Authors:

1
Integration of Sensors into Secondary School
Classrooms
Authors Joe Arsenault, Constance Holden, and
John Vetelino Laboratory for Surface Science
and Technology (LASST) Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
of Spatial Information Science and
Engineering University of Maine, Orono, Maine
04469 Stephen Godsoe Bangor High
School Bangor, Maine 04401
2
Background (1 of 2)

• The attraction, retention and incubation of
  high-technology based industries is controlled to
  a large extent by the presence of a workforce
  educated in science and/or engineering
• Higher education is responsible for the creation
  and maintenance of the science and education
  workforce
• A single university, though isolated, can attract
  businesses focused on high technology if the
  university provides a workforce educated in
  science and engineering

The University of Maine
3
Background (2 of 2)

• In recent years, Maine has experienced
  significant downsizing and/or loss of
  labor-intensive industries (e.g. paper, fishing
  and shoe industries).
• As a result, the states unemployment rate has
  risen, and people are leaving the state in large
  numbers.
• Maines centers for higher learning have worked
  to re-train the unemployed workforce, but this
  stop-gap measure will not pay dividends in the
  long term.

Millinocket, Maine
4
Objective

• Dedicated and coordinated effort by the
  University of Maine (UM) to use SENSORS, a major
  cutting-edge research area, as a vehicle to
  motivate and convince secondary school students
  to follow science and/or engineering career paths
  in order to increase the professional workforce
  in the State of Maine

5
UM Sensor Research

• 1980Creation of the Laboratory for Surface
  Science and Technology (LASST) by faculty from
  electrical engineering and physics
• 1983Initial research activity in sensors
• 1987Major NSF research grant in the area of
  sensors
• 1988 to presentAcquisition of major equipment
  grants focused toward the area of sensors, e.g.
• Thin films processing facility
• Sensor fabrication facilities
• New science and engineering building with a major
  focus in sensors
• More than 100 sensor research grants
• More than 200 sensor publications

Engineering Science Research Building
6
UM Sensor Education

• 1980 to 2007Many NSF Research Experience for
  Undergraduate (REU) grants, with a majority of
  students involved in sensor research
• 1992 to 1995NSF grant focused on the
  Integration of Sensors into the Electrical
  Engineering Curriculum
• 2002 to 2006NSF Grades Kindergarten through 12
  (GK-12) grant focusing on incorporating sensors
  into the secondary school curriculum
• 2004 to 2006NSF Research Experience for
  Teachers (RET) grant bringing middle and high
  school teachers to UM to do sensor research
• 2005 to 2010NSF Integrative Graduate Education
  and Research Traineeship (IGERT) grant in sensor
  science, engineering and informatics, supporting
  Ph.D. students in sensors

2005 REU Alejandro Narajno
2003-05 GK-12 Fellow Eeva Hedefine with middle
school students
2005 RET Cathy Davis-Tilton (Central Middle
School), discusses research with 2005 REUs as
GK-12 Fellow and summer graduate research leader
Wade Pinkham, observes
August 2005 RET Workshop
Teachers and fellows at the Thursday PM wrap-up
session of the 2005 RET-GK-12 Sensors! Workshop.
7
Reasons for Sensor Focus

• Strong sensor research program in Laboratory for
  Surface Science and Technology (LASST)
• Students know the impact of sensors by reading
  the daily paper articles on homeland security
  and the environment
• Students are aware of sensors in their homes,
  schools, and in the places they frequent
• Students are largely unaware of the science and
  engineering that underlies sensors and sensor
  systems
• Sensors serve as an excellent vehicle to use,
  since they are interdisciplinary and can be
  easily introduced into secondary school subjects

8
Methodology

• Develop permanent links to secondary schools
• Place graduate students working on MS and Ph.D.
  degrees in the sensor area into secondary schools

9
Methodology Forming Permanent Links to Secondary
Schools

• Identify school(s) to be targeted
• Bring secondary school teacher(s) to the
  university and involve them in cutting-edge
  sensor research
• Require the teacher(s) to take a course entitled
  Introduction to Sensors
• Teacher(s) become(s) a direct and permanent link
  to the school

10
Methodology Graduate Students (Fellows)

• MS or Ph.D. students working on sensor-related
  theses
• Fellows come from chemical, computer, electrical,
  mechanical and spatial engineering, chemistry,
  economics and physics
• Paired with teachers during a summer workshop and
  assigned to particular schools
• Fellows spend at least one full day or equivalent
  per week in the secondary school

