 |
 |
| Highlights |
| |
|
| Highlights |
|
INFORMATION
FOR '04
HOW TO APPLY HOW
TO SUBMIT A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
Information for principals 1. Prepare and submit a letter of recommendation. Application Procedures : Go directly to the current on-line application forms
|
Smithsonian
Institution
National Museum of Natural History Research
Experiences for Teachers 1 July 2004 - 7 August 2004 Updated:
1 April 2004
We have nominated 2 teachers to join the '04 session of the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Program. Funding for this program has not yet been secured, although a proposal will be submitted by mid-April, 2004. We hope to know sometime in May if our proposal was successful and funding available to support the participation of the 2 teachers nominated to join the RET Class of '04.
DATES
& REQUIREMENTS
DURATION: 5 weeks (plus registration day) DATES: 1 July 2004 - 7 August 2004 APPLICATION DEADLINE: 1 March 2004 POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Three. REQUIREMENTS:
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. HOW
TO APPLY
Please submit the following information to Mary Sangrey before Monday, 1 March 2004. We strongly recommend sending documents electronically through our web page.
You may also e-mail application documents to: sangrey.mary@nmnh.si.edu And, documents may be faxed to: 202-786-2563 WHAT
TO SUBMIT 1. Submit your Resume or CV that includes at least the following information:
2. Submit an Essay. Essays should be no more than two pages in length and should focus on how a research experience at the Smithsonian will benefit your teaching experience and enhance classroom learning for your students. In particular, please discuss how the particular research topic you selected will help you achieve these goals. You must address each of the following points. Please be specific. 1. Describe the demographics
of students in your classroom as well as those within your school. 3. Submit an Cover Letter.
4. Select a research topic from the listing provided. Each applicant to the RET program must identify the research topic they are most interested in pursuing. 5. Secure a letter of recommendation from your current principal endorsing your participation in this program. Letters of recommendation may be submitted through our on-line system. If using the on-line system, applicants must provide references their personal identification number so electronic forms can be linked.
Alternatively, recommendation letters from references may be e-mailed or faxed directly to Mary Sangrey and must be received by 1 March 2004.
RESEARCH
TOPICS
Select the one research topic you are most interested in pursuing as part of your summer at the Smithsonian.
The 1997 discovery of ancient artifacts in the ice patches of Thanklat Ddhal, Southern Yukon has sparked a variety of scientific interests. The presence of whole birds, feathers, and feather fletchings attached to the wooden weapon shafts recovered from these ice patches became apparent as soon as scientists began examining the materials recovered from these areas. Some of the artifacts have been radiocarbon dated to as much as 8300 years ago. Feather fragments and whole feathers from these study sites have been identified using museum specimens and microscopic analysis for many of the items. Some of the whole feathers exhibit regular notching along the shaft of the feather and is similar to a pattern observed in some early 1900 artifacts in the NMNH Anthropological collections. Because the ice patch items are much older than the specimens in the collection, a detailed study is needed to determine if the notching patterns in the ancient artifacts were manmade or caused by melting and thawing of the ice over thousands of years. This project will involve using the Scanning Electron Microscope to examine the notching effect in authentic museum specimens and compare the workmanship to the ancient feather artifacts recovered from the ice patches. The comparison of the cut feather edges under high powered magnification with a 3-D image should help us determine if the ancient artifacts were indeed worked by man.
This research project would involve a science teacher in the analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data recovered from human remains from several colonial period sites in Virginia and Maryland. The usefulness of isotopic analyses in studying diet has been well-documented (Vogel and van der Merwe 1977; van der Merwe and Vogel 1978; Ambrose and DeNiro 1986; Keegan 1989; Buikstra and Milner 1991; Tieszen et al. 1992). The method is based on differences in the isotopic signals of foods and the transmission of these differences to the tissues of the consumer (DeNiro and Epstein 1978, 1981). Dietary patterns are distinguishable by measuring these differences, with the values presented as ÿ13C (delta carbon) and ÿ15N (delta nitrogen) values in parts per mil. Previous research has shown a difference in the carbon isotope signatures of historic period Americans versus western Europeans, with the former having more positive values (Ubelaker and Owsley 2003). This difference has been traced to greater dependence on corn (maize) in the New World, versus cereal grains such as wheat, barley, and rye in Europe. The distinction between these plant groups is a biochemical difference in photosynthesis (i.e., C3 versus C4 photosynthesis pathways) which is transferred through the food chain, resulting in a bone isotope signal that characterizes the place of origin. Thus, with Historic populations, a more positive isotopic signature is more likely to indicate long-standing residence in the Americas. More negative values are characteristic of western European diets. This work is being conducted as part of a comprehensive temporal study of Colonial period European and African skeletal remains from Maryland and Virginia. Previously, we have analyzed Chesapeake samples provided by Historic St. Marys City, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, Colonial National Historical Park, the U.S. Army, Darnalls Chance, Flowerdew Hundred, and several others. Permission has been obtained to sample additional remains at the National Museum of Natural History. Samples from selected specimens will be sent to the Stable Isotope Laboratory of Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for processing and analysis. The teacher working on this project will: 1) Assist with the
selection and basic description of additional samples from the NMNH skeletal
collection. 3) Complete a directed statistical analysis of specific components of the data. 4) Summarize the findings.
