Have you ever heard, “I don't understand how you are teaching math.” or “Can you give me some practice sheets so my child can learn math?” Have you ever said, “Why don't parents understand that I do math everyday with their children?” “Why do they want me to send home math worksheets?”

The math backpack project began with four Albany County School District #1 teachers considering ways to help parents understand the mathematics they were teaching. This was part of a class taught by Dr. Lynne Ipina and Dr. Linda Hutchison. A grant was written and funded by Higher Education Eisenhower monies. Dr. Linda Hutchison and Dee Swanson carried out the grant to put together seven grades of mathematics backpacks for students and parents to work through together. Seven teachers at four different schools from Albany County S.D. #1: Dee Swanson, K-1 st grade, Stephanie Wiegel, 2 nd grade, Stacie Faigl, 3 rd grade, Barb Deshler, 4 th grade, Wendy Keeler and Mary Garrett, 5 th grade, and Susan Debree, 6 th grade, created 18-24 backpacks depending on their class size. The goal of the program was to help parent-teacher relations by demystifying the school mathematics program. The backpacks were created to broaden the scope of discussion of learning beyond test scores and to give parents a basis for understanding mathematics standards and concepts their child should be learning.

Each math backpack has at least one fiction book that relates to the theme of the backpack. Most have either an additional work of fiction or a non-fiction book at an appropriate developmental level that relates to the theme. All backpacks have a manipulative or game that relates to the theme allowing parents to work with their child in interesting and enjoyable ways. The backpacks also contain directions for the students and parents with suggested ways to use the backpack. The average cost of a backpack was $40.

We found that with all of the things that parents have going on with their children, allowing longer than a week (about a week-and-a-half to two weeks) was advisable. If you are interested in gaining more information, check out the website http://smtc.uwyo.edu/math backpacks/ and view both the prototype backpacks and the presentations from the NCTM conference.

Dr. Scott Chamberlin is the newest faculty member on the 4 th floor of Wyoming Hall. In the fall of 2003 he joined the University of Wyoming 's, College of Education to teach elementary mathematics and science methods.

In 2002 Dr. Scott Chamberlin received his doctorate from Purdue University in Educational Psychology. While at Purdue his emphasis was on mathematical education as it pertains to educational psychology. Dr. Chamberlin has worked with Purdue's Gifted Education Resource Institute, (GERI), and with Dr. Richard Lesh as a curriculum writer of Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs). MEAs are complex problem solving tasks which require the designing of a mathematical model for successful completion of the problem. Most of these activities have been written for students in middle school and junior high and some have been successfully used to train teachers and instruct high school students.

In the fall of 2002, Dr. Chamberlin worked as a non-tenure track professor at the University of Northern Colorado . His primary responsibilities there entailed teaching educational psychology classes as well as teaching math methods classes. Additionally, he started two research projects pertaining to program evaluation at the University of Northern Colorado .

Dr. Chamberlin has appreciated the collaborative nature of the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center . “People are genuinely interested in creating the best math and science educators that they can at this institution. One of the most impressive aspects of the program here at the University is the attention to detail and the fact that quality control and accountability here is a bragging point.” The propensity for change in education has always been a strong one, but with the needs of NCLB change is inherent. The University of Wyoming is dedicated to being on the forefront of teacher education and Dr. Chamberlin is excited to be an addition.

Dr. Audie Blevins, who is a professor with the University of Wyoming , Department of Sociology, and is also a Science and Mathematics Teaching Center Affiliate Faculty Me mber, has received a Fulbright grant to study and teach at Katmandu University in Nepal . Professor Blevins received an earlier Fulbright grant in 2000 to travel and study health issues in Hong Kong .

His recent award is a five-year Senior Fulbright Specialist grant that he will use to teach sociology and public health courses at Katmandu University Medical School . He also plans to research the delivery of health care in the underprivileged country.

Congratulations Dr. Blevins!

Professor Jeff Lockwood won the 2003 John Burroughs Award of Recognition for an essay titled “Voices from the Past” that was published in Orion magazine about the mysterious demise of the Rocky Mountain locust. Jeff is an entomologist in the University of Wyoming , College of Agriculture 's Department of Renewable Resources and is also a Science and Mathematics Teaching Center Affiliate Faculty Me mber.

Each year, the John Burroughs Association recognizes well-written and illustrated natural history publications by selecting one book and one essay to receive the award. Environmentalist Rachel Carson and Pulitzer Prize winner John McPhee are previous winners of this prestigious award. Congratulations Dr. Lockwood!

