Towson University Center for STEM Excellence

Bioscience Education and Outreach Program

2013-2014 SciTech BGE Green Grant

The BGE Green Grant program focuses on environmental stewardship and supports programs that contribute to environmental education.  The SciTech Student Learning Lab program offers the following activities that have an environmental focus that teachers may choose for their students if they are awarded the SciTech BGE Green Grant.

Application information is at the bottom of this webpage.

Chesapeake Bay Critter Investigation (offered May 15^th through October 31^st)
Grades 6 through 12, maximum number of students = 32.

In this lab, students will take on the role of marine biologists and examine the diversity of invertebrates inhabiting the Bay, as well as investigate some of the factors that can affect biodiversity in the Bay. To do this, before the students come, we will place clear plastic discs in the Bay at different depths at least two weeks before your visit date. Students will investigate the effects of some water quality factors, such as temperature, salinity, pH, and turbidity, on biodiversity. At the high school level, we can incorporate math into the activity by having the students estimate various measures of biodiversity, such as species richness, Simpson Index, Shannon-Wiener Index, etc. This lab is only offered May 15-October 31st when microorganisms are present on the discs.

CO₂ and Climate Change
Grades 6 through 8, maximum number of students = 24.

In this lab activity, students will discover what role carbon dioxide plays in climate change and how climate change is affecting, and will affect, the oceans and the Chesapeake Bay. Students will take part in one of two different student-centered, inquiry-based challenges in which, given a set of materials, they will have to determine how to answer the research question posed by the instructor. Students will also take readings from an instructor-led demonstration which will require the students to determine what the demonstration is showing them. Students will also develop possible solutions for how to mitigate and/or adjust to the outcomes of climate change in the area.

Rain Garden Engineering Challenge
Grades 6 through 8, maximum number of students = 24.

In this lab, students will assume the role of an environmental engineer who is tasked with designing a rain garden that absorbs the most groundwater. Students will begin by observing rain gardens that have been installed at Pierce's Park (located outside the Columbus Center where SciTech is housed). They will analyze the purpose and positive impact rain garden installation has on the community and brainstorm factors to consider when designing a rain garden. When students enter our SciTech lab, they will learn about types of soil (mulch, loam, pea gravel and sand) that can be used in a rain garden design. In teams, students will create their own "rain garden in a bottle" with a $100 'fake' budget. Once designed, they will then observe and collect data on how much water their rain garden absorbs. They will have the opportunity to share results and redesign their rain garden based on class findings. In closing, students will learn about new materials that have been developed in chemistry labs to aid with water absorption in rain gardens, as well as have the opportunity to apply what they learned to help the community.

Wildlife Forensics Lab
Grades 9 through 12, maximum number of students = 32.

In this lab, students will use act as wildlife forensic scientists, testing whether tissue confiscated by U.S. Customs officials comes from a protected species, the great white shark or another species of shark which is legal to possess. Using DNA gel electrophoresis, students will visualize and analyze the resulting banding pattern on an agarose gel. They will be challenged to interpret their results and provide a report to the Customs officials on the identity of the confiscated samples. This activity introduces students to one of the most powerful tools in DNA analysis, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and challenges them to identify similarities or differences among DNA molecules.

To apply for a SciTech BGE Green Grant to cover the costs of a field trip to SciTech, please fill out the application that can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/SciTechBGEApp

• You must fill out a form for EACH visit you are requesting.  Multiple requests from a single teacher or school will be considered, but a separate form must be submitted for each class.
• You will need to request that your principal fill out a "Letter of Support" form.  Principals need only fill out a single form, but they must indicate on the form the number of class visits for which you are submitting applications.   This form can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/SciTechBGEprincipal.
  The purpose of this form is to ensure that your principal supports your efforts to bring your students on a field trip that will take them out of their normal classes.  It is your responsibility to ask your principal to fill out this form and provide the link to him/her.  Applications will not be considered complete unless this form is submitted. 
• You will need to provide the exact cost of transportation for your students.  An estimate of costs is not acceptable.  This means you will need to contact your transportation provider PRIOR to filling out the application to obtain that information.  See Question 13 on the application for more information on how we will reimburse for transportation costs. 
• Please note that only the above four SciTech lab activities are eligible for the SciTech BGE Green Grant.

Applicants will be notified whether they have been awarded a SciTech BGE Green Grant Class visit within three weeks of submitting their applications.  Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all funds have been awarded.  Preference may go to teachers or schools that have not previously visited SciTech.  Preference may also be given to visits that are scheduled to take place prior to January 31, 2014.  You should receive email confirmation that we have received your application within five days of submission.  If you do not receive this confirmation, please re-submit your application.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email Dr. Mary Stapleton at mkstapleton@towson.edu.