What's New?

About

Services

Educational
Materials

Upcoming
Events

Awards

Links

Membership

A Newsletter Exploring
Biomedical Research Issues For Middle & High School Educators
Special Issue 2000

page one

Our Mission
The Michigan Society for Medical Research (MISMR) is a statewide nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to promote understanding of biomedical research and testing that use animal models.

Established in 1981, MISMR is made up of the state’s leading research universities, teaching hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, voluntary health organizations, and hundreds of scientists, educators, and students who understand and support the importance of animal research and testing in advancing health care and treatment.

Thinking & Learning Characteristics of Young Students

Grades K-2
As thinkers…they learn through manipulating objects, believe what they see, can't trace steps back from a conclusion, see parts instead of the whole.
As learners…curious, eager to learn, energetic, loud, emotional, want to please adults, difÞculty controlling impulses and regulating behavior, seek attention, love praise, can sit still and listen 10­15 minutes.

Grades 3-5
As thinkers…understanding concepts, objects, and hierarchical systems; can combine, sort, multiply, substitute, and divide; beginning to generalize, formulate hypotheses, use problem-solving strategies; like to learn facts.
As learners…understand rules and can follow them, like group activities, social and eager to Þt in, consider fairness important, self motivated, perfectionists, avoid opposite sex, can sit still and listen 20­30 minutes.

Grades 6-8
As thinkers…can hypothesize, create propositions, and evaluate; can conceptualize in the abstract and understand probability; developing understanding of ethical principles.
As learners…emotional, eager to get moving, easily bored, challenge routine and authority, oriented towards small group activity, self-conscious, vulnerable ego, interest in the opposite sex, can handle 30­40 minute sessions.

Sharing Science with Children
Children and scientists have much in common — they both have a natural curiosity about the world and share an excitement for discovery and invention. Young inquisitive minds afford a wonderful opportunity for teaching science and preparing our youth to participate in an increasingly complex and competitive scientiÞc and technological world. To help educators meet this difÞcult challenge the Michigan Society for Medical Research (MISMR) has prepared this special edition of Biofocus with information and suggestions on how to make science in the classroom a success for both teachers and students.

Teaching Tips for the Classroom

Prepare your lesson based on children's needs and abilities. See Typical Science and Technology Topics on page 2.

Be prepared for possible negative reactions. Parents may have concerns about how issues such as evolution and reproduction are presented.

Look for additional resources. Local science centers, museums, libraries, colleagues, as well as professional scientists may be able to provide hands-on materials. Bring in attention grabbers if you can to arouse curiosity, excitement, and eagerness to know more.

Have students help setup and distribute materials. It will make them feel important and get them immediately involved.

Don't pass out handouts until it is time to use them. Students will easily be distracted by them while you are speaking.

Give speciÞc directions on how to handle specimens. This is especially important for live animals. Kids may also need some rules on sharing because sometimes they may disagree on who has been holding something the longest.

Model good safety practices. Kids learn by following role models.

Prearrange a signal for getting students attention. Clapping or þipping the lights can help retrieve the attention of students absorbed in an activity.

Prepare students for the unexpected. Some children may be easily frightened or disturbed by things such as loud noises, bright lights, strange odors, graphic pictures, etc. It may be wise to warn students before something unusual is about to happen.

Involve the students. Things that may be commonplace to you may be unknown, mysterious, and fascinating to kids. When possible let them handle models, equipment, tools, specimens, and animals. Have the students participate in simple experiments so they can learn the process skills of science — observing, identifying, classifying, and measuring.

Make science real. Show how science and technology play a major and positive role in their everyday lives, from the products they use, to sustaining the lives and health of their families and pets. Let them know that scientists are real people with careers that they may aspire to.

Stimulate thinking and ask questions. Questions that ask students to make predictions, give explanations, state opinions, or draw conclusions are especially valuable. Allow enough time for kids to think before giving their answers. Be sure to praise and encourage creative and deductive thinking.

Extend science beyond the classroom. Give assignments involving the local environment — collecting leaves or insects, how many different birds are there, measuring rainfall, etc.

Enjoy the students. Their enthusiasm and sense of wonder about the world is very infectious.

page one       page two

You may download a PDF format of the actual newsletter.