NANO2EARTH: INTRODUCING NANOTECHNOLOGY THROUGH INVESTIGATIONS OF GROUNDWATER POLLUTION, FOR SECONDARY BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEACHERS

A collaborative team of interdisciplinary scientists, researchers in science education, and experienced secondary science teachers has produced a secondary science curriculum focused on nanoscale research in geosciences. The materials were developed in three week-long and several additional one-day workshops that included laboratory sessions and discussions about nanoscale research, curriculum development models, and national/regional science education standards.

The Nano2Earth curriculum, which centers on the role of mineral-microbe interactions on water quality, is based on a 5-E (engage, explore, explain, extend, evaluate) curriculum model. Curriculum activities include 1) learning about the scale of “nano”, 2) observing iron reduction in nanoparticles in waters gathered from local creeks, ponds, or puddles, 3) exploring the nanoscale forces that control the transport of colloids and bacteria in porous media, 4) using computer simulations to learn about the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), an instrument used to measure forces between nanoscale particles, 5) building a model AFM from easily available lab supplies, and 6) interpreting actual AFM force curve data collected in our lab to explore real-world problems of bacterial transport and arsenic in drinking water. Activities are integrated within scenarios used to engage students with their personal experiences, real life, and the broader nanoscience field. The relation of science to society is approached through these scenarios and classroom discussions of ethical and social issues related to nanoscience.

Activities are currently being tested in secondary biology, chemistry, Earth/ environmental science, and physics classrooms. The curriculum will be distributed via our website (http://www.nanoed.vt.edu/) and through the production of high-quality teacher resources that include an information/ curriculum booklet and CD set.