Meaningful Research Experiences for HighAbility Science Students*

Robert K. JamesThe University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Every teacher who has taught high school chemistry has struggledwith the question, "What do I want to accomplish during the year?77They are in effect asking themselves, "How do I want to change theseyoungsters during this course?"The answer to this question probably will include something about

basic chemical principles, scientific literacy, critical and/or analyticalthinking, and preparation for future courses. . . And then, if only tobe in fashion, one would hastily add something about science as pro-cess, chemistry as a creative endeavor, and the nature of science.How well do we meet our "process" and "creativity" goals? It has

been almost ten years since the waters of curriculum revision werefirst stirred in chemistry. How close do they come in helping usachieve our goals in the area of the processes and the nature ofscience? Can a student be convinced of the creative aspect of scienceif he does not create? What kind of experiences does one provide fora student so that he may come to understand the nature of science?The author recognizes that there are several answers to these ques-tions and will attempt to present one.

In answering these questions, consider for a moment the entire fieldof science. If students are to come to understand the nature of science,is there some basic aspect or activity which characterizes it? What isthe essence of the vast scientific enterprise which surrounds us today?Can this "essence" be tapped and understood by the high schoolchemistry student? The author believes that there is such an aspect,and that it can and does provide a tool whereby we may achieve ourgoals in having students understand the nature of science, the pro-cesses of science and the creative aspect of science. Is there any otheractivity which characterizes science more than does research? If youagree with the conclusion that research is the basic aspect of science,then doesn’t it follow logically that in order to communicate thenature of science we should provide research experiences for thestudent?

It may seem simple to reason that the basic aspect of science shouldproperly become a part of science courses, but it is easier to reasonthan it is to implement in the classroom. Yet, the logic of the argu-ment seems difficult to refute and would seem to justify the difficul-ties in implementation.

* Paper presented at the CASMT Convention, Chicago, Illinois, November, 1968.

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Some will question, ^What constitutes research for high schoolstudents?5’ There are some who would say that this is a matter ofpersonal judgment.

Jablonski has discussed some criteria for judging whether or nota student activity is research. He first discusses some activities whichhe says do not constitute research. He says research is not:

(1) Performance of rigorous experiments taken from scientificjournals.

(2) Repetition of experiments for confirmation of results.(3) What happens when a youngster arrives in class to find every-

thing laid out before him.(4) Discovery for themselves that which is already thought to be

understood.

He does not say that these activities are unimportant to science orto the classroom. He does say that they do not constitute research.He goes on to define research as follows: Research is "a complex ofdeliberations involved in the pursuit of knowledge^5.1

Using this definition, research is a problem in which the individualis directly and personally involved. It is one for which the answeris not known or understood. The elements of the problem must berecognized by the researcher(s).

Scientific research requires a great deal of equipment, and thisequipment isn^t all hardware. It takes training and ability, but it alsorequires that the scientist have a keen and lasting interest which willcarry him through failure to success. Do your students have thesecharacteristics? Probably they do not have the training, but a smallpercentage of them do have the ability and the interest. This thenmeans that someone will have to provide the training or the experi-ence background if they are going to do the research.What about the hardware? How many schools can provide it? Some

of it can be provided in secondary schools, but if the research of allstudents is limited to the equipment most high schools can provide,it would indeed be limited both in quality and in scope. This does notmean that research cannot be done in secondary school science lab-oratories. It does mean that the equipment will tend to tailor theresearch.Equipment is not the only problem. Time is always a factor. Those

who teach only three or four chemistry classes per day are among thefortunate few. After five chemistry labs, homeroom, and the facultymeeting, this authors contribution to science and to education has

1 John R. Jablonski, "High School Science Student Research�Fact or Fancy," The Science Teacher, Vol. 3,No. 3, April, 1964, p. 24.

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been made for the day! For a teacher to spend an hour or two perweek "coaching" student researchers, he will have to convince his ad-ministrators that this is a worthwhile educational experience for thehigh school student.But suppose the teacher was able to take the time and could borrow

the equipment, can he find the space for student research? Those whoare teaching in a facility which was planned in the pre-Sputnik eraare probably fortunate if they have enough space for the regularlaboratory experiences that modern science curricula require.