Excerpt from the October 27th , 2003 Daily Campus Pulse
SMTC Affiliate Faculty Members in Bold

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a three-year, $351,000 grant to the University of Wyoming for a general education learning project. Jane Nelson, director of the Writing Center and Audrey Kleinsasser , Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning (ECTL) director, were notified by the U.S. Department of Education that their proposal “Connecting Learning Across Academic Settings” (CLAAS) has been funded.

Project CLAAS promotes curriculum and instructional reform by reframing academic success, Nelson and Kleinsasser say. Faculty members in six specific disciplines are working together with students in the lower level university studies courses to restructure the classes to ensure student academic success. The six faculty members working on the project are Jane Beiswenger , lecturer, Department of Zoology and Physiology; Erin Campbell-Stone, Department of Geology and Geophysics, lecturer, and James Myers , professor, Department of Geology and Geophysics; Rod Garnett, professor, Department of Music; April Heaney, lecturer, Department of English; and Mark Lyford , lecturer, Department of Botany.

The project is funded through the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Post-secondary Education comprehensive program. UW was one of only 45 schools receiving funding among the nearly 2,000 nation-wide that submitted proposals.

Congratulations!

Dr. Mary Alice Bruce, who is an associate professor with the University of Wyoming , Department of Counselor Education, and is also a Science and Mathematics Teaching Center Advisory Board Me mber, has been named a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Specialists Grant. During her 2004 Fulbright work at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala , Dr. Bruce will present lectures at the graduate level concerning supervision of counselors and teachers, consult with administrators regarding faculty development, conduct programmatic research with women's self-help groups, and lead workshops for teachers in public schools about resiliency and creating caring community classrooms. Congratulations Dr. Bruce! Dr. Bruce has also been awarded a sabbatical leave for her travels abroad, which faculty have to apply for.

What do moldy bread, Incredible Hulk hands, and 42 teachers from the “ Cowboy State ” have in common? They were all active participants in the 2003 summer Middle-level Math Program through the University of Wyoming 's Science and Mathematics Teaching Center .

Twenty-three of the teachers returned as the Cohort I for their second and final summer in this program. In the mornings of this intensive three-week session, the teachers dove into Mathematics of Change: Functions and Calculus. They participated in many different experiments including a moldy bread experiment (an experiment in population growth). The students wet slices of bread, stored them in baggies, and waited two weeks. The students then traced the slices of bread, front and back, on graph paper. They monitored the slices, recording when each block on the graph paper showed mold on the corresponding sector of the bread. Eventually tables of the counts of squares with mold versus the time since it started growing were made. Their afternoons were devoted to Instructional Technology where they learned and used dynamic geometry software, probeware and graphing calculators.

As the Cohort I teachers were starting their final summer with this program, the Cohort II teachers were beginning their first summer with our program. There are 19 teachers that make up the Cohort II team. Connecting Geometry was the first order of business each morning for these teachers. This is where the “Hulk hands” come into play. The students measured their own hands and then measured the Hulk hands and compared the proportion of each and the size scale. They also used model cars and compared those to full-size cars. Mathematics Assessment was how the Cohort II teachers closed their afternoons each day. They developed their own performance assessments with colleagues trying the tasks and providing feedback.

A special thanks goes out to the instructors, as listed below, of each of the courses. We appreciate the work, time, and energy that you have devoted to this program!

Cohort I :

Math of Change : Joe Stepans, UW-Secondary Education; Lynne Ipina, UW-Mathematics; Kendall Jacobs, Casper College-Mathematics; Jeff Miller, UW-Outreach; Eric Moorhouse, UW-Mathematics; and Dave Petersen, Lander Valley High-Mentor Teacher.

Using Instructional Technology : Alan Buss, UW-Elementary and Early Childhood Education; Linda Hutchison, UW-Secondary Education; Rick Lechner, Greybull Middle School-Mentor Teacher; and Bill Thompson, Cokeville High School-Mentor Teacher.

Cohort II :

Connecting Geometry : Bob Kansky, UW-Research Faculty; Ben Roth, UW-Mathematics; Jeff Banks, Big Piney High School-Mentor Teacher; and Cyndi Moravek, Shoshoni Middle School-Mentor Teacher.

Mathematics Assessment : Judy Ellsworth, UW-Science and Mathematics Teaching Center; Lynne Ipina, UW-Mathematics; Pia Hansen-Powell, Jessup Elementary-Mentor Teacher; Snehalata Huzurbazar, UW-Statistics; and Nancy Merrill, Big Horn High School-Mentor Teacher.

