Center Offers Biology Programs, Resources

The elementary school kids sit rapt, their once-darting gazes now focused on the show. What are they watching, a new Pixar movie? No, these children are spellbound by science.

Some build swirling comets from dry ice, dirt, coal and water. Others dip their toes into the world of engineering by constructing seaworthy toy boats. A chorus of children's laughter bubbles from a nearby room as a classmate's mop of blonde hair stands on end, caused by the static electricity created by the Van de Graaf generator he holds.

These were all typical scenes at the recent Family Science Night held at Emerson Elementary School in Madison, made possible by the school district's partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Biology Education (CBE).

Emerson's Family Science Night is just one of CBE's community endeavors. CBE staff work to elicit excitement about scientific inquiry, by providing programs and resources for teachers,

K-12 students, undergraduates, and community members. CBE also aims to enhance science education career opportunities for students.

Some of the center's opportunities for K-12 teachers include the Long-Term Ecological Research Network, which helps teachers integrate long-term ecological research into their curricula; the Science Education Scholars Program, which brings teachers and education students together to perform summer research projects under the guidance of UW-Madison scientists; and the Wisconsin Science Education Leadership Association, an organization of science educators who meet biennially to discuss issues important to science education.

More about the Center's K-12 offerings: http://www.wisc.edu/cbe/K12/index.html

For more information about SEAchange, contact: Benson Gardner at (608) 266-3374.

Last updated on 5/14/2007