A collection of news on issues related to education and youth from Issue 46 - September 2007 of the journal "The Institute Magazine"
The Americans are coming
About 40 students from the "Solomon Schechter" Jewish High School in New York State were recently hosted at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The students' visit is a product of the international teachers' seminar on behalf of the Schwartz family - a unique project aimed at the professional development of science teachers from Jewish schools in North America and the improvement of science teaching in these schools. The international seminar, which is an initiative of the Davidson Institute for Science Education, the educational arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, took place last summer, and was attended by teachers from this school and other Jewish schools in North America.
After a tour of the Science Garden and the Weizmann Estate, the students were given the opportunity to experience practical laboratory work, in several research laboratories of the Weizmann Institute, as part of the "Technological Scientific Investigation" program, directed by Dr. Zehava Sharatz and Miri Oren. The students, who had prepared for the visit in advance through theoretical study, were given the opportunity to conduct practical research in the field of optics, lasers and holograms, to learn about bone marrow transplant techniques, and about healing using solar energy, all under the close guidance of research students from the Feinberg School. "The experiments strengthened my appreciation of science. The opportunity to visit the institute and meet scientists helps to connect with science, and appreciate the importance of basic research", said the students. In addition to the students from the "Shechter" school, three other groups of students from abroad visited the institute this year, who were given a similar program and experience.
line
The two math Olympiads held by the Young Science Unit (YSU) of the Weizmann Institute of Science recently reached the finish line, at the prize distribution ceremony held at the institute. More than 17 middle school students from around the country participated in the Zota Olympics, which took place for the 400th year. The first place winners were Constantine Zabrani, a XNUMXth grade student from Haifa, Rom Dudkevich from Ramat Gan and Assaf Yifrah from Jerusalem, XNUMXth grade students, and Ohad Nir, a XNUMXth grade student from Be'er Sheva. In the Mathematics Olympiad named after Prof. Yosef Gillis, intended for high school students, the first place win was shared by Dan Carmon from the Comprehensive High School for Sciences in Lod, Oleg Milstein from Beersheba, and Asael Reiter from Shivati She'aliv.
Prof. Yosef Gillis was one of the founders of the Faculty of Mathematics at the Weizmann Institute, and the first dean of the Feinberg Seminary. Along with his research in applied mathematics, Prof. Gillis was active in the field of science education - he headed the science teaching department, held classes and lectures for teenagers and adults, published a newspaper in the field of popular mathematics, and also initiated and led the Mathematics Olympiad, which today bears his name.
History repeats itself
In which building at the Weizmann Institute is Slick from the "Hagana" period? How did Weizmann Institute scientists help the war effort during World War II? What is the connection between biotechnology and the Balfour Declaration? And - what is it like to be a research student at the Weizmann Institute? A new initiative by the staff of the Weizmann Institute of Science Visitor Center and the Parah program housed in the Davidson Institute for Science Education, brings together students from around the country with lesser-known sides of the Weizmann Institute of Science, during a tour with a historical emphasis around the campus, guided by students from the Feinberg School. The tour focuses on the important role played by the institute and its founder, Dr. Chaim Weizman, in shaping the history of the State of Israel. The student instructors present to the students the long way the Weizmann Institute has come, since the founding of the Ziv Institute, up to the latest research being done today. Equally important is the encounter between the current generation of students at the Weizmann Institute, and the future generation. Students interested in science and research are given the opportunity to hear from the students how they came to be research students at the Weizmann Institute, what is the nature of the studies and work at the institute, and what are the research areas, and they show a particularly great interest in student life on campus.
The tour program is still in the examination stages, and it has been held several times for middle school students participating in the Parah program. In view of the good responses they received, the visitors center staff hope to expand the activity, and offer it to additional target audiences as well.