The SMTC is now accepting applications for the Summer 2004 Middle-level Mathematics Program. The deadline for applications is January 15 th . For application materials visit the website at: http://smtc.uwyo.edu or email Anne Crocco at acrocco@uwyo.edu .

SCIENCE LEARNING , Featured on UWYO homepage, Friday, July 18 th , 2003 -- Teachers Aimee Kay of Thermopolis, left, Brooke Hodges of Las Vegas , Nev. and Karen Colling of Casper , work on a class assignment designed to develop spatial thinking and creativity in visualizing problems. They participated in the University of Wyoming 's recent Master of Science in Natural Science (MS in NS) program offered through the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center . The MS in NS allows K-12 teachers to expand their understanding of the physical, earth and life sciences while working toward their graduate degrees. The program offers different models to facilitate student learning. (UW Photo)

If you are interested in applying for the Summer 2004 MS in NS program, contact Anne Crocco at: acrocco@uwyo.edu or 307-766-6381.

The Teton Science School , located in Grand Teton National Park near Jackson , Wyoming , has a one-year graduate program. The Professional Residency in Environmental Education (PREE) program is currently in its tenth year of operation. Through the program, graduates earn 29 graduate credits but do not receive a Masters degree. The Science and Mathematics Teaching Center (SMTC) at University of Wyoming created an option for graduate students at Teton Science School to finish their Masters degree in Laramie . Governed by the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education, the SMTC accepts 15 graduate credits taken at the Teton Science School towards a Masters of Science in Natural Science Option 2: Experiential Environmental Education. This partnership allows graduates to complete their second year of studies focusing mainly on science and education at the University of Wyoming in Laramie . Currently, eight Teton Science School PREE alums are attending the University of Wyoming and pursuing graduate degrees. Seven of whom are working on their degree through the SMTC:

Andy Angstrom : B.S. in Physics, University of New York at Albany , NY

Danette Jarzab : B.S. in Biology, DePaul University , IL

Josh Kleyman : B.A. in Environmental Geography, Colgate University , NY

Aaron Nydam : B.S. in Biology, Calvin College , MI

Beth Rintz: B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Pennsylvania State University , PA

Kalen Ritz : B.S. in Public Affairs: Environmental Management, Indiana University , IN

Natalie Sattler : B.A. in Athropology, University of Colorado at Boulder , CO

These graduate students are pursuing either an MS in NS Option II or MST degree. Several students are also working towards a dual degree with the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR).

The Science and Mathematics Teaching Center and School of Environment and Natural Resources are actively engaged in recruiting PREE students at the Teton Science School with hopes that this new relationship will continue to grow and strengthen in the future.

SPRING 2003 GRADUATE:

Carolyn Jacobs graduated in the Spring of 2003. Her Plan B project is titled “Field Sketches in Science”. As a life science teacher, observations are a part of most of Carolyn's labs, activities, and field trips. The goal of her project was the result of the difficulties she has had teaching students to make good observations. Carolyn also tried to find ways to tie observations into a “real” scientific situation, instead of doing practice observations on worksheets.

The area she explored was the use of sketches in outdoor science. She studied whether the use of sketches improved student's observations of plant characteristics, if this knowledge could be applied to the use of classification field guides and keys, and if sketches improved recall of details at a later date. It was her hypothesis that drawings created by the student would strengthen these abilities.

Used in science classes, sketching for observation is different than sketching in art. In an art class, there is more freedom of expression and creativity. For science, the focus is on capturing the details. Anyone, regardless of their artistic ability, can learn to create field sketches. After Carolyn completed the studies and the survey, her prediction about drawing in science was supported. Based on the results, there is evidence that sketching is a worthwhile tool.

SUMMER 2003 GRADUATES:

Tyrone Fittje's Plan B project is titled “A Comprehensive Earth Science Field Trip to Alcova”. Tyrone wanted to design and implement a geology field trip that would be a culminating activity for several of the earth science units that he taught throughout the year.

Most students love to do field work. They crave the opportunity to go out in the field and actually take measurements and to see and apply real science to real situations. A field trip allows them to do something they don't get the opportunity to do much of during the year, and that is what Tyrone considers “real science”. Labs and activities are done in the classroom but it is exciting and stimulating when they are able to go out in the field and see the concepts and structures they have learned about in the classroom. A geology field trip is an excellent way to assess how well concepts that have been taught in the class can be translated and applied to real world geology situations and problems. The understanding of concepts cannot be accurately assessed unless a student can process the necessary knowledge and apply it to real world situations. The more a student understands the geologic concepts and processes, the better that student will be at applying it in the field.

