Building Our Future - The University of Akron

STEM Opportunities
Front row, from left, Max Aifer (first place),
Grant Neil (second place); and Jared Mann (third
place). Back row, from left, Carin Helfer, AGPA
Science Education Outreach, and Katharine Owens,
associate director of operations.
Rubber Band Contest
for Young Inventors
Who knew that rubber bands could help you water your plants while
you’re on vacation or generate electricity? These are only two of the
innovative uses for rubber bands demonstrated at the first annual
Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors at UA.
The Akron Global Polymer Academy (AGPA) hosted the contest
with its partners, the Rubber Division of the American Chemical
Society and the National Museum of Education. To promote the
contest, AGPA teachers wrote science and social studies lessons for
middle school classes and released the academy’s first animated film,
“A Brief History of Rubber.”
Katharine Owens, professor (CIS), and AGPA’s associate director of
operations, proudly announced the names of three young inventors
– Max Aifer, Grant Neil and Jared Mann - who were honored for
their creations at an awards ceremony on Feb. 14, 2009.
AGPA, which already produces lesson plans, conducts campus tours
and delivers our summer institute, has launched other initiatives,
which include recognizing the Polymer Teacher of the Month and
providing information for conducting Polymer Family Nights.
In 2008, AGPA began partnerships with several organizations to
enhance teachers’ professional development. They are: Barberton
City Schools, Westlake City School District, COSMOS Center at
Bowling Green State University, the Science Education Outreach
Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, ASM International and
Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center.
For more information, visit www.agpa.uakron.edu
Making
Mathematics
Work
The Ohio Department of
Education has awarded Linda
Marie Saliga, associate
professor (theoretical and
applied mathematics), and
Lynne Pachnowski, professor
(CIS), a Mathematics Initiative
grant. Titled “Making
Mathematics Work,” the
$200,000 project provided a
fall 2008 workshop for 100
fourth through ninth grade
teachers that addressed the
underlying reasons why many
of the rules in mathematics
were developed. Saliga and
Pachnowski worked to increase
the conceptual understanding
and pedagogical content
knowledge of the teachers in the
project. During spring 2009, the
teachers developed,
taught and refined lessons that
implemented much of the new
knowledge they acquired.
“The project has engaged so
many middle level teachers in
the discussion of getting at the
root of so many math ‘rules’
that have been passed down
for years,” notes Pachnowski.
“If this project is successful,
more teachers will produce
students who are able to feel
that they understand ‘why’
they do what they do and who
will be able to create their
own procedures. Students and
their teachers should feel that
mathematical understanding is
not something for a select few,
but is something all students
can possess.”
The grant was obtained in
collaboration with the High
Schools That Work Northeast
Ohio districts.
Lynne Pachnowski
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