11
Chronology of the Program

• Summer 2001Dr. John F. Vetelino, UM professor of
  Electrical and Computer Engineering and Stephen
  Godsoe, mathematics dept head for Bangor High
  School (BHS), began discussing methods to
  encourage Maine high school students to follow
  career paths in science and/or engineering.
• Summer 2001Dr. Constance Holden, UM professor of
  Spatial Information Technology, joined project.
  The group examined different funding sources and
  foci for the GK-12 program.
• Summer 2001It is decided that sensors will be
  the primary vehicle for convincing high school
  students to follow a career path in science or
  engineering.
• Fall 2001Proposal submitted to National Science
  Foundation (NSF) focusing on incorporating
  sensors into the high school curriculum.
• Spring 2002GK-12 Sensors! proposal funded by
  NSF.
• Summer 2003Research Experiences for Teachers
  (RET) Supplement brings four rural high-school
  teachers to the University.
• Spring 2004GK-12 Sensors! received an RET grant
  from the NSF. Over the next three summers, thirty
  teachers will be brought to UM by the RET
  program.
• Summer 2005GK-12 Sensors! Track II proposal
  submitted to NSF for the timeframe 2006-2011.

12
Participating Secondary Schools
13
Participating Secondary Schools
Lee Academy
Central Middle School Central High School
Bangor High School James F. Doughty Middle
School John Bapst Memorial High School William S.
Cohen Middle School
Caravel Middle School
Dexter Regional High School
Brewer High School
Sebasticook Valley Middle School
Hampden Academy Reeds Brook Middle School
Maine Central Institute
Bucksport High School Reeds Brook Middle School
Hermon Middle School Hermon High School
Jonesport-Beals High School
Sumner Memorial High School
14
Participating RETs

• Bangor High School
• Andrew Bouchard (Physics)
• Steve Godsoe (Math)
• Ted Taylor (Earth Science)
• Brewer High School
• Arthur Libby (Physical Science)
• Bucksport Middle School
• Jennifer Parkhurst-Skala (Science)
• Bucksport High School
• John Mannette (Physics, Physical Earth
  Sciences)
• Caravel Middle School
• Richard Burger (Science)
• Central High School
• Robert Littlefield (Physics)
• Central Middle School
• Catherine Davis-Tilton (Science)
• Dexter High School
• Alyson Saunders (Chemistry)
• Hampden Academcy

Hermon High School Joanna Lisker (Physical
Science) James F. Doughty Middle School Patricia
Bernhardt (Life Science) Timothy Surrette
(Science) Tracy Vassiliev (Applied Science) John
Bapst Memorial High School Scott Burgess
(Physics) Jonesport-Beals High School Lynn Alley
(All science classes) Lee Academy John Simone
(Chemistry) Maine Central Institute Jim Tyson
(Integrated Science, Physics) Reeds-Brook Middle
School Robert OLeary (Life Science) Georgiana
Piete (Social Studies, General Science) Sebasticoo
k Valley Middle School Jane Stork (Math) Sumner
Memorial High School Henri Gignoux
(Physics) William S. Cohen Middle School Tracy
Vassiliev (Applied Science)
15
GK-12 Fellows

• Biological Engineering
• Erik McCarthy
• Biology
• Becky Woodward
• Chemical Engineering
• Aaron Clark
• Raymond Kennard
• Chemistry
• Andrea Martin
• Mechanical Engineering
• Anthony Puckett
• Physics
• John Krassikoff
• Resource Economics Policy
• Bradley Neumann
• Judith Wilson
• Spatial Information Science Engineering
• Danielle Donovan
• Eeva Hedefine

Electrical Engineering Eric Berkenpas Lester
French Dana Gallimore Timothy Johnston Douglas
Isenberg Crystal Kenney Kenna Lampron Michael
Lewark Wade Pinkham Jesse Parks Stephanie
Pitcher Chris York
16
Program Highlights

• 2002-2005 Summers
• GK-12 Fellows and teachers participated in an
  Introduction to Sensors course (IDL 465).
• IDL 465 Covered sensor technology from the
  perspectives of various science and engineering
  disciplines. In the course, teachers and fellows
  were presented a similar background in sensors,
  to ensure they were on the same page relative
  to introducing sensor material into the
  high-school classroom curriculum.
• The program concluded with a summer workshop,
  during which specific academic plans for the
  academic year were developed.

