Zachary Schools Using Scientific Methods –

To Prepare Students for 21^st Century Careers

By Pat Friedrich

 

Budding physicists, geologists, engineers and biologists are finding their scientific curiosities peaked on every grade level within the Zachary Community School District. Recent initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math are preparing students for 21^st century careers. 

 

Tammy Wood, of the Zachary Community School District, said the Journey to College and the Career PK-12 Program’s main goal is to “P rovide all students with a challenging and rich curriculum that will help them become creative and critical thinkers, problem solvers, and lifelong learners.”

 

The district-wide Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Initiative is helping achieve this goal.   Over the past few years initiatives have been implemented at each school to ensure that students are developing scientific habits of mind.   Through these rigorous STEM initiatives and open-ended inquiry experiences students are encouraged to be curious, skeptical, creative, objective, and open to new ideas.  

Northwesten Middle School students Savannah Reid (left) and Miguiel Armstrong work on robotics as part of the new science initiative of the Zachary school system.

Junior Scientists in Action

Northwestern Elementary School’s classrooms are filled with energy and excitement . Principal Martha Davis says, “Everything happening at Northwestern Elementary School is exciting.” She said the 2010-2011 school year will “entice learning.”  

 

First grade students will definitely be eager to learn, fully engaged and energized thanks to a new science unit called “ENERGY!”   The program was the creation of Breigh Rainey and Tammy Wood.   They provided training to teachers this past spring. Inquiry, experimentation and enthusiasm filled the room as teachers designed their own original experiments using a variety of magnets and toy cars.  

 

The teachers also learned energy concepts from Dr. A. Ravi P. Rau, Professor of Physics at Louisiana State University.   An original DVD was written and produced specifically for NWE first gradeers entitled What is Energy?” It featured the professor and Zachary Community School District student Emmy Simpson.  

 

The use of magnets, compasses, flashlights, mirrors, balls, and related literature is sure to inspire every child to want to become a physicist.

 

Microscopic Creatures

Imagine being able to: view microscopic creatures; engage in scientific discussions about fish with a real LSU Ichthyologist; conduct experiments on the behavior of meal worms; and visit a local arboretum, aquarium and insectarium.   All of this and more is what second grade students have to look forward to at Zachary Elementary School this year.

 

Last spring their teachers participated in two days of professional development on the study of biodiversity, including information from Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty, Assistant Professor/Curator of Ichthyology at the LSU Museum of Natural Sciences. In the spring, Dr. Chakrabarty will return.   This time he will share his knowledge with the students.

 

Teachers also received training from LSU Scope-on-a-Rope (SOAR) Coordinator Adrianne Lopez.   She taught them to use this modern microscope in their classrooms to observe plants and microscopic creatures.

 

Third Grade Students

Just a few weeks into the new school year, Zachary Elementary School’s third-grade students are already becoming junior geologists and paleontologists.   Their hands-on investigations and “edible” geology and paleontology lessons are just the beginning.

These two young men are deeply involved in a science project at Zachary Elementary involving "edible" geology and paleontology.

These student-scientists will also learn how to excavate, observe and identify fossils, investigate rocks and minerals, core drill with straws into edible cupcakes, read non-fiction books on geology, and meet real geologists. This investigative learning will culminate with an exciting trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  

 

During the summer, Copper Mill Elementary School teachers, Lisa Redmon and Circe Bridges, participated in the Michoud Fellows Program sponsored by the LSU Department of Education, LaSPACE, Michoud Assembly Facility, and the Zachary Community School District.  

 

As part of this program, the teachers spent two weeks at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where they met folks associated with NASA, Boeing, Jacobs Engineering, and Lockheed Martin.   Participation in this program gave teachers access to special events, including astronaut mission briefings, a meet and greet with the astronauts of the next mission, and invitations to the roll out of the external tank to be used on the final space shuttle mission.   They also took advantage of a full access tour of Stennis Space Center, and video conferencing with both Marshall Space Center and Kennedy Space Center.

 

Teacher’s Academy

A prestigious partnership with the Mickelson Exxon-Mobil Teachers Academy keeps on growing.   The Academy; a one-week intensive professional development program for third- through-fifth-grade teachers, is designed to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to motivate their students to pursue careers in science and math.

 

Golf legend Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy partnered with Exxon-Mobil to develop the Academy. Last year Zachary was honored to send teacher Breigh Rainey.   This year, they were invited to send two educators; Zachary Elementary teacher Bianca Deliberto and Copper Mill Elementary teacher Lisa Redmon.

 

Copper Mills Elementary School teachers Lisa Redmon and Circe Bridges spent two weeks at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where they rubbed elbows with many people associated with NASA.

The Academy is designed to deepen teachers' understanding of mathematics and science content in the areas of data and statistics, measurement, force and motion. It also focuses on building expertise in facilitating student learning through problem solving and inquiry; using links between math and science to support student learning; understanding how children learn and applying that to classroom instruction.   They also looked into: building teachers' knowledge base; use of instructional resources to support students' learning; and networking with others involved in elementary school mathematics and science education.

 

Innovative Activities

Through innovative activities the teachers learned how to integrate science and math concepts to real life scenarios.   Those lessons will translate into meaningful lessons for their young students during the school year.

 

Of course, school counselor, Melissa Doucet’s job has gotten a whole lot tougher. That’s because Northwestern Middle School now offers its students even more choices.   In addition to the Fast Track Math program for grades six through eight, and the gifted literature class for eighth-grade students, Northwestern now offers seventh-and-eighth-grade students the opportunity to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) concepts through two “Robotics” elective courses taught by teacher Debbie Usie.  

 

Doucet says the students in these innovative electives will “actually construct their own robots, manipulate programs and solve challenging problems using the LEGO Mindstorms NXT.”   Future plans for the course include participation in the LEGO League state and regional competitions.

 

Shopping Spree

Last year, the Zachary High School Science Department was given the job of going on an $80,000 shopping spree.   That exciting task was the result of a new science initiative.  

 

The mission was to spend the money on new and innovative technology and equipment for science classes.  

 

Teachers and students are thrilled with the new gear.   Science students can now participate in more hands-on labs than ever before.   From Hovercrafts to analytical scales, to incubators, to new microscopes, Zachary High School has definitely entered the science zone.

 

Three Schools in One

Designed for the non-traditional learner, Port Hudson Career Academy houses three different programs: (1.) The Alternative Program; (2.) An Options Pre-GED Program for students interested in a vocational/GED track; and (3.) A Core-Content Program for those students who have not been successful in the traditional, large school campus environment.

 

Enrollment numbers are increasing rapidly and Principal Patrick Jenkins is excited about offering his students a quality educational program that is highly individualized.  Science on this campus is both computer-based and lab-based.   The program offers the best of both worlds.  

 

Jenkins says many of his students attend Louisiana Technical College while going to the Career Academy.   With this opportunity for dual enrollment, students are well on their way to a career when they graduate from high school.

 

The Zachary Community School District remains the number one school district in the state because of its dedicated administrators and teachers; its hard-working and supportive parents; and innovative curriculum designs.   Clearly this is Zachary’s scientific formula for success.