WOMEN IN PLANT BIOLOGY

Getting Out with Outreach

It is 12:40 p.m. on Friday, and I have just inhaled a peanut butter sandwich (the only food available in our house by the end of the week). I have 135 genetics exams that need to be graded, my graduate student just walked into my office and reported that her DNA sequences only BLAST to small regions of human DNA, and The Plant Cell editor has just sent an e-mail message to remind me that the review I promised in 10 days is now overdue. What is a professor to do? Well, for seven weeks of the year, I run away and teach science to third-graders.

When I arrive at Longfellow Elementary School in Long Beach, California, I grab seven bags from my car, each containing tubes of ammonia, tubes of vinegar, and plastic cups. At the entrance of the school are six excited college students. They have downloaded the experimental design and mini-lecture guide from my web page and have a few questions about how detailed they should be in their descriptions of acids and bases. I remind them to keep it simple, to stay away from concepts like electron orbitals. I let the students know that the red cabbage juice ice cubes are in the school freezer, and then we are off.

We try to come to classrooms during recess so we can set up without too many kids around, but the third-graders have figured this out and when I reach my classroom nearly all of them have decided to forgo recess. “The Science Lady is here!” I explain what they will be doing in science class as I try to get everything set up. The classroom teacher is there, and ready to help if needed, although today he seems to be hovering over a large pile of papers.

Recess ends, and I begin my “lecture” on acids and bases, first asking if anyone has ever heard of these terms. They certainly have, mostly from cartoons, and they are really afraid of these chemicals…until they learn that their stomachs are filled with a strong acid. I continue to explain about hydroxyl ions and protons, but some of the students are losing interest and now I know it is time for the hands-on portion. I grab the red cabbage juice ice cubes and let the students know that the pigment is anthocyanin. They repeat the big word after me and ask if it is poisonous. The students then divide into groups of four and pour their acid, basic, and neutral solutions into cups. They drop in the red cabbage juice ice cubes, and WOW, the acid turns blue, the base turns green, and the neutral stays purple. Now the students set up a titration, and then there is time for free play. Suddenly, it’s 2:15 p.m. and school is over. The parents are waiting outside while a mob of kids is still asking questions about acids and bases and why the final color was green when everything was mixed together (ammonia is more basic than vinegar is acidic), and do I need any more help cleaning up, and do I have any kids, and am I a doctor like their pediatrician.…

I feel very lucky that for seven weeks of the year, I can help the community and have so much fun. The college students who teach Third Grade Hands-On Science (TGHOS) as part of a one-unit science education class feel the same way. Many of them are initially motivated because community service is important for medical school applications, but they all comment on how incredibly fun it is to teach science to third-graders and how they look forward to each Friday. In addition, many of the students are from our science education department, and fostering the use of a hands-on curriculum for future elementary school children is a critical goal of the program.

I began TGHOS at a local public elementary school two years ago. My children were in school, and I was appalled by the lack of experimental science in the curriculum. Science needs to be fun and engaging so children develop a passion for understanding the natural world around them. The general population has little understanding of basic science and often feels threatened by scientific theories such as evolution. National Geographic (November 2004) reported that 44 percent of the population agrees with the following statement “God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.” This question was asked by Gallup polls five times, in 1982, 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2001, and each time the results were similar. The rejection of genetically modified crops also stems from a lack of understanding. A successful democracy must have an educated electorate, and although I realize I cannot change the world with my limited time, it is still possible to instill an interest in science in some children.

The TGHOS program reaches 140–160 third-grade students each year and is taught mostly by college students, although I usually teach as well. I have developed five experiments; these include isolation of DNA from onion cells, freeze-point depression with Kool-Aid ice cubes, pinhole cameras, and elasticity measurements in addition to the acid/base experiment. These labs are explained in detail on my website (http://www.csulb.edu/~bruss) for those who would like to start a similar program at a local school in their area. The last week of the program is set aside for the college students to design their own experiments. The quality of these experiments varies, but it is critical for future teachers to feel confident to try out their new ideas and to find out how they need to be modified for future use.

Of course, none of us has time for outreach. We are overburdened in every way, leaving little time for our families or outside interests, so a simple outreach program over a limited period of time is the key to success. In addition, my presence onsite has kept the quality of TGHOS consistently high.

There are many benefits to outreach. The obvious one is that NSF takes criterion II seriously, and thus a meaningful outreach program could increase chances for funding. In addition, if you are concerned about the future of our country, an outreach program contributes to an educated electorate. But the biggest benefit simply comes from the enjoyment of outreach; it is fun to interact with enthusiastic children! T

Judy Brusslan, professor
California State University, Long Beach
bruss@csulb.edu