17
Summer Workshop

• Teachers presented their summer research and
  related their work to materials they covered in
  secondary school courses.
• GK-12 Fellows presented sensor research.
• Topics were identified for which modules would be
  developed.
• Teachers and fellows were assigned to develop
  classroom modules.
• Modules were developed around subjects such as
  fluid sensors, air quality sensors, medical
  sensors, biological sensors, automotive sensors,
  agriculture sensors, etc.

2005 RET Tim Surrette of Doughty Middle School
presents at the August 2005 RET-GK-12 Sensors!
Workshop.
18
2003 Summer Europe Trip (1 of 3)

• PI John Vetelino became aware that a number of
  activities taking place at both the
  Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg,
  Germany and at the University of Brescia, Italy
  could benefit GK-12 Sensors.
• Activities included development of modules
  relating to air quality, landfill and food
  monitoring.
• One fellow and one teacher from Bangor High
  School (BHS) spent two weeks at the
  Otto-von-Guericke University working on modules
  related to biosensors and oil quality sensors.
• One fellow and one teacher from BHS spent two
  weeks at the University of Brescia working on
  modules related to metal oxide sensors.

19
2003 Summer Activities Europe Trip (2 of 3)
GK12 Sensors! fellow, Lester French (foreground)
and Dr. Benedikt Schlatt examining the biosensor
system. (Otto-von-Guericke University,
Magdeburg)
Dr. Vetelino (right) and Mathias Bode with
SensoTech industrial chemical sensor. (SensoTech
Magdeburg)
20
2003 Summer Activities Europe Trip (3 of 3)
Computer lab at Liceo School in Brescia, Italy.
Center Cary James, Bangor High School Chemistry
Teacher, flanked by two Liceo physics teachers.
Chemistry laboratory stockroom at a technical
high school in Brescia, Italy. Pictured from
left Chemistry teacher and GK12 Fellow Andrea
Martin.
21
Portable Module Example (1 of 3)

• Bangor GIS Emergency Mapping Project
• Created by Brad Neumann and Eeve Hedefine
• Objectives
• Examine and discuss with students Bangors
  homeland security plan.
• Provide students with a community service
  initiative that will produce tangible results for
  multiple members of the community.
• Provide citizens of Bangor with emergency
  response information.
• Introduce GIS applications to Bangors Public
  Safety services.
• Provide Bangors Public Safety with various
  emergency response maps.
• Overview
• Students in Senior Seminar entered a joint
  project with the Bangor Police and Fire
  Departments to develop maps to enhance Bangors
  emergency responses. The project, assisted by
  GK-12 fellows from the University of Maine,
  utilized Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to
  produce various emergency response maps for use
  by Public Safety and the community. Community
  members, organizations, and services provided the
  effort with information about critical community
  services and facilities. Their cooperation
  enabled students to construct valuable maps that
  will be utilized by both Bangor Police and Fire
  Departments and community members in the event of
  an emergency.

22
Portable Module Example (2 of 3)

• Line Match
• Created by Anthony Puckett
• Objective
• Examine a distance vs. time graph, understand
  what it represents, and mimic the line by walking
  to and from a distance sensor.
• Overview
• This module uses a sonic distance sensor to plot
  a students movement. A student is shown a line
  plot with three or more segments. The students
  task is to use his/her knowledge of lines to
  interpret the graph and trace the line by walking
  back and forth in front of the sensor. The sonic
  distance sensor uses the speed of sound to
  measure distance. A pulse of sound is emitted
  from the sensor and the pulse reflects from
  objects in the sounds path. The sensor measures
  the time for the first reflection to come back to
  the sensor. This time divided by the speed of
  sound in air is the distance to the object. The
  range of the sensor is 0.5 meters to about 10
  meters depending on the sampling rate. If the
  student steps outside of the cone in which the
  sound travels the sensor will compute the next
  reflection, which is probably the wall.

23
Portable Module Example (3 of 3)

• Ozone Monitoring
• Created by Andrea Martin
• Objective
• Operate an ultraviolet photometer sensor,
  interpret the results, document and disseminate
  the information to a high school audience.
• Overview
• This module uses an ultraviolet photometer for
  ozone detection. Students are responsible for
  collecting, interpreting and disseminating the
  data produced by the ultraviolet photometer. In
  order to interpret their results, they examine
  ozone concentrations in their towns versus
  temperature and humidity data obtained from
  http//www.weatherunderground.com. Students
  present their results to the science faculty and
  students at their high school. Anticipated
  results will show that temperature and ozone
  concentrations are directly related while
  humidity and ozone are often indirectly related.

