THE NATIONAL AEOLIAN DETRITUS PROJECT, A STUDENT-CONTROLLED, STANDARDS-BASED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Schools across the United States are adopting Standards-based philosophies and practices at a quickening pace. Two of the biggest challenges in this transition are the integration of concepts and the development of meaningful evaluation of student progress. The National Aeolian Detritus Project (NADP) is a collaboration among Jamestown School, the University of Rhode Island, Hampshire College, the Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium at Brown University and the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center. This Project provides students with an opportunity to integrate and enhance previous elements of instruction and allows them decision-making control over the direction of an extended research investigation. This project also provides opportunities for undergraduate community service development through university - local school collaboration and mentoring.

Students first collect particulate matter (PM) by deploying flat sheet collectors. Retained random PM (Aeolian Detritus) is removed from the collectors with repulpable tape and concentrated by vacuum filtration. PM is initially identified by simple light microscopy, solubility, density, and magnetic response. More advanced identification includes ICP and neutron activation. With assistance from collaborating universities, students craft research questions based on these initial samples and develop investigation designs. Sample research questions include: 1) Can insect infestations or possible defoliation events be predicted by identification of insect bodies, parts, and excrement? 2) What information can we collect about micrometeorites when typed, analyzed, and compared to NASA comet track data? 3) Can the distribution of flora be confirmed or modified based on pollen grain collection and mapping? 4) Can the distribution of mineral particulate matter be mapped by collection and comparison with wind patterns over known geologic features? Schools correlate collection data with National Weather Service wind records and submit their results to the NADP data center for posting as GIS data on the NADP website. In this way, co-operating collection sites may identify large-scale patterns.