September	Assignment 1 (2 parts): Question - Given the same set of adequate moisture conditions over a 20 day period, will a plant grow taller in the presence of high intensity light or low intensity light? (10 pts) Part 1: Before investigating the not-so-obvious answer, write a couple paragraphs on what your current thinking is to answer this question, and be scientifically specific (but not necessarily scientifically accurate) , describing what happens at the cellular level for seed germination, emergence and growth of plant above soil line, root production, and consequent flower/seed production. Part 2: Write a 1-2 page paper that provides the following: Highlights of what you learned about experimental design; questions you might have; and ideas for how to design an experiment with HSTA students and/or your classroom students to answer the question above. Make specific recommendations for how you could utilize the "4 question strategy" (pg. 28, Red Book) to introduce this question to students --to make them curious and motivated to find an answer. Assignment 2: Reflections on Fall Workshop (10 pts) Write a two page paper that provides your reflections on the HSTA Fall Workshop. Include what you liked about the workshop as well as your ideas for how to improve the workshop. Additionally, mention ideas you garnered at the Fall workshop that will help you work with your students to enhance their project development.
October	Assignment 3: Lesson Plan I (15 pts) Introduce the question above to your HSTA students and facilitate students designing a plant activity using Wisconsin Fast Plants, which attempts to answer the question above. Develop a 2-3 page lesson plan on the plant experimental design activity that utilizes in some way the content of the Wisconsin Fast Plants Text and material from texts/web pages on Experimental Design and Inquiry. Your lesson plan should include: Objectives (especially experimental design skills to be enriched), Materials needed, and Procedures for carrying out the activity. Make your description sufficiently complete so other teachers could "run with it." Assignment 4: Reflections on Inquiry websites and article (10 pts) Based on investigating the inquiry web pages (found on Syllabus web page)and reading the van Zee article, write a 2 page paper that provides the following: Highlights of what you learned; ideas for what you might use (and how) with HSTA students and/or in your regular school classroom. In your paper, include your perspectives on the ideas and content. (10 pts) Assignment 5: Web CT discussion board. Early October date will be announced. (5 pts) Discussion on-line about Fall Workshop, introducing activities with your HSTA students to excite them, and how you might introduce experimental design. Assignment 6: Web CT discussion board. Early October date will be announced. (10 pts) Discussion on-line about inquiry teaching, van Zee article on Inquiry, and introducing your experimental design activity with HSTA students.
November	Assignment 7: Reflection on Plant Experimental Design activity (10 pts) Complete a 1-2 page reflection on your plant experimental design activity, providing any results, tables/graphs, and conclusions. Refer back to specific pages in the "Red Book" on experimental procedures, constructing tables/graphs, and analyzing experimental data. Also include content from the Wisconsin Fast Plants manual and web sites on plant science, strengths/limitations, and ideas for improvements. Assignment 8: Web CT disucssions. Date to be announced (10 pts) Discussion on-line about sharing outcomes of plant experimental design activity and future project ideas.
December	NOTE ABOUT ALL ASSIGNMENTS FOR DECEMBER: The assignments for this time period must be received by the instructor no later than December 15. Assignment 9: Lesson Plan II (instructor must receive no later than December 15) (15 pts) Develop a 2 page lesson plan that will utilize the Wisconsin Fast Plants Hormone Kit for an experimental design activity. Please be specific as to your hypothesis and how it will be answered. Your lesson plan should include: Objectives (especially experimental design skills to be enriched), Materials needed, and Procedures for carrying out the activity (including sample statistics to be calculated). Make your description sufficiently complete so another teachers could "run with it." Plan to begin the experiment after the Holidays. (15 pts) Assignment 10: Summary of HSTA club Meetings (10 pts) Write a one to two page summary of your HSTA club meetings for the semester. Therein, include (a) summary of activities completed during the meetings (b) reflections on the brainstorming activity with students on plant hormones; reflections on their project ideas and experimental designs; strengths and ways to improve upon any limitations you encountered.