January 03, 2001

Four WKU Projects Receive Funds From Eisenhower Program

Bowling Green, Ky. - Four Western Kentucky University projects to boost achievement in middle schools have received funds from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Grant Program.

Western will receive $125,490 for three projects and will collaborate with Murray State University for another project that received $47,211 from program.
The Eisenhower program supports activities in schools to improve teaching and learning in math, sciences and other areas. The Council on Postsecondary Education recently approved eight projects.

"Middle school is deemed a critical area by the state education department," said Dr. Julia Roberts, director of Western's Center for Gifted Studies.

Dr. Roberts is director of a project called Raising Achievement in Middle School Science. The workshop will be conducted at WKU's Bowling Green Community College, where a science laboratory is being renovated thanks to another federal grant.

The weeklong institute in July will give 40 teachers "the opportunity to identify core content areas they want to focus on," she said.

The state Department of Education's core content for math and science is emphasized in all the projects.

"The state is saying let's put more emphasis on helping people with the content and how to teach this content," said Dr. Terry Wilson, director of the Center for Math, Science and Environmental Education.

Dr. Wilson is director of a project called The River: A Resource for Improving Math and Science Content. During the weeklong session at Mammoth Cave National Park, 24 teachers will learn how to do water quality monitoring and how to determine the environmental health of streams and rivers.

"The River is the focal point for learning math and science in new ways," Dr. Wilson said.

Western's Center for Math, Science and Environmental Education is a partner with Murray State's Center for Environmental Education in a project at Land Between the Lakes. In Connections: Math/Science Across the Curriculum Using the Environment, about 30 participants will use environmental studies to connect math and science concepts.

Basic astronomy concepts will be part of Western's other project, Teaching and Learning Science Core Content Using Astronomy and Space Science Activities. Up to 20 middle and high school teachers will attend the workshop in late July.

During the weeklong workshop, which has been offered since 1992, teachers build a telescope, develop lesson plans, learn about NASA educational resources and engage in astronomical observations.

"What we've tried to do is show teachers techniques for astronomy and space science for effectively teaching these areas in the classroom," said Dr. Roger Scott, an astronomy professor.

For more information, contact Dr. Julia Roberts at (270) 745-6323; Dr. Terry Wilson at (270) 745-4424; or Dr. Roger Scott at (270) 745-4357.