A group of WSU students will be preparing mini science kits to help junior high school students get ready for next spring’s Washington State Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test.
WSU’s student chapter of Material Advantage received a grant from ASM International, one of the professional materials societies, to introduce junior high school students to materials science and to help get them prepared for their science WASL tests. WSU was one of only five schools nationwide to receive the $800 materials society’s grant award, which supports educational outreach activities in materials science.
“Many junior high and high school students have little concept of materials science and engineering and its importance in our 21st century lifestyle in everything from our cell phones and computers to composite airplanes,’’ says Dave Bahr, professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and advisor to the WSU chapter of Materials Advantage. “This project gives these students an introduction to this fascinating field of engineering in a fun, hands-on way.’’
The kits will provide students and teachers with a variety of materials, including metals, polymers, composites and ceramics. The students will then test and characterize materials based on their density, magnetism, optical properties, electrical properties, and how they withstand loads.
For instance, to learn about polymers and ceramics, students will examine samples of alumina, YAG crystal, plexiglass, polypropylene, and mineral glass. They will determine the materials’ densities and then examine optical properties. The experiments they conduct and the concepts studied are all topics specifically that are covered on the physical science WASL tests. Club members contacted teachers from around the state to get feedback on what topics would fit best in the junior high classroom setting.
“By addressing topics that are on the WASL, the kits can introduce the students to materials science and engineering concepts, but also be fit easily into the classroom curriculum, ‘’ says Bahr.
The WSU students will put together kits for at least two pilot programs in August. They hope to have completed kits to send to teachers around the state in December.
The WSU student chapter of Material Advantage, which includes about 25 students, has received many of the society’s national awards in recent years. The chapter participates in several outreach programs for K-12 students. They give presentations at their home high schools during school breaks, and this year, they invited high school students to WSU for the College of Engineering and Architecture’s open house.
WSU has been named one of the top five chapters each of the last six years, making it one of the most successful student chapters in the country. The 2006-2007 officers included Aaron Wilkinson, president, Lisa Diebler, vice-president, Megan Reynolds, secretary, Casey Stratton, treasurer, and Nicole Schatz, CEACC representative. The leaders on the grant that will run during the 2007-2008 school year are Sarah Miller and Nicole Schatz.
