Abstract
An important long-term goal of science education reform is to involve more students in open-ended inquiry and authentic research. In making such “research partnerships” between scientists and students commonplace, it is critical to determine how to attract willing participation of a large number and variety of classrooms while achieving genuine scientific goals. Since early 2000, the Paleontological Research Institution and Cornell University have been administering a research partnership involving non-specialists in collecting and sorting fossils from sediments collected around recently excavated mastodon skeletons. This research partnership quickly drew a diversity of participants from across the country. Feedback on participation in this project has been extremely positive, and student discovery has yielded a large reference collection of small fossils that otherwise may not have been recovered. Based on feedback in surveys and letters, oral discussion, and other observations, we surmise that this project is popular because of the mystique of large vertebrates and because of the knowledge that this project is “authentic.” Ability for non-specialists to participate is enhanced because the activity is simple to undertake, requires little equipment, is intellectually straightforward, and is open-ended enough to readily adapt to other curricular goals.
Published Version
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