The objective is obtain
background information on tobacco cultivation and its use, as reflected
in archaeologically recovered human skeletons dating to the Colonial period.
This information will assist with the development of a temporary exhibition
and is part of a larger study dealing with historical patterning in dental
pathology. Patterns of tobacco use, as defined by sex, age and ancestry,
will be examined, as will the impact of tobacco on oral health and dental
pathology in the Chesapeake region from the 17th through the 19th centuries.
Human skeletal remains from Virginia and Maryland are currently being analyzed as part of a comprehensive study of health and activity patterns during the 17th century. Skeletons from Jamestown Island, St. Marys City, and related settlements are being examined for evidence of pathology, including oral health. Dental observations include the occurrences of dental caries (tooth decay), abscesses, and antemortem tooth loss. Unusual wear patterns and dental staining are noted. Tobacco cultivation was a labor intensive process. Indications of heavy physical labor is also registered in the human skeleton. Specific types of tooth wear and dark enamel stains are occasionally observed and provide visible evidence of pipe smoking and tobacco use. One goal of this project is to determine whether these dental indicators reflect use differences among groups (e.g., by age, sex or race), along with the overall temporal trend toward greater personal use of tobacco. The teacher involved in this project will investigate the history of tobacco farming and pipe smoking in the Chesapeake. The goal is to increase understanding of the historical importance and reliance on tobacco in the American colonies; information that will be used to interpret dental observations derived from analyses of Colonial period skeletal remains. This project will involve extensive bibliographic research, compilation and analysis of previously collected dental pathology data, collection of dental data from 18th skeletal remains from Maryland and Virginia as a research assistant, statistical analysis of the data, and completion of a summary report. This project will require acquisition of detailed information on 1) the history of tobacco farming and personal use; 2) variations in pipe form and size, stem size and hardness, 3) sources of pipes in the colony (e.g., locally made versus commercially produced pipes; European, Colonial, African, and Native American made pipes); The aforementioned component of this investigation will involve compilation of library and archival information for use in interpreting dental evidence collected from human remains dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries. The teacher will assist with the collection of dental pathology data from specific historic period skeletal collections. Duties will include: 4) review of bioarchaeological site reports for mention of the presence of pipe wear facets; 5) assisting NMNH scientists in collecting dental pathology data from 18th century site collections; 6) tabularization and synthesis of data by, age, sex, race, and time period. 7) identifying historic artifacts implements that can be used in an exhibit to explain the history of tobacco (e.g., iron pipe tongs, tamper, strike-a-light, tobacco growing tool).
The objective
of the project is to establish baseline data on floras before and after
the end of the late Paleozoic glaciation, about 270 million years ago,
a time of transition from a cold to a warm Earth. The teacher will learn
basic fossil plant identification and use that knowledge to carry out
a quantitative analysis of single flora. Part of the study will include
learning or applying knowledge of digital photographic techniques, computer
data bases, and basic exploratory statistical methods. The project may
lead to a scientific publication.
