The content area educators at each of the participating schools will select the specific research activities. Members of the University research consortium dedicated to participation in the project are described below. It is important to note that these participants do not represent a complete list of potential areas of focus; as the project evolves, connections with other researchers will be established based upon the curriculum needs of the participating classroom teachers.

Focus:
PRISM stands for "Partnership for Research in Stereo Modeling." It is an interdisciplinary laboratory serving research and graduate level teaching needs at ASU in the area of three-dimensional computer-aided design and rapid prototyping. PRISM provides an umbrella for research in three domains: Data acquisition (via 3D scanning, medical diagnostics, radar, etc.), visualization and modeling, and rapid prototyping. PRISM has been involved in the establishment of several K-12 oriented research activities that will be available for incorporation in the present project:

Live Microscope Data Delivery over the Internet:
This 3-year long project began during the summer of 1997. Funding comes from NSF as part of the INVSEE (Interactive Nano Visualization in Science and Engineering Education) project. Working with PRISM, the aim is to develop technology that brings live microscope data over the Internet while being scanned. This technology will enable community colleges and high schools around the state to conduct experiments remotely. If you're interested in seeing how live data works, contact Anshuman Razdan at razdan@asu.edu. For more information on the project and the entire INVSEE project, visit their web site at INVSEE.eas.asu.edu.

Students involved with this project will have the opportunity to operate state of the art scientific tools to create their own images. They will also learn to use computers to analyze, measure and manipulate these images. Working with a variety of Microscopes will expand the traditional view to demonstrate the relationship between the macroscopic, the microscopic and the atomic level. These instruments provide students with an unparalleled opportunity to interactively visualize and modify surfaces at resolutions down to the atomic scale. Additionally, this project provides a natural way to integrate science and mathematics using visualization tools in two ways; image processing is required for interpretation and analysis requires computers. The visual approach is especially powerful in overcoming linguistic barriers and accommodating various learning styles.

ACEPT
Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in Preparation of Teachers

Focus:
ACEPT initiatives are designed to establish collaborations among science, mathematics and education instructors to better prepare k-12 teachers in science and mathematics and to activate strategies to increase the recruitment and retention of those students traditionally underrepresented in the science and mathematics disciplines. K-12 applications of ACEPT include:

Patterns in Nature
Researchers:
Dr. James Mayer
Steve Beeson

Patterns in Nature is a multi-disciplinary course which involves faculty from different disciplines presenting science and mathematics modules in a hands-on, student-centered environment. The project-oriented laboratory science course provides background and hands-on experience to develop critical thinking and creative technical skills. The course is useful for pre-service and in-service teachers. Fundamental scientific concepts with applications to relevant, current technology are emphasized. This course integrates topics from astronomy, geology, engineering, the life sciences, mathematics, and physics. Extensive computer training is included with production of personalized computer-based units. Outcomes for the Patterns in Nature class include students' ability to

• Design alternative experiments that illustrate scientific concepts
• Report the results of their experiments clearly using appropriate language
• Use multimedia software to reproduce a report that includes text and images

Eruditio
The US West/NEA Teacher Training Network

Researchers:
Dr. Samuel A. DiGangi
Dr. Angel Jannasch

The Eruditio Project provides innovative and accessible programs and support services for educators throughout the State of Arizona, the project enables educators to go beyond "surfing the net" to be users and providers of educationally relevant information. The project also promotes the opportunity to create dynamic and lasting partnerships by establishing effective and sustainable networks of preservice and inservice teachers, students, administrators, professional educator organizations and universities in Arizona. During this two-year project, Arizona educators use Internet resources to build, contribute to, and maintain a close, effective electronic community. Four-hundred and thirty educators will receive the necessary networking tools (i.e., computer, modem, access to the internet), online support throughout the project, and in person and online training in the integration of technology and telecommunications into an educational curriculum. These educators in turn are required to train at least ten other teachers and/or administrators in their district on the use and application of the Internet as an instructional tool, bringing the number of Arizona educators directly touched by the project to over 4500. One educator from each partner school will have the opportunity to participate in the Eruditio project.

