Supplemental Curriculum Materials & Other Resources
(State University of New York–Environmental Science and Forestry) Valuable materials free to educators
New educational units for middle and high school teachers and students. These standards-based supplemental curriculum materials are available free to educators. READ MORE and MORE
- An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Hudson River Watershed
- Willow Biomass Energy
- Environmental Analysis of Watersheds
- Onondaga Lake Educational Unit
- Sustainable Communities
- Native Plants
- A Research Guide for Students and Teachers
From the Research Guide for Students and Teachers:
As NSF GK12 Fellows, we have had the opportunity to work with many high school students conducting scientific research for the first time, and we realize that for many students this is a challenging experience. To help guide you through the process, we have written this research guide for you, the student, and for your teachers.
Through our work with high school students, we noticed that many students have misperceptions about how and why we do science. So why should you do research? The process of conducting research is the foundation of science and it provides the evidence that is needed to formulate and support the answers to many vital questions. By carrying out your own research you will develop the analytical skills that are helpful for interpreting the results from other studies that you may see in books, presentations, movies, etc.
This document is a step-by-step guide for someone who is conducting research for the first time. We will show you how to get started with your project by providing an overview of the research process, presenting different types of research, and sharing previous student projects. We will then show you how to determine what type of data you will need and how to collect and analyze the data. Finally, we will guide you through the process of presenting your research in a scientific journal-style paper and a conference-style oral presentation. You will be expected to complete milestones throughout your research process to assist you in staying on task, such as developing a research question, a hypothesis, a proposal, and an outline for your final paper,. It is our goal in writing this research guide to provide you with the tools that you will need for each step in the research process.
The process of research that you will learn by following this guide is not limited to the context of “science”. You can apply this process when trying to answer questions in any discipline. The skills that you will accumulate as you develop and carry out your own research project can be used in your future studies and professional life. Our goal is for you to acquire useful, transferable skills such as critical thinking, data collection and analysis, technical writing, and oral communication. Additionally, we want you to be scientifically literate citizens, so that you can understand and critique scientific issues that you will encounter in the media, in policy, and in your future education and work.
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