24
Examples of Local National Program Exposure (1
of 3)

• Website
• http//www.eece.maine.edu/research/gk12/portable
  module.htm
• 2005 Conference Presentations
• GK-12 fellows Eeva Hedefine and Bradley Neumann
  jointly present a session paper relating to GK-12
  Sensors! activities at the 2005 National Science
  Teacher Convention (NSTA), Dallas, TX.
• 2004 RET and 2004-05 GK-12 participating teacher
  Patricia Bernhardt of James F. Doughty Middle
  School, Bangor presents a paper about
  sensors-integration in middle-school life science
  classrooms at the 2005 NSTA, Dallas, TX.
• 2004 RET and 2004-05 GK-12 participating teacher
  Tracy Vassiliev presents a paper relating to her
  summer 2004 RET research experience at the 2005
  National Shellfish Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

25
Examples of Local National Program Exposure (2
of 3)

• Publicity
• Bangor Daily News
• Grant funds UM, Bangor High alliance (March 5,
  2002)
• Bangor High seniors give satellite-based maps
  (May 14, 2004)
• Teachers to present research (March 24, 2005)
• The Communiqué
• GK-12 Sensors! Partnership Opens Doors (Winter
  2002)
• GK-12 Sensors! Grant (Summer 2003)
• Update GK-12 Sensors! Grant (Winter 2004)
• Students Create Hazard Map for City Officials
  (Summer 2004)
• JFD Teachers Participate in National Science
  Foundation Program (Winter 2005)

26
Examples of Local National Program Exposure (3
of 3)

• Recent Recognition
• International Space Station
• Friday, February 4, 2005, Leroy Chiao,
  Commander aboard the International Space Station
  recognized Bangor High School for its
  participation in the EarthKAM project. GK-12
  fellow Danielle Donovan co-directed the program
  with teacher Margaret Chernosky.
• ESRI National K-12 GIS Model
• In May of 2005, Environmental Systems Research
  Institute, Inc. (ESRI), one of the worlds
  largest Geographic Information System (GIS)
  mapping software and services providers, selected
  the GK-12 Sensors!-Bangor High School 2005 GIS
  project, a community atlas of Bangor, ME, as the
  top national 2004-05 model GIS K-12 educational
  project. The project was directed by
  participating teachers Jim Smith and Margaret
  Chernosky, with Geoffrey Wingard and GK-12
  fellows Danielle Donovan, Eeva Hedefine and
  Bradley Neumann.
• http//www.esri.com/industries/k-12/atlas/model.h
  tml

27
Conclusions and Future Work (1 of 4)

• Creation of a model for how a specific university
  research strength can fuel STEM education in
  secondary schools and professional development
  for teachers.
• Sensor-related activities help teachers align
  their curriculum with state and national
  standards.
• Fellows and teachers create module curricula
  based on the application of sensors that can be
  disseminated statewide and nationally.

Students at Bangor High working on the EarthKam
project.
28
Conclusions and Future Work (2 of 4)

• GK-12 Sensors! has reoriented its focus from high
  schools to middle schools as the developmental
  level affording greatest positive influence on
  student aspirations for pursuing STEM
  disciplines.
• Substantial emphasis is placed on encouraging
  females to pursue STEM interests by providing
• Role models through RETs and GK-12 Fellows
• Continuity of GK-12 Sensors!-type presence
  throughout 7-12th grade science and social
  studies classrooms
• Science and engineering career exploration
  workshops in various high school classes.

Student working on Lego Mindstorms Sensor project.
29
Conclusions and Future Work (3 of 4)

• GK-12 Sensors! has applied to NSF for Track II
  funding to continue the project into the next
  funding cycle, which would last until 2011.
• University of Maine has demonstrated strong
  commitment to the sustainability of GK-12
  Sensors! through substantial 2005-06 financial
  support.

Fellow Danielle Donovan (left) working with
students at Bangor High School.
30
Conclusions and Future Work (4 of 4)

• The Maine State Legislature is considering a bill
  making GK-12 Sensors! a permanent and major
  initiative to improve the aspirations of Maine
  youth, with a positive effect on economic
  development in the State of Maine.