YOUR STUDENTS CAN
PUBLISH!
Research Abstracts: A Motivational Student Projects Program
Steven B. Oppenheimer, Ph.D.
It is well documented that hands-on research
experiences can excite students about discovery and
lead them to pursue careers in research science
(Beardsley, 1992; Oppenheimer, 1989; Oppenheimer,
1989a). Many of us have research components in our
science courses which sometimes lead to science fair
entries, although seldom by more than a few, highly
motivated students. Other students who may be involved in research for the first time, but who do not
pursue a science fair entry, receive little in the way of
outside recognition for their efforts. In fact the reward
for their hard work may be nothing more than self
satisfaction. However, recognition, especially for firsttime researchers, can play an important role in providing further motivation to pursue science careers.
We can provide such recognition through our well-designed Student Research Abstracts volumes.
The publication of abstracts is widely used in
professional scientific societies to recognize research
accomplishments. This author has been Program
Chairman of the American Society of Zoologists for
several years and has intimate familiarity with the use
of abstracts as a motivational tool at the level of national science organizations, as well as in the college
and pre-college classroom. This article describes how
you can provide such motivation for your students.
In those classes where all students do research
projects, they usually write a report and/or give oral
and poster presentations of their work. In our programs sponsored by NSF, Urban Community Service
program and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, student recognition is achieved by printing abstracts of
student research projects in Student Research Abstracts
volumes. A submission form (detailed elsewhere in
this article) provides instructions for the preparation of
high-quality abstracts. We have also included two examples of typical abstracts for your information and
interest. It can be seen that student research covers a
broad range of topics and grade levels.
When all abstracts are submitted, they are re10
CSTA JOURNAL • WINTER 1994
viewed for proper format and scientific method, then
published two per page with a table of contents including students names and an attractive cover. This volume serves as the linchpin for our student research
programs and is the centerpiece around which written
and oral presentations are based. We invite your students to submit abstracts to us for publication in these
volumes. Send them to:
Dr. Ste'{en B. Oppenheimer
Biology Department
Cal State Northridge
Northridge, CA 91330-8303.
A copy of the National Science Foundation
Research Abstracts Volume will be presented to each
student and teacher whose abstract appears in the
volume. In addition, the student will receive a certificate of recognition. There is no fee for participation
in this national abstracts program. Simply follow the
guidelines outlined elsewhere in this article and be include your mailing address to insure receipt of your
copies of the volume and the certificate. Note that
there is no deadline date. Abstracts received too late
for one volume will be included in the next volume. It
should be clear that such recognition is very motivating and will serve to encourage sttxients to continue
their studies in science and, perhaps, to choose a career in research science.
We have reproduced several examples of abstracts which have appeared in our books. Please note
that each one fits into the required rectangular space,
6-3/8 x 4-1/8 inches in size. You can see that a wide
variety of topics have been addressed and that not only
is it an honor to have one's abstract published, the
collection itself can provide motivation to others and
will give teachers dozens of ideas for research projects.
Research Projects for Large Classes
We have found that some types of research
projects using seeds of grasses, grains, radishes and
EFFECTS OF SUGARS ON SEA URCHIN FERTILIZATION.
J.B. Jones,
M.L. Smith and H.K. Brown (teacher). John Morrows High School,
6464 Davis Road, Torrance, CA 91256.
This study examined the question of possible sugar involvement in sperm-egg interaction in the sea urchin Lytechinus
pictus. Eggs and sperm were incubated with or without 0. 1M Dglucose, D-galactose or D-mannose for 10 minutes at 15 C in pH
8.0 artificial sea water and percent fertilization was recorded.
Each experiment was repeated 6 times.
D-galactose
reduced the fertilization rate to 51%±4%, while control values
were at 97%±3%.
D-mannose and D-glucose reduced the
fertilization rates to 82%!6% and 91%±2% respectively.
The
results suggest that D-galactose is the most likely of the 3
sugars tested to play a role in sperm-egg interaction in
Lytechinus pictus.
CAN WE ACCURATELY TEST TO SEE IF DOGS ARE COLORBLIND? R.
Khachatourian and F.C. Kearny (teacher). Saint Francis High
School, 200 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011.