Toni Neiman's Plan B project was titled “Project-Based Learning as Applied to Fourth Grade Wyoming State Science Standards with Accompanying Rubric”. The purpose of this investigation was to determine which 4 th grade level Wyoming State Science Content and Performance Standards could be addressed by a project-based assignment and to develop a rubric that measures 4 th grade student's competency on the identified standards.

Steps to developing a rubric evolved as an additional outcome to this paper. Rubric design needs to be creative, applicable, realistic, and tailored to the audience. Toni learned that creating a general rubric may not give desired results nor accurately measure student understanding, however, it is a tool that she seriously considers as a part of an effective assessment portfolio.

A project-based investigative assignment offers students an opportunity to show competency in inquiry and unifying concepts and processes; however, the rubric may not be specific enough to adequately define descriptors. The perfect assessment eludes Toni still. It is an evolving part of the body of evidence.

Karen Colling's Plan B project is titled “Is Time Spent in Science Education at the Elementary Level Affected by High-Stakes Testing in the Natrona County School District?”. The project's focus was to investigate if the increase in testing in literacy and math affected time spent in science at the elementary level. Karen surveyed all elementary teachers who have taught five years or more in the district, and asked them questions about time spent with each subject now compared to five years ago, if they felt they had adequate time to reach each standard in science, and what they need to be able to do so.

The results were very interesting. Teachers who responded spent more time in literacy and math now than five years ago, and less in science and social studies. Teachers also felt they need more time in the day for science and more time to plan. Few teachers mentioned they have adequate time and resources to meet science standards as thoroughly as they would like.

Wendy Smith, a science teacher at Powell High School, Mark Stansbury, a chemistry teacher at Laramie High School, and Teresa Stricklin, a mathematics teacher at Kelly Walsh High School have been named as the 2003 State Finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The PAEMST program recognizes teachers who exemplify excellence in classroom instruction and professional leadership in mathematics and science education. “These teachers are role models for other educators”, notes Rita Caldwell, National Science Foundation Director.

These three teachers will be considered for a Presidential Award, the nation's highest honor for mathematics and science teachers in grades K-12. In March of 2004, the National Science Foundation will name 108 teachers as Presidential Awardees, and the teachers who are selected will receive a $10,000 award, a Presidential citation, and a trip to Washington , DC for the Presidential Awards ceremony.

Casper College , Wold Physical Science Building
Friday and Saturday, January 9 th and 10 th , 2004

Come join your fellow K-16 mathematics and science educators at Casper College for two days of hands-on training in the use of technology in the classroom. Come see and learn new exciting ways to integrate and use technology in your classroom!

• Opportunity to participate in seven hands-on lessons and demonstrations each day!
• Network and share your best ideas with other K-16 instructors from around the state.
• Each high school educator who registers may bring up to 2 students in 10 th and 11 th grades for technology training and exposure to academic opportunities and competitions available to them.
• The return of “The World's Greatest Mathematical Magician”, Dr. Wonderful, Bill Futrell!
• Sessions about the new Standards, BOE and No Child Left Behind.
• Recognition of this year's Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
• One UW graduate credit has been applied for and registration forms will be available at the conference.
• Enjoy Susan Marie Frontczak's performance “Manya, a Living History of Marie Curie” Friday afternoon in the Krampert Theatre for all conference participants.
• Sessions by Anne Tweed, president-elect of the National Science Teachers Association.

Register online at: www.caspercollege.edu/events/mathscienceconf03.asp .

The registration fee includes two continental breakfasts and two lunches. Special room rates have been arranged with Parkway Plaza for the conference and good until January 6 th . Please reference the “WY Math and Science Conf”, confirmation #183389 when making reservations at 1-800-270-7829 or 307-235-1777, or check the website at http://www.parkwayplaza.net/ . Questions? Contact: Kendall Jacobs at kjacobs@caspercollege.edu , Sharla Dowding at sharla@trib.com , or Jan Dalgarno at dalgarno@caspercollege.edu.