ASU Research Magazine

Chain Reaction magazine

Editor:
Conrad Storad

"Chain Reaction" magazine brings the explorations of Arizona State University researchers directly to the grasp of middle school students. In the tradition of "ASU Research Magazine," the new publication is FREE to Arizona educators for use in their classrooms. The magazine is written to show how scientists and scholars explore the world and create new knowledge. Written for middle school students, each article explains advanced research and defines basic ideas behind the work. With "Chain Reaction," students peer inside a wide variety of jobs and careers, finding math and science applied in the most unexpected places, all with direct and indirect links to real work taking place at ASU.

The publication will serve teachers as a valuable resource to spark classroom discussions. Eventually, an interactive site on the World Wide Web also will support the new print publication. The power of website links also will allow students to explore department pages and other Web resources available at ASU.

Central Arizona - Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Project

Funded in October 1997, by the National Science Foundation, the CAP LTER joins 19 other national sites charged with monitoring and assessing long-term ecological change. Phoenix and Baltimore are the first two urban sites in the LTER Network. Specifically, CAP LTER will focus on the effect of urban development on the ecosystem of the Sonoran Desert.

Mirroring the interdisciplinary focus that will take place within the ASU community, the CAP LTER will promote linkages with other 1,000 other researchers studying environmental issues in nearly 100 other major facilities. In addition to their focus of monitoring and interpreting the long-term impact of human settlement on the environment of the city and the surrounding areas, and enhancing the understanding of the ecology of cities, CAP LETR is also committed to developing programs which will engage students at all levels, especially K-12 students, in the enterprise of scientific discovery.

Strategic partnerships with over 20 community organizations, agencies, and municipalities will provide numerous opportunities for students to benefit from this exciting program.

Archeological Research Institute

Researchers:
Dr. Charles Redman, Director
Dr. Arleyn Simon, Curator
Dr. Peter McCartney, Information Manager
Dr. Michael Barton, Curator, Museum of Anthropology

Focus:
The Archaeological Research Institute was established in 1995 as a unit of Arizona State University to undertake the preservation of archaeological materials and related data, to pursue research activities associated with the archaeological record, and to conduct educational programs to disseminate knowledge of the past to Arizona's citizens.

A K-12 outreach program is currently under development by ARI staff. This program will be designed to inform the widest possible audience on the activities of the repository and at the same time convey information on archaeology and central Arizona prehistory that will enhance student interest and respect for cultural materials.

ASU Planetary Exploration Laboratory

Researcher:
Dr. Philip Christensen

Focus:
The facility was initially designed to support the operations of the Mars Observer Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES). In addition to their work with TES, the Planetary Exploration Laboratory also supports numerous activities in support of K-12 education.

Arizona Mars K-12 Education Program
Activities of the Arizona Mars K-12 Education Program include: student visits to the Mars Global Surveyor TES facility; biannual teacher workshops; workshops at national, regional, and state teacher conventions; visits to schools and community centers; annual teacher guides; Spanish language material; the quarterly newsletter, TES News; and a quarterly, age-appropriate, National Standards-based resource for K-8 children, Red Planet Connection. The program has been conducting outreach since 1992 and is the longest-established Mars K-12 education project.

Additional ASU Support Facilities:

The Goldwater Materials Science Laboratories (GMSL) Community Outreach Program is an active program directed at enhancing K-12 and community college science education and improving community interaction and awareness of GMSL programs. In particular, the GMSL is actively involved in industrial interactions, providing science demonstrations to K-12 students and classes (both on campus and at primary and secondary school locations), providing tours/open houses of the GMSL laboratories for K-12/community college students, industrial representatives and members of the valley community, and advancing K-12 science teacher education (e.g., by supporting the hands on science education course "Patterns in Nature").