Star Trek
The stars Mercury, Venus and Saturn were the stars of the evening in an astronomical observation that took place recently at the unit for young people in science (Zmd) as part of the "Astronomy for All" program. After a lecture by Dr. Daniel Lelouch, from the Department of Particle Physics, on the topic "The uniqueness of the inner planets", the participants could see these special planets with their own eyes, with the eye and through a telescope. Among other things, watch the rings of the planet Saturn and its moon, "Titan", which intrigues many researchers; In the planet Mercury (planet Hema) which is very close to the sun, which can only be noticed rarely; And in the planet Venus, whose proximity to the sun causes cyclical changes in its appearance - like the changes in the appearance of the moon. In addition, the participants watched a special guest appearance of a communications satellite: the particular angle of its antenna's inclination allows viewers on Earth to notice a short, strong and bright light flash of the sun's reflection coming from it.
Chemistry from the movies
What happens when you connect the world of chemistry to the world of cinema? You get an attractive competition for teenagers, creative and independent learning, a means of self-expression, and also new and original study aids. The "Chemistry from the Movies" competition is a new initiative of the National Center for Chemistry Teachers, and its scientific advisor, Prof. Avi Hofstein, head of the science teaching department at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The competition calls on high school students to use their imaginations, equip themselves with a camera and a cyclical system, and plan, shoot and edit a video - which is all about chemistry. The ten films submitted to the judging committee, which deal with chemistry in everyday life, experiments and chemical devices, will serve as unique learning aids, which will also encourage the students who watch them to create films themselves. The closing ceremony of the project took place recently in the XNUMXD room at the Weizmann Institute, with the participation of teachers, students and parents. A lecture by research student Aviv Paz, from Prof. Yoel Sussman's research group, showed the students that even "mature" scientists use films to answer scientific questions. The coordinating supervisor of the field of chemistry, Dr. Nitza Barnea, the director of the National Center for Chemistry Teachers, Dr. Rachel Mamlok-Naaman, and the organizers of the competition, Dr. Shelli Levana and Malka Yayon, congratulated the participants and the winners, and expressed hope that this is the beginning of a tradition May it continue and expand.
leadership
The annual closing ceremony of the KMP project - active science groups was recently held at the Davidson Institute. The program, under the management of Dr. Oved Kedem, recently won an award on behalf of the Society and Youth Administration in the Central District of the Ministry of Education.
The program is intended for disconnected youth and youth at risk. The boys and girls come to a weekly science activity at the Davidson Institute from Rehovot, Manes Ziona, Rishon Lezion, Marmala, Melod and Magdara. In KMP, boys and girls from different backgrounds, cultures and religions: new and old immigrants, Jews and Arabs, members of the Ethiopian community and immigrants from the United States. Through active and experiential learning of scientific principles from everyday life, the participants acquire knowledge and a better understanding about themselves and about the world, as well as increase their self-confidence, and experience success and achievement. The program offers a supportive and warm social framework that encourages cooperation and teamwork. At the end of each of the study subjects (science and music, toy science, light, color and photography, astronomy, and more) the participants create a summary project.
At the closing ceremony, KMP participants presented their projects to friends, family members, Davidson Institute faculty, and guests from the Ministry of Education and the local authorities partnering in the project. These creations included a toy car powered by a solar cell, an electric guitar, a homemade phonograph, a game of chance powered by a dark detector, and more. The Director of the Davidson Institute, Dr. Yehuda Ben-Hur, and the Director of the Society and Youth Administration in the Central District of the Ministry of Education, Rafi Dahan, awarded certificates to all participants in the program, as well as certificates of excellence in various fields, such as positive leadership, active participation and perseverance. "This is the first time I received a certificate in general, and a certificate of excellence in particular," said one of the participants in the program.