For teachers who are able to overcome the problems of equipment,time, and space, then there is little doubt in the mind of this authorthat the research experiences which can be provided in the secondaryschool classroom are going to meet the goal of providing for the stu-dent with understanding of science as a research activity.This of course presupposes that the teacher has access to an ade-

quate library facility. It also presupposes that he has the trainingnecessary to support the student research. This training must bebroad in scope if it is to meet the needs of all the students. At thesame time it must be up-to-date. The help of local scientists as re-source people can alleviate this problem to some degree.How likely is it that a teacher will be able to solve all of the prob-

lems involved in student research? This author suspects that it is notvery likely at all. What are the alternative solutions to the problemof involving capable and interested young people in research? In1959, NSF instituted a program which sought to meet this need andothers. This program is called the Secondary Science Training Pro-gram.The objectives of this program were and are to bring the able and

interested youngsters into contact with a scientist and his work. Outof this contact it is hoped that the youngster will become moreinterested in science as a career. The programs are designed to provideeducational and motivational experiences which would developgreater understanding of the problems and rewards of science and toattract youngsters to science who might be wavering between scienceand some other career. Each summer since 1959, thousands of highschool youngsters have applied to and attended these summer pro-grams.The nature of the program varies from institution to institution.

Some have been course centered, providing college level work invarious fields of mathematics and science. Others have been centeredon research and have put the talented youngsters into the researchlaboratory to work side by side with the research scientist. Some havebeen a series of laboratory experiences. One unique approach was a

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camp where top-rate scientists spent one or more days with theyoungsters. All of the programs have sought to provide educationalexperiences beyond those normally available in high school courses.In so doing, they have attempted to bring the youngster into contactwith the college teachers and scientists of recognized competence.Finally they have tried to involve the youngsters in the basic activityof science�research.Each summer since 1963, a research participation program has

been supported by NSF at the University of Iowa. Attendance hasbeen as follows:

In 1963 there were 25 participantsIn 1964 there were 33 participantsIn 1965 there were 37 participantsIn 1966 there were 22 participantsIn 1967 there were 25 participants

Total 142 participants

At the time of request for application, each applicant was providedwith a list of project descriptions written by the various researchscientists who volunteered to take a participant into his laboratory.Each student was asked to indicate interest in one or more of theprojects the scientists had suggested, and return this with his appli-cation.The minimal criteria which these applicants must have met were;

upper decile of graduating class, eleventh grade standing at time ofapplication, upper ten per cent on all standardized test scores inscience, and mostly "A" with some ^B55 grades in science and mathe-matics courses. About one-thousand requests for applications werereceived in 1967, several hundred forms were completed.The various research professors then came to the directors office

and evaluated the folders of the applicants indicating interest in theirprojects. Final selection was the decision of the professor.The work in the laboratories was supplemented in several ways.

Tuesday and Thursday evenings were spent in a course designed toprovide the student with the know-how to prepare a final researchreport. Here is an outline of some of the topics that were included.

ilScientific and Technical Writing191. Introductory Remarks and Comments on the Notebook2. History and Philosophy of Science3. The Scientific Method4. The Brute Fact�What it is5. Logic6. The Inductive Method7. The Hypothesis

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8. The Deductive Method9. Logical Fallacies and How to Avoid Them

10. Rhetorical Devices11. A History of the Language12. Language and its Relationships to the World of Things and Ideas13. The Various Kinds of Words14. How Science Builds Language

Scientific Approaches to Language�A Probable Language of Tomorrow15. Semantics16. Style in the Paragraph17. The Report and its Function in our Assembly-Line Society

Types of Reports�Informational, Analytical, Research18. Problem Concept19. Problem Identification and Analysis20. Methods for Assembling and Organizing Data

Outlining a Report�Various Methods21. Logical Methods of Construction22. Use of the Library�Bibliography

ABSTRACTING AND REVIEWING

Wednesday evenings the students spent two hours in a course en-titled "The Scientific Enterprise.^ As the announcement brochurediscribed it, ^This course will undertake a humanistic examinationof the nature of the intellectual products of scientific inquiry (ex-plicitly formulated statements known as definitions, statements offacts, laws and theories) and the processes by which they are ob-tained. Within this framework, attention will be focused on suchtopics as the degree and kinds of truth, the character of scientificexplanation, relationships, between kinds of knowledge, the natureand role of scientific concepts, measurement, and the relationship oflaws and theories to experience. Throughout the course an effort willbe made to compare and contrast the nature of the mental activityfound in science to that found in other intellectual disciplines. Anumber of original philosophical, scientific, and humanistic worksselected from various periods of history will be employed as coursematerials. These readings will be used to provide studies in depth ofthe basic ideas presented in the course.5’

