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If you were standing outside the door of the Giovanni XXIII room of the Domus Mariae at the MAIS Conference in Rome, you would have heard a lot of ooohs, aaahs, and wows. That's because teachers were constructing and testing parachutes, building electrical circuits, making microscopic slides, simulating river pollution, inferring technological gadgets, investigating the sex lives of Roman sow bugs and pill bugs---and receiving related children's books, to keep. This was the two-day, November 6 and 7, Sci-Lit Links Pre-Conference primarily for MAIS teachers of grades 4, 5, and 6. Principals and a few teachers from other grade levels also attended. All were invited to link high-interest, hands-on science activities with children's literature, both classroom text series and tradebooks. And they got homework-all are expected to implement Sci-Lit Links in their own classrooms, share the model with their colleagues, and prepare two QuickPlans for the project web site, www.scilitlinks.org Some of the literature featured included Archibald Frisby, A River Ran Wild, Rolypolyology, the Complete book of Microscopes, Blood and Guts, Electro-wiz, Mistakes That Worked, Wartville Wizard, and the Lorax. In addition to the books participants received hand held microscopes, magnifying lenses, owl pellets, electrical circuit materials, plus piles of lesson plans and handouts. Techniques for linking science and children's literature were modeled and rationales for doing so were considered. Reactions? "Great workshop!" "Practical, useful ideas. I can use them!" " Interesting books!" " I loved the activities!" "Science and literature works!" "Let's do this again!" Twenty-one elementary teachers and principals participated in Sci-Lit Links. They represented 14 schools and 5 countries in the MAIS Region; Italy, Tunisia, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The instructors were Dr. Ken Mechling of School Science Services, Inc. of Clarion, PA and Amy Mechling of Immaculate Conception School, also in Clarion, PA. Schools represented and Teachers/Administrators included: Ambrit Rome - Ted Croft, Dennis Wetjen American Cooperative School of Tunis - Sandy Embrey American International School of Genoa - Julie Hoffman American Overseas School of Rome - Nancy Picirilli, Susan Prideuax, Jane Rumsby American School of Bilbao - Mary Dyer American School of Las Palmas - Sarah Zarzo American School of Madrid - Cristina Cambell, Julie Von Essen Carlucci American International School of Lisbon - Tina Centurino Casablanca American School - Pat Silkett George Washington Academy - Ed Velure International School of Trieste - Carla Beltramini, Shannon Plaskon Marymount International School - Sue Reid, Geraldine Tyrrell Rabat American School - Kerry Topel, Ken Fernandez American School of Barcelona - Michelle Godberson The Following Photographs are Scenes from the 2002 Sci-Lit Links Instructional Phase in Rome:
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The Domus Mariae in Rome, the site of the 2002 MAIS Conference and the MAIS 4-6 Sci-Lit Links Preconference.
While the Sci-Lit Links program focused on the aerodynamics of parachutes, the characteristics and behavior of Isopods, pollution, and many other activities and the books and literature related to them, a major segment was devoted to electricity. Shown here is a simple circuit constructed by a participant.
Instructor Ken Mechling demonstrates the construction of a series circuit and has participants infer its parts and operation.
Participant Dennis, an electricity whiz, demonstrates a parallel circuit.
