ARISE Program Details
Project ARISE: Advancing Rhode Island Science Education
Summer workshop
Applicants selected to participate in Project ARISE will attend a 2-week workshop where they will receive instruction in inquiry-based approaches to teaching. The program will use cutting-edge content from the fields of molecular biology, bioinformatics, neuroscience and physiology as tools to teach inquiry-based learning as a method of high school biology instruction. Planned curriculum includes the following exercises:
• Taste receptor polymorphism
• Detecting genetically modified foods using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
• DNA analysis to study human ancestry and evolution
• Oxygen and carbon dioxide sensing to assess cellular respiration
• Measuring EKGs, EEGs and nerve cell activity with recording equipment
Mobile laboratories
During the academic years following their training, teachers will have access to mobile lab equipment and supplies, as well as to trained science consultants. Mobile labs will include all equipment and reagents needed to complete laboratory exercises first introduced during summer workshops. Students and teachers will also have the opportunity to propose independent research projects for which they may request additional supplies.
Academic year meetings
During the academic year, Project ARISE participants will meet once every two months to reflect upon and evaluate their specific experience of introducing new curriculum and lab exercises into their classroom. These sessions will also provide an opportunity for teachers to share developed teaching materials.
Nature of Discovery Symposium
Each spring, Project ARISE teachers and their students will be invited to Brown University for the Nature of Discovery Symposium. Students will be given the opportunity to present results from both classroom laboratory exercises and independent research performed using mobile lab equipment. The symposium will also include seminars from Brown faculty and postdoctoral fellows.
Typical Day
The summer workshop will be in session Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with an hour break for lunch. The workshop will be comprised of a mix of lecture, seminar and hands-on laboratory activities.