The purpose of this study was to determine if dogs were
completely colorblind, as many people believe. Xerox copies of colored construction paper were made to determine
how colors would appear in black and white shadings of
gray. A dog was trained to continuously choose the one of
the distinctly different ones. Once the dog was trained,
jars were switched to see which one the dog would choose.
Jar positions were frequently switched to determine whether
the dog would identify the jar it was trained to choose.
The dog was able to distinguish between shades of brightness. He was consistently correct in choosing the correct
one. The dog was not able, however, to distinguish between
shades of black and white. Based on the results, I would
say that because of the absence of color detecting structures in the eye, dogs cannot see color.
The answer to my
title would be that the experiment I conducted did not accurately test to see if dogs were colorblind.
other fast growers, are excellent because the experimental materials are inexpensive, always available, and
never limiting. Experiments using sea urchin gametes,
previously described elsewhere (Oppenheimer, 1989;
Oppenheimer, 1989a) are exciting and can be accomplished in seconds and can, therefore, be repeated
CSTA JOURNAL • WINTER 1994
11
many times - a key to quality scientific research for large groups.
The accompanying chart illustrates how we use simple experimental
systems with whole classes and which
lead to group projects {and group abstracts and presentations. This model
led to numerous awards and honors
from organizations including the American Association for the Advancement
of Science and the National Science
Foundation, and to 123 student co-author citations in professional journals,
helping them gain admission to degree
programs at prestigious universities
throughout the country.
To receive a free copy of our
National Science Foundation sponsored Biology Research Projects
Handbook, which describes
step-by-step project methodologies (many written by
teachers in our NSF projects),
please write:
Dr. Oppenheimer,
Biology,
Cal State, Northridge,
Northridge, CA 91330-8303.
LOGISTICS OF RESEARCH PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION IN LARGE CLASSES
SELECTION OF LONG TERM EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEM:
SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE, RAPID RESULTS.
+
+
ALL STUDENTS READ SELECTED LITERATURE ON THE SYSTEM
INSTRUCTOR REVIEWS SYSTEM WITH CLASS.
CLASS RUNS THROUGH BASIC EXPERIMENTS USING SYSTEM.
HYPOTHESES DEVELOPED.
+
CLASS DIVIDED INTO COOPERATIVE RESEARCH GROUPS TO
TEST HYPOTHESES. EACH GROUP CARRIES OUT WELL
DEFINED PORTION OF LARGER PROJECT, REPEATING EACH
EXPERIMENT SEVERAL TIMES.
+
RESULTS POOLED, DISCUSSED, CONCLUSIONS REACHED
AND A MODEL IS DEVELOPED
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION RULES
1) Entire abstract must be typed beautifully, error free, in a rectangle 6-3/8
inches wide by 4-1/8 inches deep.
Messy abstracts, those with errors, or those not following proper format will be discarded and will not be
included in the National Science Foundation TPE
9153981 Student Research Abstracts Volume.
2) Leave about 1/8 inch margins next to all boundary
lines. Typing must not touch boundary lines.
3) Type the title of the abstract using all capital letters (as in the examples).
4) Type the names of student authors followed by
the name of the teacher followed by the word (teacher)
in parentheses (see examples).
5) Type the name and address of the school.
6) Single space all typing.
7) Place the entire abstract in one paragraph starting with a 3-space indentation.
8) Abstracts should generally begin with the purpose
of the study, followed by how it was done, the results,
and the conclusions.
12
CSTA JOURNAL • WINTER 1994
References
Beardsley, T. 1992. Teaching real science . Scjenttt;cArnert~ 267: 98-108, October, 1992,
Oppenheimer, S.B. 1989. Embryological research. ~
Science Teacher 56: 40-43.
Oppenheimer, S.B. 1989a. The sea urchin embryo: aremarkable classroom tool. The Amerjcan Biology Teacher
51: 354-357.
Steven Oppenheimer Is Director, Center for Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cal State, Northridge and Trustees OutstandIng Professor, CSU system. He Is Project Director of National
Science Foundation, Urban Community Service Program,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Eisenhower sponsored
toocher enhancement projects, as well as research programs
supported by the National Institute of Health, MARC and
MBRS, MAERC, NASA, the Joseph Drown Foundation and
Thomas Eckstrom Trust.