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VSVS Overview

VSVS Overview. Introduction. VSVS is a service organization composed of undergraduate, graduate, and medical students who are committed to bringing inquiry-based, hands-on science lessons to middle-school students. . Goals.

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VSVS Overview

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  1. VSVS Overview

  2. Introduction VSVS is a service organization composed of undergraduate, graduate, and medical students who are committed to bringing inquiry-based, hands-on science lessons to middle-school students.

  3. Goals • Provide Vanderbilt students with an opportunity to explain science to school children. • Help college students recognize their responsibilities for community service and the importance of volunteer service in schools. • Provide role models for school children. • Stimulate an interest in teaching as a profession.

  4. What Does VSVS Do? • Partners a team of 3-4 volunteers with a 5th - 8th grade classroom teacher in Metro Nashville schools. (teachers stay in the classroom) • Each team visits the same classroom 4 times per semester and teaches a different hands-on science lesson each visit. • Lessons are both enjoyable and informative. • Designed to fit the grade’s curriculum. • Are FUN and easy for the volunteers to teach. • Lesson materials are portable (fit into 1 box) and SAFE. • A manual with lesson plan is provided for every volunteer. • Over 100 kits/lessons available.

  5. Lessons change each semester All lessons are designed in accordance with the Science Curriculum Standards as set by the Tennessee Board of Education. For 5th grade they might include: • Cryogenics, Polymers, Properties of CO2, Iron in Cereal, pH, Conduction Convection and Radiation For 6th grade: • Chemical Energy Conversions, Gravitational Potential Energy, Electrical Conductivity, Electrical Circuits, Comets, Deep Ocean Currents For 7th grade: • Properties of Waves, Minerals, Igneous Rocks, Fossils, Diffusion, Blood Typing, UV Light, Sound For 8th grade or Physical Science: • Types of Chemical Reactions, Evidence of a Chemical Reaction, Electromagnetism, Acids and Bases, Rates of Chemical Reactions, Endothermic/Exothermic Reactions, Phase Changes in CO2, Light, Refraction, Sound and Resonance

  6. What else does VSVS do? • Provide volunteers and lessons for after-school science enrichment in science clubs. • Teach high school ELL students. • Teach 10-minute lessons to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital patients in their rooms, as well as in clinics and open-classroom sessions. • Teach 10-15 mini lessons at science “festivals”. (9/11 and MLK service days, VCH “We Care for Kids” day) • Judge science fair projects. • Partner with Adventure Science Center teaching VSVS lessons.

  7. TN-SCORE & VSVS • VSVS provides TN-SCORE with immediate access to outreach. • All Vanderbilt TN-SCORE graduate students are required to participate in VSVS. • TN-SCORE students have completed 114 classroom visits in 11 schools. • 2 IB World Schools, 3 magnet schools, 1 rural school, several with high diverse populations, 1 high population of ELL • First new kit “What is Nano?” was developed and delivered to students on June 4, 2012.

  8. TN-SCORE & VSVS • TN-SCORE students will be in Cheatham, Dickson and Sumner counties starting Fall 2012. • Pleasant View Elementary School (Cheatham County) • Dickson Middle School (Dickson County) • Station Camp High School (Sumner County) • TN-SCORE graduate students will be presenting VSVS via Skype. • Springfield Middle School (Robertson County) • New kits in nanoscience and energy are being developed and will be ready in Fall 2012.

  9. So, what else does VSVS do? • Work with Vanderbilt Aspirnaut program. (over 40 VSVS kits were shipped to schools Arkansas and Maine. 104 VSVS lessons were taught via SKYPE or Polycom) • Provide the Hank Ingram House lessons and kits for their new service initiative to Carter Lawrence Elementary school. • Work with the Vanderbilt Next Steps science classes. • Write letters of support for grant applications from research faculty. • Work with the Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth. • Several undergraduate students participated in VSVS to fulfill course requirements for Ethics 105. • Provide lessons and materials for other Vanderbilt student groups. (Alternative Spring Break teams, MANNA, Dance Marathon activities, VanderbuddiesPlayday, and Best Buddies) • Provide VSVS kits to teachers who do not have VSVS teams. • TN-SCORE graduate students fulfill service requirements through participation in VSVS.

  10. VSVS - from 1994 to today • VSVS was co-founded in 1994 by Dr. Melvin Joesten, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, and Michael Schooling, a medical student. • Since then, VSVS has reached over 71,000 children in 1,350 Metro Nashville school classrooms. • 2011-12 marks the 6th consecutive year VSVS had more than 600 volunteers. • Currently reaches about 3,600 children per semester. “Most notable” user: • Steve Spangler used our Magic Sand kit at a teacher workshop in Colorado.

  11. Faces of VSVS

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