I am the project director of the Kenai Fjords Oral History and Archaeology Project, an interdisciplinary program with a focus on reconstructing the human and environmental history of the Kenai Peninsula on the southern Alaska coast. This mountainous, heavily glaciated area is an ancestral homeland of the Alutiiq people. Historic and prehistoric Alutiiq village sites on the coast are being investigated through a combination of excavation, oral history, and indigenous knowledge of the environment (see http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/alaska_kenai.html). Animal and fish remains from archaeological sites are providing clues to environmental and climate change over the last 1000 years. Partners in the project include the Native villages of Nanwalek, Port Graham, and Seldovia, the National Park Service, the University of Alaska, and several local museums and tribal cultural centers. Indigenous Alutiiq participation in the project has included oral history documentation with elders and archaeological fieldwork with students and adults. We will be undertaking a third season of excavations in July/August 2004. The field team will include 2 – 5 undergraduate and graduate students in addition to Native residents. The teacher will participate in six weeks of archaeological fieldwork in a coastal wilderness setting in Kenai Fjords National Park. Depending on length of appointment, he/she may also be involved in advance preparation for the work and/or follow-up lab work and analysis. Field duties include supervised excavation, mapping, and recording of archaeological features. The intern will learn field equipment and techniques including surveying, mapping, and interpretation of archaeological stratigraphy. Informal learning opportunities include cultural interaction with Alaska Native participants and wilderness camping, travel and appreciation. Students are assigned a wide range of background reading and are expected to gain adequate knowledge about the cultural and environmental context to inform their work. Although not set up as a formal field school, most students in the past have arranged for academic credit through their universities on an individual study basis involving either special analytical projects (e.g. computer mapping) or a term paper addressing some aspect of the research methodology or results. It's desirable if teachers have taken introductory classes in archaeology and cultural anthropology and have previous experience in archaeological fieldwork and/or wilderness living. General background on the culture and archaeology of the area is in Looking Both Ways: Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People, edited by Aron Crowell, Amy Steffian, and Gordon Pullar, University of Alaska Press, 2001. Other advance readings and research papers will be assigned. Teachers are advised that the fieldwork requires considerable physical work in a remote setting; housing is in tents; there is a very strong emphasis on safety with excellent communications and logistical support but inherent risk factors including small boat travel; the camp is strictly drug/alcohol free; commitment is to the full six weeks of continuous fieldwork.
The handbook of North American Indians is a 20 volume encyclopedia summarizing knowledge about Indians north of Mesoamerica, including culture, languages, history, prehistory, and human biology. Those volumes in print are California (1978), Northeast (1978), Southwest: Pueblo (1979), Subarctic (1981), Southwest: Non-Pueblo (1983), Arctic (1984), Great Basin (1986), History of Indian-White Relations (1989), Northwest Coast (1990), Languages (1996), and Plateau (1998), Plains (2001). Research is currently underway for the Southeast volume and will be starting this summer on the Environment, Population and Origins volume. My interests are in visual anthropology, historical photography and North American Indians ethnology. My current projects include the publication of a book on Benedicte Wrensted (see web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/wrensted); completion of a web site on a project called: The Public Faces of Sarah Winnemucca; publication of work by Alice C. Fletcher titled Life Among the Indians: Camping with the Sioux and Omaha, 1881-1882. The Teacher will
conduct research on individual photographs selected for the Environment,
Origins and Populations volume including discovery of who, what, where
and when of the image. Each image is a mini research project. Bringing
the historical context back to images is challenging and exciting research.
Research products of the intern could include a paper on the methods
or procedures of illustrating an encyclopedia; finding aid or paper
on photographers/artists of Native American subjects; biographical paper
on unlimited number of Indian women or men or a catalog of repository
sources rich in visual resources on Indian subjects. A second possible topic includes archiving picture material used in the published volumes; content analysis of images for future volumes from photographs not selected for publication. This project would give the intern experience in the publishing field as well as the archival profession.
The teacher will
assist in identifying and describing larvae of coral-reef fishes from
the museum's research station at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, Central America.
Work will involve editing digital images of the larvae, describing morphology
and color patterns for scientific publication, taking microscopic counts
and measurements, and possibly participating in molecular analyses of
larval and adult tissue samples. This work is part of a broader study
of diversity of Atlantic and eastern Pacific shorefishes and the utility
of unique color patterns in larvae as a source of systematic/phylogenetic
information.