A meeting of cultures
Photo protection systems in the museum, determining the ripeness of fruits based on their color and a variety of solutions to problems related to car accidents - these are just some of the topics presented by XNUMXth grade students from Rehovot, Mivneh, Rishon Lezion and from Yam at the closing ceremony of the "Physics and Industry" project. which is shared by the Davidson Institute for Science Education, the Science Teaching Department, and the "Al-Op" company. During the program, which lasts about a year and a half, the students come up with an idea for a technological invention, and develop it until they get a working model - which is presented at the graduation ceremony. The head of the program, Prof. Batsheva Alon, Dr. Roni Moalem, Dr. Dorothy Langley, and representatives from the Ministry of Education and the electro-optical industry spoke about the program, and congratulated the participants. "We acquired practical knowledge," the students say, "and this is a good long-term investment - for those who wish to continue working in the field." For the students, who come from different backgrounds, for their teachers and for the industry and academic people who are partners in the program, this is a unique, fruitful and enriching meeting of cultures, which opens Ashnev students to the world of knowledge-rich industries in Israel, in which some of them will be partners in the not-too-distant future.
Physics with a smile
What happens when a person pulls a dog on a leash? Or when a fast train collides with a small stone? Why does a car skid on a wet road? The answers to these questions are contained in a new, entertaining and promising curriculum recently developed at the Weizmann Institute of Science, which may change the way many of us see and remember physics studies in high school. The program, "Physics with a Smile", developed by Dr. Roni Moalem and Prof. Bat-Sheva Alon, from the department of science teaching at the institute, "attacks" physics studies from an unconventional direction: an understanding of physical problems that arise from situations and events that students encounter in their daily lives - a day.
The starting point for the development of the program was a fact that is difficult to deal with: students shy away from physics studies, which require the use of complicated mathematical formulas. In fact, even the middle school science teachers lack the appropriate knowledge and tools to deal with the subject, and believe that physics is not relevant to their students. The result: the subject of physics attracts only a handful of talented and crazy students (and teachers). The new program makes physics friendlier and more accessible, and emphasizes the relevance and power of physics - because it is based on a qualitative understanding of familiar situations. Analyzing and identifying the factors involved in such situations, understanding the forces at work and using Newton's laws, allow students to build explanations and predict phenomena.
First attempts to implement the method in middle schools brought impressive results, both in the students' level of understanding, in their achievements, and in the image of the profession. Following the success, the team began training teachers to teach the program in schools. At this stage, the project received a shot of encouragement: the Ministry of Education decided to include qualitative understanding questions in physics in a national assessment test for middle school students (HaMitzav), and from that moment the method spread like wildfire in schools throughout the country. More than 1,000 teachers were exposed to the method, and taught it to more than 50,000 students. Prof. Alon: "Using the method, we were able to break through the fear barrier of the teachers, and make the students understand that this is a fascinating and relevant topic for everyday life. The students gain confidence in their ability to 'think physics', and the teachers get tools to work with interested and curious students."
"From me you will see and so you will do"
Middle school students from four religious schools, in Rishon Lezion, Ramla and Netanya, came this past school year for a tour of the Weizmann Institute of Science, as part of a program designed to change the perceptions and attitudes of young people of Ethiopian origin, through informal meetings with role models from the community. The Visitor Center at the Weizmann Institute of Science responded to the appeal of the "From Me" program, an initiative of the steering center for Ethiopian immigrants in the education system, and created a special program that emphasizes the ability to achieve achievements through strengthening self-image and taking personal responsibility. As part of the tour, the students met with Tiruorak Molt, a doctoral student in science teaching, who told the story of her immigration from Ethiopia and her integration into the Weizmann Institute of Science; And with the doctoral student Yaron Vajima from the Department of Immunology. During the tour of Beit Haim Weizman, the students were presented with another model for imitation and identification - in the form of the first president, who left his parents' home at a young age, faced language and livelihood difficulties, and achieved achievements thanks to his talent and perseverance. In addition, the tour included a visit to the visitor center, an observation of the field of mirrors, and an experiential tour of the science garden. The organizers of the program hope that the familiarity with the Weizmann Institute, as a leading institution in the field of science, will encourage the participants of the program to strive for a scientific career.
