Integrating Research Into High School Science Curricula:
Building Partnerships With Universities
Emily T. Cloyd and Melissa S. Lucash
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210
Introduction
The NSF GK-12 program seeks to strengthen the relationships
between elementary/secondary schools and universities. As part of
this program, we infused scientific research and inquiry-based
learning into the curriculum of The Global Environment, a college
course taught in high schools. To improve scientific literacy, we
integrated scientific journal articles into assignments and asked
students to do their own scientific writing. We encouraged students
to investigate current environmental “hot topics” through several
internet-based research activities. Students conducted small-group
research projects and met with university scientists.
Improving Scientific Literacy:
Literature Review and Proposal
Each student chose an
environmental issue and
researched opposing viewpoints
on the topic. In the first part of
their paper, students used
scientific and popular literature
to review arguments for each
side of the debate. Students
then presented their own
opinion on the subject and
explained how their literature
review had affected their
opinion. Finally, they proposed
future research projects to
investigate the issue.
Investigating Hot Topics:
Independent Research:
Sustainable Design
Restoration of Waste Beds
Students designed either environmentallyfriendly houses or sustainable cities as a way to
synthesize concepts from the course. Both
projects required students to choose a location
and consider the advantages and limitations of
climate. In their design, students accounted for
the environmental impacts of building materials,
energy sources, agriculture, and other
necessities and explained how they would
mitigate any damage to the environment.
Architecture students from ESF and Syracuse
University also shared their expertise with the
high school groups.
Meeting Scientists
ESF students and faculty and science professionals from the Syracuse community visited our classrooms. High school students attended
undergraduate classes at ESF, worked on field research with graduate students, and learned about environmental issues around world from guest
lecturers. These visits provided students with opportunities for career exploration and reinforced the research process by engaging students in
active research programs.
Teams of students researched
alternative energy sources
reported on how the source
works and the benefits and
drawbacks of that source. The
teams also created a marketing
presentation to sell their
alternative energy product to
citizens. Finally, each group
wrote an exam question based
on their report and presentation.
Experimental Design
0 sec.
50 sec.
Students designed experiments
with PeepsTM marshmallow candies
and wrote short proposals outlining
their objectives, hypotheses, and
methods. After their proposals
were “accepted”, students
conducted experiments to test the
effects of smoking, microwave
radiation, alcohol, and liquid
nitrogen on the size, color, and
flexibility of the marshmallows.
Guided Research:
Stream Restoration
Improving Scientific Literacy:
Investigating Hot Topics:
Ecological Footprints
We investigated how lifestyle
choices, age, and sex affect the
size of an individual’s ecological
footprint. Students took a short
online quiz to estimate their own
ecological footprint, recorded their
consumption of resources for a
week, and interviewed family
members about their
consumption. Finally, students
suggested ways to reduce the
size of their ecological footprint.
Investigating Hot Topics:
Alternative Energy Sources
Guided Research:
20 sec.
Students collaborated with the
Willow Biomass Project at ESF,
which studies willow as an
alternative bioenergy crop in
New York. The Willow Project
wanted to revegetate a
contaminated waste site with
little natural vegetation. Willow
growth on the site is limited,
however, by the low nutrients
found in the soil. The students
tested oats or clover as
potential cover crops on the
contaminated soil. They found
that both species grow well in
the contaminated soil. The
Willow Project plans to use their
data to propose planting cover
crops with willows at the site.
Reading and Understanding Scientific Papers
Article Summary
During the course of the school year, each student reviewed a scientific journal article and summarized it for the class. We
used short review papers and research communications, primarily selected from Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
Students gave an oral presentation about their article and completed a written assignment which asked them to identify key
points of the article and apply critical thinking skills to suggest new research ideas.
Learning to Use a College Library
Each class visited the ESF library at least once during the year. While at the library, students learned how to use electronic
citation databases, locate hard copies and electronic copies of journal articles, and reviewed different types of sources
(journals, edited books, etc.).
Building a Reference List
Students were required to use several types of sources in their assignments. To show that they were reviewing a variety of
sources in their work, students submitted an annotated bibliography as a part of their research process. Students
incorporated primary scientific literature, newspaper articles, books, magazine articles, and the internet into their annotated
bibliographies.
Students conducted fish and
invertebrate studies at a stream
adjacent to their high school.
ESF graduate students assisted
with electroshocking and
seining gear used to collect
organisms. The students
researched riparian wildlife
(plants, invertebrates, fish, and
mammals) and developed a
plan to restore degraded
sections of the stream.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank H. Busa (Marcellus HS), T. Sandstrom (OCM
BOCES), T. Doherty (Corcoran HS) and their students; our fellow
Graduate Teaching Fellows, J. Boley, E. Cheshire, A. Dechen, H. Golden,
R. Jarrell, S. Scanga, and L. Schmitt; the principal investigators, D.
Raynal, C. Spuches, R. Beal, and D. DeSiato; and the grant administrator,
S. Tankersley. Support for this project was provided by NSF GK-12 Award
No. 0231742.