Saturdays and one weekend were spent in tours of research facili-ties on the campus and elsewhere including Argonne, Field^s Museum,Collins Radio, and the Museum of Science and Industry.In addition special reports of research were presented in a seminar

by scientists. At the end of the nine week session a symposium washeld in which the participants presented the results of their summerswork. Later these results were written in a final abbreviated formand were compiled and published. The experience of publishing theresults of scientific investigations parallels a normal occurrence fol-lowing significant experiments for most practicing scientists.These final reports constitute a valuable source for evaluating the

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attainment of institute goals. Goal number one emphasized first handresearch participation, the papers certainly evidence this. The ac-counts include the problems encountered during the research andthe failures which accompanied them indicate that the participantexperienced many of the frustrations which accompany the scientistin his laboratory. Goal number four which dealt with the supplemen-tation of high school activities with real research activities can alsobe assessed through these reports.The reports indicate the tremendous variety of kinds of research

done. They also reflect the diversities of student interests and theextent of research facilities available. Some wrote programs andworked with computers. Several students worked in medical labora-tories on a wide variety of medically related topics. One young ladybuilt and tested an artificial gill for a mouse. One young man designedand operated a melting zone apparatus for purifying solids, andanother investigated the development of a ferrous sulfate dosimetrysystem.An additional attempt to evaluate the results of the program was

made by sampling their opinions about their images of a scientistbefore and after the program, and at the end of the program theywere asked how they felt their impressions of the scientist hadchanged. On the pre-program questionnaire they were given thisdirection, "In a few short sentences, give your image of a scientist."Responses most often included the word "dedication" as a descrip-tive term. Many students who did not use the word, expressed asimilar idea. Another idea which they expressed often was that thepurpose of the scientist was to benefit mankind. Generally responsesindicated that the student thought of a scientist as logical, curious,hard working, and more able than the average person.At the end of the nine week program the students were given the

same direction as above. Their responses indicated a more personalknowledge of the scientist indicating that this part of goal numbertwo for the institute had been reached. While they still found thescientists dedicated, they no longer suggest that his purpose is tobenefit mankind. Also at the end of the program they were asked,"Now that you have worked with scientists in some way, have yourimpressions and/or conceptions of a scientist changed?"Here are a few selected comments taken from several student

replies.I have discovered that research is more of a team effort with a great deal of co-operation, mutual aid, and suggestions.

I found that scientists have more humor than I expected.

All of the scientists I have encountered this summer have been subjected to thesame political and social forces every other businessman has been.

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About the only change I have noticed is that scientists aren^t superhumans noralways geniuses.Some physicists that I know are really wrapped up in their work. They spend alltheir time at it. This is fine, if this is what you want to do. But take the man Iworked with, he is a true scientist, but he also lives his own life. He enjoys life.He drinks, smokes, waterskiis, and sleeps all day. He also has more knowledgeabout his subject than anyone else in the laboratory. I plan on being like him.He has a purpose in life.

Certainly as you scan this abbreviated list you must be impressedby the impressions of humor and the relaxed atmosphere that sur-rounded the scientists work. It would seem that generally they foundthe scientists more human than they had expected.The reports and comments of the students indicate that they did

get to know one or more scientists and became familiar with theirdaily routine. The opinions indicate that they understood some-thing of the nature of science. Their papers show that they have usedthe processes of science. Their ingenuity in designing experimentsand in buliding equipment evidences at least an encounter with thecreative aspect of the scientist’s work. Together, all these indicateto this author that these students have had a meaningful researchexperience.

PILLOW EASES SNOW MEASUREMENTA fabric pancake called the Snow Pillow has been developed by the Soil Con-

servation Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to help predict theamount of water that will be available each year in the Western States.About 75% of the total water supply of most western river basins comes from

snow melt. Now data are laboriously gathered by surveyors who reach the siteson skis or snowshoes, snowmobiles or aircraft.The pillow, which can eliminate such excursions, covers as much as 150 square

feet. It is pumped full of a water-and-antifreeze mixture and connected to a pres-sure hose leading to a central monitoring station. The weight of the snow accumu-lated on the pillow is translated into a radio or telephone signal.

BUBBLES TO FIGHT POLLUTIONA technique that began as a way to keep an America’s Cup yacht free of ice

during the winter has developed into a major experiment in preventing pollutionof bathing areas and revitalizing their water.

Called Project Bubble, the test will involve laying three perforated plastichoses about 100 feet offshore from Southfield Beach in West Stamford, Conn.Air pumped through the outermost hose will create a curtain of bubbles to keepout floating debris, such as oil and jellyfish, while the middle and inner pipeswill aerate the water to increase the decomposition of human wastes, and accel-erate the purification of the water.

Project Bubble began when technicians noticed the water inside an air curtainthat was keeping the yacht "American Eagle" ice-free seemed less polluted thanthat outside.