Teachers

• 1. Prepare and submit a letter of recommendation.

• List of Participants
• Schedule of Events
• Answers to your Questions

Research Experiences for Teachers
Application Procedures
2003

30 June 2003 - 1 August 2003

A total of 2 teachers are anticipated to participate in the '03 session of the Research Experiences for Teachers Program.

DURATION: 5 weeks

DATES: 30 June 2003 to 1 August 2003

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 1 May 2003

POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Two.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Applicants must be currently employed middle school or high school teachers returning next year to a classroom setting as a full-time teacher.
• Applicants selected to join the Smithsonian program must commit to participation in the full 5 week program.

AWARD PACKAGE: Although contingent upon securing funding to support the initiative, we anticipate providing teachers selected to participate in the program a stipend of $200 per day covering the 25 days of the session - totaling $5,000. In addition, teachers will have the opportunity to apply for up to $1,000 to support the purchase of items to bring their summer research experiences back to their classroom.

Please submit the following information to Mary Sangrey before Thursday, 1 May 2003. We strongly recommend sending documents electronically, specifically as an e-mail attachment.

E-mail application documents to: sangrey.mary@nmnh.si.edu

Documents may also be faxed to: 202-786-2563

1. Submit your Resume or CV that includes at least the following information:

• Your Full Name
• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number
• Current Mailing Address
• Telephone Number, daytime and evening if appropriate
• E-mail Address
• Employment History
• Education
• Extracurricular activities, honors, professional affiliations

Also,

• School where you are currently teaching, and if different, the school where you will be teaching next year.
• Name of the Principal at your current school and their telephone number.
• Identify the ONE research topic you are most interested in. Topics are posted at this web site. We anticipate a total of about 6-10 topics to select from.

2. Submit an Essay.

Essays should be no more than one page in length and should focus on how a research experience at the Smithsonian will benefit your teaching experience and enhance classroom learning. In particular, please address how the particular research topic you selected will help you achieve these goals.

3. Secure a letter of recommendation from your current principal endorsing your participation in this program.

Letters of recommendation should be e-mailed or faxed directly to Mary Sangrey and must be received by 26 March 2003.

E-mail recommendations to: sangrey.mary@nmnh.si.edu

Recommendations may also be faxed to: 202-786-2563

Select the one research topic you are most interested in pursuing as part of your summer at the Smithsonian.

PALEOBIOLOGY

Project Title: Reef Corals

Research Advisor: John Pandolfi
Phone: (202) 357-2406
E-mail: pandolfi.john@nmnh.si.edu

Research Paleobiologist, Curator of Fossil Corals. B.S. (1979) University of Notre Dame; M.S. (1982) University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ph.D. (1987) University of California, Davis. Research specialties: ecological dynamics, stability, and disturbance of Pleistocene and living coral reefs over broad spatial and temporal scales; the effects of local, regional, and global environmental change on coral reef species distribution patterns, Cenozoic and recent reef coral biogeography, evolution and extinction in reef coral species complexes. Science Unit: Department of Paleobiology.

Project Description: Ecology and biodiversity of the Montastraea “annularis” reef corals species complex. Montastraea "annularis" has long held the interest of coral reef ecologists because it is one of the most dominant corals of Caribbean reefs. The extensive variability in colony morphology (columns, massive heads, and sheets/plates) exhibited over a depth range from the intertidal to greater than 80 meters water depth was believed to be an adaptive response to differing light levels. More recently, a number of features were found to covary with the different types of colony morphologies, and have led recent investigators to conclude that modern Montastraea “annularis” sensu lato, long thought to represent one species, consists of a complex of at least 3 different species. Morphometric analyses of non-traditional skeletal characters including septal relief and corallite structure show that the species are morphologically distinct.

The purpose of the current research project is to assess the species boundaries and ecological distribution of each of the three purported species of the M. “annularis” species complex from Carrie Bow Caye, Belize. It was at this Smithsonian marine lab that the original Montastraea “annularis” species was first extensively studied. The distribution of these species was recorded for seventy 30 meter transects, ranging from 2 – 30 meters deep. In addition, 50 specimens were collected for morphological analysis.

A teacher assisting in this project would be involved in: 1) measuring nine morphological characteristics from the collected specimens (including growth rate, corallite fan width, colony curvature, etc.) to determine how skeletal morphology varies among growth forms (and species); and 2) summarizing the transect data in the form of tables and graphs with statistical analyses to quantify the ecological distribution of the three reef coral species. Full training in these techniques will be provided.

Application for the Classroom: One of the fundamental questions of science is “What is a species?” The definition of species is forever evolving, and species of all kinds of organisms are being reclassified and reevaluated as the scientific community expands its knowledge of the natural world. Understanding of the “species” concept is important for evaluation of ecosystem health and to understand the loss of biodiversity plaguing our world today. This project allows a teacher to not only experience morphological and ecological research first hand, but will give them further insight into the complex issue of species classification and how it relates to understanding of the importance of species loss and ecological conservation.

MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS

Project Title: Magnolia Genes

Research Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Zimmer
Phone: (301) 238-3444 x106
E-mail: zimmer@onyx.si.edu

Curator, Botany; Principal Investigator, Laboratory of Molecular Systematics. B.A. (1973) Cornell University; Ph.D. (1981) University of California at Berkeley. Research specialties: plant molecular genetics and evolution; plant molecular systematics; angiosperm origins. Science Unit: Department of Systematic Biology, Botany Section.

Research Team: Carrie McCracken and Lee Weigt

Project Description: The teacher will collect tissue from several species of Magnolia available locally, isolate DNA and amplify and sequence one or two chloroplast gene regions, which would complement published ribosomal gene results. After the sequences are obtained, the teacher will be provided training in aligning sequences with a freeware sequence alignment package and then use PAUP to analyze their own cp DNA data as well as a combined data set where we pull the published ribosomal gene sequences from Genbank.

Depending on the level of support at the teacher's home school and the teacher's interests, we can transfer just the data analysis capabilities to the classroom or we can implement a DNA isolation, possibly amplification module.

All of the computer analyses would be transferable to the
classroom easily

Research Advisor: Terry Erwin
Phone: 202-357-2209
E-mail: erwin.terry@nmnh.si.edu

Curator of Coleoptera. B.A. (1964), M.A. (1966) San Jose State College; Ph.D. (1969) University of Alberta. Research specialties: evolution, systematics, natural history, and zoogeography of world ground beetles (Carabidae); ecologic aspects of Neotropical forest canopy insects and their allies, conservation of tropical forests. Science Unit: Department of Systematic Biology, Entomology Section.

Research Team: Gary Hevel and Warren Steiner

Research Advisor: Martha Nizinski
Phone: 202-357-2550
E-mail: nizinski.martha@nmnh.si.edu

Smithsonian scientists interested in hosting a teacher will review the application documents from teachers who selected their project.

Although they are not obligated to do so, scientists have the option to request a telephone interview with finalist candidates or even request an on-site, in person interview before making their final selection.

Scientists will select the one teacher they are most interested in working with.