progress, from construction through to the finish,

on Facebook or Twitter.

To find out more information about the upcoming

race, check for announcements on the official

site of the American Solar Challenge.

CeMaST Newsletter CeMaST Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2012

O n July 18th-19th, the American Solar

Challenge will return to Illinois State

University. The American Solar Challenge is a

competition to design, build, and drive solar-

powered cars in a cross-country race, covering a

1,200-1,500 mile course. The race is hosted by

the Innovators Educational Foundation, an organ-

ization devoted to educational opportunities

where students are challenged with “hands-on”

learning experiences in the areas of science,

engineering, and technology. The 2012 race will

run from Rochester, NY to St. Paul, MN with an

overnight stage stop here in Normal.

The American Solar Challenge came through

Illinois State for the first time in the summer of

2010. The 2010 race ran from Tulsa to Chicago,

with a final pit stop at Illinois State before the

finish in Naperville. The Normal Pit Stop was

sponsored by the Center for Mathematics,

Science, and Technology (CeMaST) at Illinois

State, along with the Town of Normal and the

Children’s Discovery Museum. This stage stop

included activities for the race teams, as well as

the public, as the cars arrived. The next

morning, the solar car teams were seen off by

those in attendance at the Sustainability Fair in

uptown Normal.

Last year’s Formula Sun Grand Prix was held at

the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The

Formula Sun Grand Prix is a track event that is

held on grand prix or road style closed courses,

testing the limits of solar cars in handling curves,

braking and acceleration.

Illinois State's Team Mercury is, quite literally,

counting down the seconds to the American Solar

Challenge. They compete annually in the race

with other teams from across the country, as well

as international teams. You can follow their

American Solar Challenge Returns to Illinois State

Upcoming Events:

February 28 — MIST Battery Recycle Drive

March 01 — Family Science Day Exhibitor

registration closes

April 14 — Expanding Your Horizons Conference

April 22 — Family Science Day

April 23 — Guest Speaker Benjamin Mee (author

of We Bought a Zoo)

More information, including details about registration, can be

found at our website:

CeMaST.IllinoisState.edu

Page 2

CEMAST NEWSLETTER

With the Center for Mathematics, Science, and

Technology (CeMaST) Teacher Innovation

Grant we purchased laboratory equipment for

Honors Physics, AP Chemistry, and AP Environ-

mental Science classes. We used the funds to

purchase Vernier Labquest equipment for the

classroom. The laboratory equipment engaged

students by providing hands-on science experi-

mentation in the classroom and in the field.

Our school requires three years of science (with

laboratory component) to graduate high school.

The students must take Biology, Chemistry, and

Physics. Those students interested in science

or majoring in a science or related field in

college will take additional science courses.

We wanted to increase the capabilities of our

classroom to engage the students with

technology in chemistry, physics, and environ-

mental science with hands-on activities. The

Labquest equipment allows rapid and versatile

data collection in various types of experiments.

The grant funds would allow us to purchase

more Vernier Labquest equipment for

laboratories and field experiences for the

students then we previously had. We have

found that hands-on activities help to engage

students in science and technology.

Field testing, such as water testing

experiments, also greatly interests the students.

If the testing is on samples that directly relate to

the students (i.e. school drinking water or a

stream that runs through campus), they are

even more engaged. We were able to analyze

the water for pollutants and data will be

collected in future classes. We were also able

to conduct soil studies. Soil studies also

incorporated data collection with the Vernier

laboratory equipment. The data will be

compared with a sister high school that is

approximately ten miles south of our school.

We will investigate trends in the data. We will

continue these studies to obtain long term data.

The data will also be shared with Illinois

Riverwatch, a collaborative river-monitoring

network of citizens, organizations, agencies,

private interests and governments working

together to ensure the health and beauty of

Illinois streams and watersheds. The Labquest

equipment is a very useful and intuitive

interface for science education. It helps

teachers bring STEM concepts to life through

hands-on learning with modules for educational

hardware. Vernier Labquest can be used as a

computer interface, a stand-alone device or in

the field. It has built-in graphing and analysis

software, a vivid color touch screen, and is

compatible with existing Vernier sensors.

Some of the most engaging labs we have

incorporated into the classroom are water

testing labs. Some of these labs include testing

different samples of drinking water. We can

test temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and

turbidity. We have also tested water in a

stream near our school in AP Environmental

Science. In the fall and spring semesters we

are able to test the water quality of the stream

multiple times and collect data versus time of

the year. We will collect data over multiple

years to monitor any changes in water quality.

We would like to thank The Center for

Mathematics, Science, and Technology

(CeMaST) at Illinois State University for funding

our grant proposal. We have increased our

ability to include engaging activities for our stu-

dents. We have been able to increase our use

of technology into our science classrooms.

Through the use of Vernier Labquests and the

Vernier probes, our students have become

more familiar with scientific instrumentation.