The Kinder Morgan Foundation, together with the University of Wyoming Office of Academic Affairs, will sponsor the 16 th consecutive summer institute for Wyoming teachers of mathematics. The course will be Topics in Finite and Discrete Mathematics. Among the topics to be discussed are: recursion equations, the pigeonhole principle, graphs, trees, and cliques, directed graphs, sorting and searching, pricing via arbitrage, and communication and sociometric matrices. As usual, all topics will be made totally accessible to the participants. The participant benefits are: Two hours of graduate credit in mathematics,

Free tuition, Free books and supplies, Class reception and field trip.

The grant will allow for up to 30 participants. The class will be held: Monday, June 14— Friday, June 25, 2004 . 9:00-noon daily, Laramie Campus. For more information contact: Professor Terry L. Jenkins, 307-766-3353 or tjenkins@uwyo.edu

NASA in the Classroom: Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium wants to help you connect with NASA educational resources and programs. Please contact us with questions about these or other NASA resources.

btain NASA Curriculum Guides and Videos: The Wyoming Educator Resource Center (WYERC) has resources available to math, science and technology educators. Lesson plans, CD's, videos, activities and curriculum guides to name a few. NASA lesson plans and activities meet national standards and can help you achieve your benchmarks in the classroom while adding a fun and exciting twist to learning about math, science, and space. Copies of videos and compact discs can be obtained by Wyoming educators at no cost . For an index of NASA materials, see http://spacelink.nasa.gov/ . Most print materials can be downloaded from the web - contact the WYERC to obtain your copy of videos, CD, and poster materials. Bring a NASA Educator to your school: Also available to educators is the NASA Aerospace Education Specialist Program. Upon request, Wyoming's specialist, Tony Leavitt (see the article below introducing Tony), will visit your school at no cost to present teacher workshops, demonstration assemblies and classroom activities on NASA and space science topics. Please allow as much advance notice as possible to schedule a visit. Have your students experiment with NASA: For that eager math, science, or technology student in your classroom – introduce them to the NASA Student Involvement Program (NSIP). This is a national program of investigations and design challenges with various age-appropriate activities for students in grades 3-12. See the program website at http://www.nsip.net for more information about this year's challenges. Build a partnership with NASA : The NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program establishes a three-year partnership between NASA and a school team of teachers and administrators. Wyoming does not yet have an Explorer School . This would be an incredible opportunity for any Wyoming school to enhance their math and science programs.

While partnered with NASA, Explorer School teams will acquire and use new teaching resources and technology tools for grades 4 - 9 using NASA's unique content, experts and other resources. To kick off the project, the school team will attend a two-week workshop at a NASA Field Center during summer, 2004. Schools in the program are eligible to receive up to $17,500 (pending continued funding) over the three-year period to purchase technology tools that support science and mathematics instruction. Deadline is January 30, 2004 . The NASA Explorer School application can be completed on-line at http://explorerschools.nasa.gov/portal/site/nes/

Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium s upports strengthening the science and technology workforce in Wyoming ; emphasizes the participation of students in research; and promotes communication of the benefits of science and technology to the public. http://wyomingspacegrant.uwyo.edu . 307-766-2862.

Tony Leavitt is the NASA Aerospace Education Specialist for the states of Wyoming and Utah . He is responsible for conducting workshops for teachers and administrators in schools, colleges and universities as well as providing lecture demonstration programs for students. NASA offers numerous educational materials and programs to enhance K-12 math, science and technology curriculum.

Prior to joining the NASA Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP), Mr. Leavitt was a high school science teacher. He earned his BS in geology from the University of Massachusetts and his BS in education from the University of Maine .

Mr. Leavitt is a native of Turner, Maine . He and his family currently reside in northeastern Utah (when not on the road in your state). Contact him for more information about a teacher workshop/professional development and student program in your district.

E-mail: tleavitt@aesp.nasa.okstate.edu .

Wyoming Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is pleased to offer a 15-hour workshop for educators. Participants will learn interdisciplinary activities to teach about water and will develop a unit tied to the standards they need to meet in their classrooms. The activity guides have activities for all grade levels.

Project WET is a collection of innovative, integrated, hands-on activities for grades K-12. Topics covered include ground water, watersheds, water conservation, water history, water properties, water pollution and more. Dates: January 23 , 6:30pm-9:00pm , lodging provided; January 24 , 8:30am-5:00pm and 7:00pm-9:00pm , 3 meals and lodging provided; January 25 , 8:30am-12:30pm , breakfast and lunch provided

For further information (cost, food, lodging, possible graduate credit) contact Judy Herman at TSS: 307-733-4765 or jherman@tetonscience.org .