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Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8

The ATOMS Scholars Program

• Created in 1987, the RSSE in Science and Mathematics enrolled 72 students from grades 2 through 6 at one host site.

• Renamed the ATOMS (Advanced Training for Outstanding Mathematics & Science) Scholars Program in 1992, the program now enrolled approximately 500 students from Bedford, Blair, Cambria, and Somerset Counties at 6 host sites.

• This past summer the program offered 1,755 students from grades 2 through 8, the opportunity to attend one of the 12 host sites. Our 2013 alumni came from 90 public schools, 21 non-public schools, as well as home-schooled children.

• In the summer of 2014, we anticipate accepting 1,635 students for enrollment at the 12 host sites.

ATOMS Program Overview

• Application ProcessApplications are available at your

school office or via our website at: http://www.iu08.org/Page/118. Parts I & II of the application should be completed by the child & parent. If requesting financial aid, make sure to include the requested information. After completing the first two parts, the application should be sent to the school . They will complete Part III and mail or fax the application to IU8. The deadline for submitting an application is written on the bottom of the form.

• Student Selection ProcessStudents are selected based on their Math & Science scores, their teacher recommendation as well as the scoring results of the student paragraph and extracurricular activities. Once all the applications have been received, the number of available slots at each site is determined and students are invited to fill those slots. All applicants will receive a letter regarding their status during the month of April. Students with the highest total score per grade level are accepted first and all other students are placed on an alternate list.

• Acceptance & Tuition FeesBasic Program (30 Hours of Instruction)

No Scholarship - $120.00 ($40 Acceptance Fee + $80.00 Tuition)

Half Scholarship - $80.00($40 Acceptance Fee + $40.00 Tuition)

Full Scholarship - $40.00($40 Acceptance Fee + $00.00 Tuition)

Mini Program (15 Hours of Instruction)No Scholarship - $80.00

($30 Acceptance Fee + $50.00 Tuition)Half Scholarship - $55.00

($30 Acceptance Fee + $25.00 Tuition)Full Scholarship - $30.00

($30 Acceptance Fee + $00.00 Tuition)

• Site Selection ProcessThe ATOMS sites are determined by which district’s offer their

school as a host site, their location within the IU, what their facility has to offer , the possibility of major renovations occurring in the building, and their proximity to other districts that are hosting programs. Many of the districts take turns hosting the program on a rotating basis.

Lab AssistantsThe ATOMS Lab Assistants are college undergraduates who are

majoring in education, mathematics, science, or engineering. This experience provides them with the opportunity to observe and learn from master teachers as well as interact with gifted & talented students.

• Staff Selection

Instructors All instructors in the ATOMS Scholars Program are certified educators with experience teaching in elementary, middle, high school or college. They have been recommended by their peers and supervisors for inclusion in the program. These educators have been invited to teach because they are unique persons who possess strong science and mathematics knowledge and backgrounds. They continually demonstrate their ability to transfer a vision of science and mathematics inquiry that motivates students to pursue science and mathematics investigations.

This mathematics class dealt with Geometry concepts and the work of M.C. Escher’s Tessellations. The students created polyhedra’s entitled: Rhombicosido Decahedron.

Students enrolled in this Creative Problem Solving Class worked in cooperative groups to explore solutions to long-term and spontaneous problems.

The Physical Science Challenge class involves the exploration of Newton’s Law of Motion and Force. Students build spaghetti towers, ping pong ball race tracks, and insulators for eggs.

In Biotechnology class the students studied DNA. They extracted DNA from tissue samples, created DNA chambers, as well as, utilizing electrophoresis chambers and DNA Spooling.

Students have the opportunity to purchase T-Shirts to commemorate their participation in the ATOMS Scholars Program. All staff members wear T-Shirts and badges for identification and security purposes.

Students in the Microbial Studies class cultured bacteria, prepared slides, and investigated how microbes help with food production and gene probes.

In the math class, “How Much is a Million” the students explored the concepts of unit conversions and exactly how much 1 million really is. They “cloned” themselves and calculated how far one million of their clones would extend.

Some of the concepts investigated by the “Ocean Discoveries” class included: how the oceans were formed, why whales have blubber, how submarines work, and the characteristics of icebergs.

College undergraduates in the fields of education, science, mathematics or engineering serve as lab assistants. They gain knowledge concerning appropriate teaching practices and hands-on experience working with students.

An ATOMS Scholars Program partial list of courses that have been offered in the program.

• DNA, Dissection, & Disease

• Optical Illusions

• Roller Coaster Fun

• A Picture is Worth…

• Elementary Engineering

• Civil War Tech

• Traits of a Scientist

• Math & Science Olympiad

• Elementary Chemistry

• Explosions are Elementary

• Cooking Up Chemistry

• Microbial Studies

• The Art & Science of Plants

Science Oriented Classes offered by the ATOMS Scholars Program

• Wild Wacky Weather

• Astronomy

• Hands- On Nature

• Robotics

• Nuclear Engineering

• Physics Olympics

• CSI

Mathematics Courses offered by the ATOMS Scholars Program

• Think Outside the Box

• Engineering of Building Bridges

• Probability, Odds, & Statistics

• Mind Benders & Brain Teasers

• The Quest for Data

• Going Around in Circles

• More Fun and Games

Questions?E-mail Joan Conway at: jconway@iu08.org

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