local economy exists. Ten middle school teachers, along with 20 of their high ability/high potential seventh and eighth grade students, from the Mississippi Delta will spend four weeks at a summer institute designed to provide students and teachers with the knowledge and skills of sound research methodology. These skills will form a strong foundation for students to take additional science courses in high school and college and make students and teachers aware of scientific and technology careers that impact the Mississippi Delta.
The workshop, led by MDMSEA scientists and Mississippi State University (MSU) faculty, will be offered over a four-week period for three consecutive summers. During the summer of 1998, selection of teachers will be targeted at middle schools in counties surrounding the three watersheds, which are being studied by the MDMSEA team. During the second and third year of this project, teachers from other Delta counties will be selected for participation. The teacher/student teams will spend the majority of the workshop period on-site in the Delta with research scientists, at research facilities in the Delta, and three days on the MSU campus. They will attend four follow-up sessions throughout the academic year. The Internet will be used for ongoing communication with the teams, to disseminate research findings of the project, and to promote the project.

Sandra H. Harpole, Ed.D
Director, Human Resource Development Center &
Professor of Physics
Mississippi State University
P. O. Box 5167
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Phone: 601 325-2922
Fax: 601 325-8898
Email: sharpole@ra.msstate.edu