Moonsnail Project: A Scientific Collaboration with Middle School Teachers and Students

Abstract

The Moonsnail Project engages middle school students in discovery and the process of science by making them collaborators with scientists in the investigation of a genuine scientific hypothesis. During summer 2001, teachers from 14 coastal schools around the U.S. (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida) learned about the ecology and paleoecology of marine ecosystems and how to involve students in the collection and analysis of data to document the spatial variation of moonsnail drilling predation. Thirteen of the fourteen participating teachers (93%) from the first workshop incorporated the Moonsnail Project into their curriculum and have actively pursued the collection of data for research. In essence, the students in this project are participating in a research collaboration with other participating schools and scientists, using their data to test existing hypotheses about naticid predation and hypotheses that they develop about marine ecology and paleoecology. Students share their data electronically and communicate with scientists and each other using the project web site. In addition, a scientific conference was held in summer 2002, at which students presented the results of their research and teachers shared their curriculum and experiences. This conference also provided a vehicle for assessment of student learning outcomes. It is clear from reports from teachers and students, as well as newpaper articles, that teachers and students are extremely motivated by participation in a real scientific investigation, and that this excitement has extended to parents and the entire community.