(32c) Chemical Engineering in the 8th Grade Classroom

As part of a National Science Foundation GK-12 Program, I spent the past academic year working as a teaching fellow in a local middle school classroom. The theme of the particular program at UCLA I was involved with was "Science and Engineering of the Environment of Los Angeles". As a graduate student fellow, I spent two days per week working with two eighth grade physical science teachers as a ?science expert in the classroom?, sharing my science knowledge and expertise with the teachers as we planned interactive lessons for the students. The activities I planned for students ranged from as ordinary as electrolysis of water or making "Cartesian Divers" to as specialized as how a PEM fuel cell car works and where plastics come from. I was also heavily involved in the middle school science club, designing engineering-themed activities for students such as an egg drop, a paper airplane competition, and designing basic circuits.

The goals of the GK-12 program are many-fold: firstly, to enhance the learning experience of the K-12 students by having a practicing scientist in the classroom. Secondly, to develop lessons for K-12 teachers to use in their classrooms which incorporate themes of the graduate student fellows' research and the environment of Los Angeles. Thirdly, to develop the teaching and communication skills of graduate student fellows by having them give lectures, develop activities, and take a class specifically aimed towards preparing them for future employment in academia.

In my talk, I'd like to outline more specifically my experiences in the classroom as a graduate student fellow and how I feel higher education could become best involved in K-12 classes (especially in urban areas such as Los Angeles or New York City). I will make recommendations to those looking to get involved (professor, graduate student, undergraduate student, or student group) how they can have a broader impact on education and get involved in local schools to the maximum mutual benefit of all parties.