A new science project for middle school students and teachers tackles authentic science problems. The Get Real! Science project, an initiative led by April Lynn Luehmann, assistant professor of teaching and curriculum, gives participants a rare opportunity to dig a little deeper into scientific processes while investigating authentic community-based problems.

The project began last year with the Get Real! Environmental Action Camp—a week-long adventure for middle school girls and boys where students studied why a local beach on Lake Ontario was often closed. Led by Warner graduate students preparing to become science teachers, the camp gave participants a chance to explore water ecology problems through the use of handheld computers and other technologies. In just one week, students identified a problem, learned about water quality, designed their own experiments, used technology to collect and analyze samples, and discovered how science is important in everyday life.

“Students have the opportunity not only to learn the science of water quality and the technical use of scientific tools, but also to develop a rich appreciation for the role science plays in impacting our daily lives,” says Luehmann.

But, as Luehmann explains, it doesn’t stop there. At the end of the week, the middle schoolers presented their findings to guests and community leaders—including members from a local water monitoring group.

“By sharing their knowledge with the community and making recommendations of what everyone can do to make the problem better, the students and their teachers hope to advocate change,” she says. “In addition, they have an authentic experience of participating in a scientific community.”

The Get Real! Science project has expanded to provide other opportunities that take place throughout the school year, beginning with a club for middle school girls. The girls, named the Science STARS (Students Tackling Authentic and Relevant Science), meet on scheduled days to study additional water ecology problems.

The middle school students are not the only ones benefiting from the programs. Warner students in the teaching and curriculum master’s program design the curriculum and work with the students. The project gives Warner graduate students a chance to practice lesson plans and materials they have been working on for class. Through real projects with students, they are then able to revise their plans and think about what worked and what they should change.

Tenny Jordan, a Warner master’s student who participated in the summer program, says the program has given her valuable experience. “As emerging science educators, we learn what constitutes best practices for science teachers and why. Putting what we have into action and experiencing those practices with children cannot be underestimated. This experience taught me about what it truly means to teach—it has provided me with opportunities to engage in meaningful learning experiences using different strategies and methodologies, and to collaboratively work with peers in a professional manner.”

Involving learners in a collaborative teaching situation offers inexperienced science teachers a safe and scaffolded opportunity to successfully implement a curriculum based on scientific inquiry.

“This engagement of students in authentic science investigations is a powerful but incredibly challenging teaching strategy advocated by the latest calls for reform in science education,” says Luehmann.
For more information on any of the Get Real! Science programs, visit www.rochester.edu/warner/getreal.

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