Transcript No Slide Title - Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8

The ATOMS Scholars Program
Conducted By:
Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8
•Created in 1987, the RSSE in Science and Mathematics enrolled 72
students from grades 2 through 6 at one host site.
•Renamed the ATOMS (Advanced Training for Outstanding
Mathematics & Science) Scholars Program in 1992, the program now
enrolled approximately 500 students from Bedford, Blair, Cambria,
and Somerset Counties at 6 host sites.
•This past summer the program offered 1,755 students from grades
2 through 8, the opportunity to attend one of the 12 host sites. Our
2013 alumni came from 90 public schools, 21 non-public schools,
as well as home-schooled children.
•In the summer of 2014, we anticipate accepting 1,635 students for
enrollment at the 12 host sites.
ATOMS Program Overview
• Application Process
Applications are available at your school
office or via our website at:
http://www.iu08.org/Page/118. Parts I & II of
the application should be completed by the
child & parent. If requesting financial aid,
make sure to include the requested information.
After completing the first two parts, the
application should be sent to the school . They
will complete Part III and mail or fax the
application to IU8. The deadline for submitting
an application is written on the bottom of the
form.
• Student Selection Process
Students are selected based on their Math & Science scores, their teacher
recommendation as well as the scoring results of the student paragraph and
extracurricular activities. Once all the applications have been received, the
number of available slots at each site is determined and students are invited to
fill those slots. All applicants will receive a letter regarding their status during
the month of April. Students with the highest total score per grade level are
accepted first and all other students are placed on an alternate list.
• Acceptance & Tuition Fees
Basic Program (30 Hours of Instruction)
No Scholarship - $120.00
($40 Acceptance Fee + $80.00 Tuition)
Half Scholarship - $80.00
($40 Acceptance Fee + $40.00 Tuition)
Full Scholarship - $40.00
($40 Acceptance Fee + $00.00 Tuition)
Mini Program (15 Hours of Instruction)
No Scholarship - $80.00
($30 Acceptance Fee + $50.00 Tuition)
Half Scholarship - $55.00
($30 Acceptance Fee + $25.00 Tuition)
Full Scholarship - $30.00
($30 Acceptance Fee + $00.00 Tuition)
• Site Selection Process
The ATOMS sites are determined by which district’s offer their school
as a host site, their location within the IU, what their facility has to offer ,
the possibility of major renovations occurring in the building, and their
proximity to other districts that are hosting programs. Many of the districts
take turns hosting the program on a rotating basis.
• Staff Selection
Instructors
Lab Assistants
All instructors in the ATOMS Scholars Program
are certified educators with experience teaching in
elementary, middle, high school or college. They
have been recommended by their peers and
supervisors for inclusion in the program. These
educators have been invited to teach because they
are unique persons who possess strong science
and mathematics knowledge and backgrounds.
They continually demonstrate their ability to
transfer a vision of science and mathematics
inquiry that motivates students to pursue science
and mathematics investigations.
The ATOMS Lab Assistants are college undergraduates who are
majoring in education, mathematics, science, or engineering. This experience
provides them with the opportunity to observe and learn from master teachers
as well as interact with gifted & talented students.
This mathematics class dealt with Geometry concepts and the work
of M.C. Escher’s Tessellations. The students created polyhedra’s
entitled: Rhombicosido Decahedron.
Students enrolled in this Creative Problem Solving Class worked
in cooperative groups to explore solutions to long-term and
spontaneous problems.
The Physical Science Challenge class involves the exploration of
Newton’s Law of Motion and Force. Students build spaghetti
towers, ping pong ball race tracks, and insulators for eggs.
In Biotechnology class the students studied DNA. They extracted
DNA from tissue samples, created DNA chambers, as well as,
utilizing electrophoresis chambers and DNA Spooling.
Students have the opportunity to purchase T-Shirts to
commemorate their participation in the ATOMS Scholars
Program. All staff members wear T-Shirts and badges for
identification and security purposes.
Students in the Microbial Studies class cultured bacteria,
prepared slides, and investigated how microbes help with food
production and gene probes.
In the math class, “How Much is a Million” the students explored
the concepts of unit conversions and exactly how much 1 million
really is. They “cloned” themselves and calculated how far one
million of their clones would extend.
Some of the concepts investigated by the “Ocean Discoveries”
class included: how the oceans were formed, why whales have
blubber, how submarines work, and the characteristics of
icebergs.
College undergraduates in the fields of education, science,
mathematics or engineering serve as lab assistants. They gain
knowledge concerning appropriate teaching practices and handson experience working with students.
An ATOMS Scholars Program
partial list of courses that have been
offered in the program.
•DNA, Dissection, & Disease
•Optical Illusions
•Roller Coaster Fun
•A Picture is Worth…
• Elementary Engineering
•Civil War Tech
Science Oriented Classes
offered by the ATOMS
Scholars Program
•Traits of a Scientist
•Wild Wacky Weather
•Math & Science Olympiad
•Astronomy
•Elementary Chemistry
•Hands- On Nature
•Explosions are Elementary
•Robotics
•Cooking Up Chemistry
•Nuclear Engineering
•Microbial Studies
•Physics Olympics
•The Art & Science of Plants
•CSI
Mathematics Courses offered by the
ATOMS Scholars Program
•Think Outside the Box
•Engineering of Building Bridges
•Probability, Odds, & Statistics
•Mind Benders & Brain Teasers
•The Quest for Data
•Going Around in Circles
•More Fun and Games
Questions?
E-mail Joan Conway at:
[email protected]
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