Forging Forward
Full STEAM Ahead
This year CPA Upper School offered a Senior Research course, much
like a Capstone research project, to provide senior science students the
opportunity to enter into the world of rigorous, independent research.
The formation of the course was as much student-driven as it was
teacher-driven.
Katie Decker, Instructor of AP Chemistry and co-sponsor of the
Senior Research course, alongside Instructor of Biology Amber Romaine
both explained: “Ellie Boster came to us wanting to continue her study
of Chemistry, but we don’t offer any courses beyond AP Chemistry.
After attending a session on teacher-guided student research at the
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conference, we
knew this would be a perfect fit for Ellie.”
Decker and Romaine created guidelines to
give the course structure and direction. It is
only available to seniors who have completed
a minimum of one AP science course and are
interested in a science major in college. The course
is uniquely student-driven: students generate their
own topic, narrow their research question, and
develop testing procedures. The teachers serve as
guides and mentors, rather than instructors. This
type of independent work requires a tremendous
amount of focus and self-motivation.
For Betsey Ellis, who joined the course in June,
motivation was never a factor. “I love the hands-
on aspect of science experiments that you don’t
always get from lectures. I think I want to pursue
medicine as a career, and I will probably major in
biology or biochemistry, so my experiment with medicine and genetics
was a good way for me to combine those two things.”
Following early consultations with Decker, Ellis chose to study the
effects of overdosing on over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as
Benadryl, Tylenol, and Advil. She observed the effects of overdose on
the phenotypic expression of fruit flies in successive generations. That
is to say, she observed how the physical characteristics of fruit flies,
such as eye color, gender, and wing length changed as generation after
generation of flies was given an overdose of OTC medications.
Boster chose to research the chemistry of natural solvents. She
studied several essential oils with chemical structures similar to
acetone, the primary ingredient in nail polish remover. She distilled
these oils from plant matter and tested their solvent ability to remove
nail polish, with hopes of finding natural alternatives to the harsh
chemicals used in commercial nail polish removers.
After nine months of work, Ellis and Boster shared their work and
results at the first annual CPA Senior Scientific Research Symposium.
The expectation was that this presentation would be the culmination
and celebration of a successful first year of research. However, Decker
and Romaine suggested submitting their projects to the Tennessee
Junior Academy of Science (TJAS), an organization that hosts an annual
symposium of its own, inviting the brightest
research students in the state to present their
findings. Ellis’s abstract was chosen as one of 23
to present at the TJAS Symposium at Belmont
University before a panel of science professors from
MTSU and Vanderbilt University. In addition to the
honor of selection, Ellis’s work was chosen as the
winning presentation. She will represent Tennessee
at the 2018 Meeting of the American Junior
Academy of Science in Austin, Texas.
Head of School Nate Morrow, who was in
attendance at the TJAS Symposium, commented,
“I was struck by how articulate and professional
Betsey was in what could be a high pressure
situation. She made the complicated nature of
her work accessible to the entire audience, from
college professionals to observers like me with little to no experience
with the subject of her research.”
Boster and Ellis have created a path for others looking for similar
experiences to follow. Students Shaoey Chapman and Gwyneth Walker
are the next two to enroll in the Senior Research course.
“It is incredible to see this course being led by young women. I am a
huge advocate of getting girls in volved in STEAM, and I am so proud
that these four researchers are planning to pursue science majors and
STEAM professions,” said Decker.
“I love the hands-on
aspect of science
experiments that
you don’t always get
from lectures.”
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