The BIOTECH Project, developed in January 1996, provides technical support for Arizona teachers to conduct molecular genetics (DNA science) experiments with their students. It consists of three components: professional development workshops for teachers, classroom visits for modeling hands-on biotechnology activities, and extensive materials support for teachers to carry out biotechnology experiments independently.
Marine Discovery is a public outreach program at the University of Arizona designed to teach elementary and middle school students in the Tucson area about the importance of our nearby oceans. Marine Discovery is offered through the Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Insect Discovery is a University of Arizona outreach program designed primarily for 2nd and 3rd graders, although other age groups are welcome to participate. We offer on-campus workshops that allow students to work with live and preserved insects. Students rotate through several stations, each aimed at teaching a biological concept such as diversity, adaptation, characteristics of organisms, and behavior. The stations incorporate material designed to meet state standards.
Tucson Water's Educational Outreach Program is aimed at promoting water conservation through a variety of interactive methods. The program offers classroom presentations, guided tours, and teacher training; all programs are free of charge.
· Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
Arizona Project WET (APW) offers teacher-tested, water-related curriculum at no cost to teachers via hands-on, motivating workshops. This curriculum is correlated to Arizona State Standards at all grade levels, K-12, and in all curricular areas including Science, Language Arts, Social Studies and Math. Teachers who have attended Arizona Project WET workshops share high praise for the workshops, curriculum, and valuable contribution that APW makes to Arizona's educational excellence.
· Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA)
SAHRA's mission is to identify critical stakeholder-relevant knowledge gaps and conduct basin-focused multidisciplinary research to fill them; and to convey what is known and what is being learned to improve water management and policy. SAHRA has created a number of programs and resources for K-12 students. These projects seek to help students gain a greater understanding of water resources in semi-arid regions. We also encourage students to become involved in scientific activity and pursue careers in hydrology-related fields.
The goal of Arizona Rivers is to facilitate collaborations between teachers/students and scientists/watershed managers to promote long-term research and monitoring of riparian environments in Arizona. Teachers and students have the opportunity to partner with volunteer river monitors and local watershed experts to collect water quality data, investigate riparian ecology and habitats, monitor stream restoration efforts, create student-based research projects, and develop local monitoring networks.
Launched in August 2007, the Phoenix Mars Mission is the first in NASA's Scout Program. Phoenix is designed to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic's ice-rich soil. The website features plenty of Mars-themed content and activities, as well as activities and materials to facilitate student understanding of fundamental concepts related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Biosphere 2 is a center for research, outreach, teaching and life-long learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe. It serves as an adaptive tool for Earth education and outreach and distills issues related to Earth systems planning and management for use by policymakers, students, and the public.