Incorporating Math And Design In High School Physics

reported progress for U.S. 8 th -graders in their math and science performance, the newest report (2003) from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2 showed that 15-year-old U.S. students rank near the bottom of industrialized countries in math skills. To promote inquiry-based learning of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills in K-12 education and cope with the rapid advancement in science and technology, the National Science Foundation has funded a number of research projects at dozens of universities nationwide. One of these projects is the Science and Technology Enhancement Program (STEP) currently being conducted at the University of Cincinnati. Graduate and undergraduate fellows of Project STEP are placed in different secondary schools to work with math and science teachers. The main responsibility of a fellow is to develop and implement hands-on activities that are creative, engineering-focused, and technology-driven. Activities are incorporated into lessons, demonstrations, laboratory exercises, and field experiences. By doing these activities, students will experience authentic scientific and engineering research and design practices that require higher-order thinking skills and problem-solving skills. This will enable students to develop a better understanding of science and engineering and hopefully foster a desire to advance their education in a related field.