2011 Teacher Innovation Grant: Vernier Labquest

Probes for Science Laboratories and Field

Experience Activities by Dr. John Thurmond, Plainfield North High School

Page 3

FEBRUARY 2012

Ways to Get Involved

On Thursday February 9th, Governor Pat Quinn

joined business and education leaders to launch

the Illinois Pathways Initiative, an innovative

public-private partnership between Illinois’

public education institutions and the business

community to foster Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning. Funded

through the state’s secured Race to the Top

funds, Illinois Pathways will help prepare

students for college and careers in new and

growing fields. As part of Governor Quinn’s

agenda to reform and improve education in

Illinois, this initiative will provide for strong

collaboration in Illinois’ business and education

communities to prepare students for the jobs of

today and tomorrow. “We have a mission in

Illinois to ensure that at least 60 percent of adults

have either a college degree or a career

certificate by 2025,” Governor Quinn said.

“Through this initiative, our state agencies will

partner with the education community and our

business leaders to better support students and

prepare them to graduate and get a good job in

the 21st century economy.”

CeMaST, along with Research and Sponsored

Programs, has been closely following the

Illinois Pathways development. Illinois Pathways

is a STEM initiative that will help students pursue

their academic and career interests through

STEM Learning Exchanges. The Learning

Exchanges work to increase student enrollment

in STEM programs by forming public-private

Illinois Pathways Initiative

statewide networks in specific career areas.

Networks will include PreK-12 and higher

education institutions working together with

employers, industry associations, labor

organizations, and other education partners.

During his State of the State address last week,

Governor Quinn laid out a proposal to achieve

the goal of ensuring at least 60 percent of adults

in Illinois have a college degree, an associate’s

degree, or a career certificate by 2025. “Across

Illinois, we can find individual examples of

school-to-work success. We need to build a

statewide system of school-to-work success,”

said Lt. Governor Simon, the Governor's point

person on education reform. “STEM Learning

Exchanges can get us there by instilling a love of

science and technology in middle school and

keeping lessons relevant and connected to the

job market as students become working age.”

One way in which CeMaST has been involved

has been through the development of a

sophomore level high school course in Research

and Development. Dr. William Hunter and Dr.

Darci Harland have been meeting with others

state leaders to develop this course for

implementation over the next few years. They

will also be working with business and

professional organizations across the state to

identify ways in which ISU faculty and staff can

contribute to the Learning Exchanges.

Volunteer your time by participating in one of the following

programs or events:

Become a faculty mentor to LS-AMP students in

the STEM disciplines (cdplatt@ilstu.edu or 8-3714)

Get involved with the MIST student organization

Volunteer to help out at Family Science Day ,

High School Research Symposium, American

Solar Challenge Normal Pit Stop, or other events

Join us as an exhibitor for Family Science Day on Sunday,

April 22nd, 2012:

Follow the link below and register online to be

an exhibitor at the second annual Family Science

Day . Exhibitor registration will close on

March 1st .

http://www.familyscienceday.com

Contact Us: CeMaST@IllinoisState.edu

Center for Mathematics, Science, and

Technology

210 W. Mulberry St.

Campus Box 5960

Normal, IL 61790-5960

Phone: 309-438-3089

Fax: 309-438-3592

E-mail: cemast@ilstu.edu

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

For m ore new s a nd i n form at i on ,

V i s i t our w ebs i t e :

C eMa ST . I l l i no i s S t a t e . e du

Christa Platt is the new Coordinator of Targeted

Retention for University College. Her role is to

support the needs of Illinois State University’s

targeted student populations. Included in her

role is overseeing the Illinois Louis Stokes

Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-AMP)

program. This National Science Foundation

funded program exists to increase the number of

underrepresented graduates and under-

graduate students pursuing careers in the fields

of mathematics, science, engineering,

technology, and teacher education in these

fields. Currently, the program supports over 50

students through providing faculty mentors,

funding for conference attendance, and support-

ing student research opportunities. In addition,

the program’s graduate assistant, Katrina

Jackson, Educational Administration Foundations

graduate student, works closely with students in

the areas of tutoring, mentoring, and preparing

for internships and graduate school.

LS-AMP bi-weekly meetings, “Community of

Scholars,” are held on the second and fourth

Wednesday of every month from 5:00-6:00 in

Vrooman 107.

LS-AMP is actively seeking faculty mentors in the

STEM disciplines. If you are interested in serving

as a mentor, please contact Christa Platt at

cdplatt@ilstu.edu or 309.438.3714.

Christa Platt, Katrina Jackson, and ISU LSAMP students with Dr. Leroy

Jones II, Director of National Science Foundation Illinois LSAMP, at the

2012 Spring Symposium & Research Conference in STEM.

(Left to right: Christa Platt, Chidinma Umesegha, Olivia Onwodi, Dr. Leroy Jones II, Kyana Stewart, Katrina Jackson, and Gino Corrales-Delgado)