AUSTIN, Texas — Focusing on their personal DNA and genealogies, middle school students appear to have learned as much as their peers who used case studies, according to a Penn State researcher.
"We noticed that both groups got the content, but once all was said and done, the case study group would have preferred to do the work on themselves," said Elizabeth Wright, postdoctoral scholar working with Nina Jablonski, Evan Pugh Professor of Anthropology, Penn State.
During the two-week camp held at Penn State, the University of South Carolina and the American Museum of Natural History, middle school scientists tried to answer the question "Who am I?" The camp included instruction and investigation in the topics of personal DNA family genealogy, anthropology, health and evolution. Wright, a former middle school science teacher with seven years of classroom experience, who worked with high school students for her doctorate in curriculum and instruction in science education at the University of Washington, designed the curriculum for the camp.
She presented preliminary findings of research done to find out the efficacy of the curriculum with respect to student learning and interest today (Feb 17) at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Austin, Texas.
Three sets of campers focused on their personal family histories and DNA while another group used case study data. A fifth group was the basis of an online video series "Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings" produced by WPSU and also available on the PBS "Finding Your Roots" classroom page.
"The initial data support our hypothesis that middle school students prefer learning about themselves," said Wright. "While learning gains were the same between the personal and case study camps, as soon as the case study campers had the opportunity to do personalized research, most campers took it."
"We already see that they are taking what they are learning and taking it back to schools," said Wright. "One camper who never spoke up in science class before the summer camp wasn't happy with the science electives being offered in her school, so she proposed a one-on-one independent study course and got it done. Another young woman took our curriculum, modified it to meet the needs of elementary students, and led a three-day camp in Atlanta this summer."