Poster, Nasa Threads: A Hands On, Context Based Approach To A High School Stem Course

Abstract

NASA-Threads is a hands-on, contextual approach to a high school STEM course. Teachers from three regional high schools and university faculty from STEM disciplines have developed a new, challenging, interdisciplinary junior/senior-level high school physics/pre-engineering curriculum.NASA-Threads integrates fundamental science and mathematics courses taught with engineering applications and the appropriate use of technology into a physics/pre-engineering curriculum targeting the junior/senior year of high school. The threads of this curriculum include Fundamentals, Technology, Communication, and NASA Applications. The fundamentals, which are grouped into blocks of similar topics, provide the backbone of the educational experience. NASA applications are strategically introduced to provide timely, hands-on reinforcement of fundamentals, and the progressive development of technical knowledge and skills.The rigorous curriculum is designed to guide students through a systems-level understanding of real-world applications of science and engineering. This project provides a hands-on, contextual approach to student learning, as well as teacher professional development. As part of the curriculum, data is being collected on student outcomes that quantify high school students' academic self-efficacy, real world problem solving, critical thinking skills, achievement in mathematics and the sciences, motivational and goal orientation, and vocational or career interests in STEM fields. Additionally, teacher outcomes, including self-efficacy, are being measured. This poster/paper will present the curriculum developed through the collaborative partnership between K12 schools systems and university.

An Index to Aid in the Development of High School Recruitment of Future Engineering and Science Majors

“…5,6 In 2009, one of the lead teachers from BHS became a master teacher in our NASA-funded project to re-design a high school physics curriculum. 7,8 Since 2008, BHS has been consistently ranked 12 th or higher among our feeder high schools, where in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years, they were above the f-index for those years.…”