Math and science partnership program in the Upper Cumberland districts of Tennessee

Abstract

The Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) program by the US Department of Education "is intended to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. Partnerships between high‐need school districts and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in institutions of higher education are at the core of these improvement efforts." This paper will present efforts in the Upper Cumberland districts of Tennessee to introduce engineering applications to Math and Science teachers in grades 8‐12. The science teachers recruited represented the disciplines of Chemistry, Physics, and Physical Science. The 3‐year program consisted of summer institutes, as well as bi‐monthly Saturday workshops. An overview of the program will be discussed. It will include background information about the Upper Cumberland region, Tennessee content standards related to acoustics, working with teachers, some of the hands‐on activities that were used during summer workshops, and the equipment that was provided to the teachers.