The Invertebrate Zoology Section of the Department of Zoology comprises 12 scientists and about 25 research assistants and collections managers. We study mostly marine animals, alive and dead, and much of our research involves our enormous reference collections which have been steadily growing sincd their inception 150 years ago. I am an "old hand" around Invert. Zoology, having been a scientist here since 1964. I have several research project going at the same time. I study the ecology and classification of echinoderms - sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sea stars and their relatives - mostly in the deep sea. Another research interest is reproductive biology and classification of sand dollars that live along the sandy Atlantic coasts of the USA. I am attempting to answer a controversial question: are there three species along the coast, or two, or just one? To try and find an answer to this question I am studying body shapes and sizes, reproduction, and DNA of these sand dollars, collected at many sites along the coast. In the course of this research I have encountered several amazing specimens of what appear to be hybrids between two very different genera of sand dollars. In our Florida marine laboratory I have been trying, with some success, to "make" hybrids by cross-breeding males and females of these two genera. The proposed project will be to study the hybrid specimens of sand dollars, along with the "parent" species on two different genera. The study will be conducted in my laboratory in the museum. It will involve analysis of the skeleton (the "shell") of the sand dollars, using the naked eye, low power stereo microscope, and digital photography, and also study of the tiny spines and other structures that adorn these animals when alive, using the Scanning Electron Microscope. The student will be a co-author in any publications that arise from this study. The student will learn a variety of laboratory and research techniques used in zoology and paleontology laboratories, as well as the operation of the Scanning Electron Microscope. (Incidentally, the atmosphere in my lab. is relaxed and informal - we enjoy what we're doing). A general knowledge of biology, and some coursework in biology would be useful. Some preliminary reading on the Phylum Echinodermata in general, and sea urchins in particular, would be useful. The research project will have a significant "learn as you go" component, and we will all learn together!
Scientists with Invertebrate Zoology conduct original research throughout the world on most major invertebrate animal groups, and are stewards for the 35 million invertebrate specimens that comprise the National Collection. The study of invertebrates offers the greatest challenge to our understanding of animal diversity because invertebrates comprise 30 of the 34 animal phyla; most animal taxa are invertebrates. More kinds of arthropods exist today than any other comparable group of animals. An important reason for their success is the marvelous variety of arthropod limbs. Although studies of arthropod development have been carried out for more than 300 years, a basic question about their limbs has gone unasked until recently: how are the limbs patterned during development? Over the last five years, analyses of crustacean arthropods by colleagues and me have begun to reveal some answers to that question: the protopod of a crustacean limb is patterned distally from a single point where the limb joins the body so that the youngest elements of the protopod are closest to the body; ramal patterning is more complex, both proximally and distally from a single location near what will be the terminal segment of the limb so that the youngest elements are closest to this patterning location. These results show why the traditional approach of comparing and contrasting adult limb morphology often is not adequate to understand the corresponding parts of different limbs among different crustaceans. Determining how the limbs of crustaceans are patterned during development provides better hypotheses of homology. This new information, in turn, has been applied to hypotheses about evolutionary relationships among different crustaceans. Finally, results of developmental research like this informs better taxonomic descriptions because limb morphology can be determined more precisely. Sea water directly above the deep ocean floor is an under sampled habitat. Analysis by colleagues and me from this habitat at two different localities in the Pacific Ocean have revealed an wonderful faunal diversity. Many of the copepods collected and sent to us were new to science. They are unlike copepods from other marine habitats, i.e. many characters of their morphology were new and derived so that new genera and a new family were established. Only one species was shared between the two localities, suggesting a degree of endemism unknown for other marine habitats. This research project involves a science teacher in the description of the development of a poorly-known group of copepod crustaceans. The work includes analysis of the morphology of both juvenile and sexually mature adults using a microscope equipped with differential interference contrast optics, as well as bright field optics, and a camera lucida. The teacher also will conduct a survey of the relevant scientific literature about this group of animals, and is expected to participate in preparation of a manuscript for publication on the subject of this research project. There are 52 nominal species of the poecilostome copepods belonging to the genus Pseudanthessius. All of the species are extant and marine, and usually are collected in close association with benthic invertebrates (Gotto 1993) with one exception of adult specimens collected from standing water and not physically associated with an invertebrate (Kim 2000). Little is known about the natural history of these copepods. There is one publication of developmental stages by Costanzo et al. (1996) which includes some rather striking morphology of the limbs, particularly the limb buds. A large number of specimens, including both juvenile and sexually mature copepodid of a species that appears to be new to science and to belong to the genus Pseudanthessius have been found in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. The specimens were collected with a plankton net and so were not closely associated with a host. A careful analysis of the morphology of each copepodid stage will be useful in establishing the status of these specimens. The end product of this project is a set of descriptions of the copepodids in order to verify the only published account of development of a species of Pseudanthessius and a determination of whether the species is new to science. SELECTION
PROCESS
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. |
NMNH
Home |
What's
New ? |
Calendar
of Events
| Information
Desk |
Search
Archeological Feather Study
using Scanning Electron Microscopy