Dr. Kate Bulinski of Bellarmine University and Mr. Alan Goldstein of the Falls of the Ohio State Park have teamed up to offer a Kentucky Academy of Science grant-supported professional development workshop “The Waldron Shale Project: Fossil identification and analysis for K-12 Science Classrooms.”
The workshop will take place on Tuesday, June 23, on the campus of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
This project is limited to just eighteen teachers from public or private schools in Kentucky. Participants will be trained to perform a hands-on inquiry-based lesson using fossils in their classroom.
The ultimate goal of this project is to equip teachers with the knowledge and materials necessary to teach their students how to collect, analyze, interpret, and write about paleontological data.
Participants will receive:
1) a day-long professional development paleontology workshop at Bellarmine University
2) a set of classroom laboratory supplies including a bulk sample of fossiliferous shale and
3) ongoing professional support from Dr. Bulinski and Mr. Goldstein.
Participation will be determined by the following criteria:
Must be a K-12 science teacher in Kentucky (public or private)
New to this project (i.e., has not participated in previous versions of the Waldron Shale Project)
Priority will be given according to when applications are received
Participants will be expected to:
Attend the workshop
Incorporate the Waldron Shale Project in their curriculum during the 2020-2021 academic year
Write a short report in the summer of 2021 summarizing the assessment of learning outcomes in their classrooms
Attend a half-day workshop in the summer of 2021 (either in-person or through teleconferencing)
Learning Objectives and Outcomes:
We intend that participating schools will use paleontology as a vehicle for integrating science across the curriculum. We expect that the participating teachers will use the provided materials to implement hands-on inquiry-based education whereby students will learn about earth science, evolution, and the scientific method through an engaging and creative experience.
Recognize fossils (lower grades), classify fossils (mid grades) and identify fossils (upper grades) using project templates
Determine the difference between sedimentary rock types and how they form
Learn how fossils form through creating molds and casts (lower grades)
Use tools to extract fossils from shale
Create scale drawings of specimens and label the anatomy
Calculate and interpret paleoecological data like richness, percent abundance and body size (middle and upper grades)
Submit photos and data for posting to project website
Compare data with other participating schools
Write a report exploring an aspect of paleontology (lower and middle grades) or following the format of a professional paper (upper grades)
In order to apply, teachers should email
kbulinski@bellarmine.edu to request an application. If more than 18 applications are received, applicants will be placed on a waiting list.
Any middle or high school student doing science research is welcome at the Kentucky Junior Academy of Science meeting April 18.
Cancer incidence and mortality rates are staggeringly high in Kentucky, especially in the eastern portion of the state that lies in the Appalachian Mountain region. The statistics that show that Kentucky ranks number one in the United States for cancer incidence and mortality rates are very important, but the data does not tell the personal stories of how cancer effects individuals, families, communities, and the entire region. Telling some of these stories was the premise behind The Cancer Crisis in Appalachia. This book consists of essays written by twenty-five students who are participants in the Appalachian Career Training in Oncology Program directed by Nathan L. Vanderford, Assistant Professor of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, at the University of Kentucky. Each student describes how cancer has impacted their lives or the lives of their family and they explore their thoughts on what could be done to lower the cancer burden in their communities. 