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Science Research
INTRODUCUTORY REMARKS ABOUT SCIENCE RESEARCH PDF Print E-mail

The Science Research Course at John Adams High School began in 1974 following repeated requests from many students over the years for an additional year of investigative science.  The course was designed to permit students to become familiar with reading research journals, with writing research proposals and with performing investigations.  The course was not designed to give advanced placement credit in college science, although, many of these students have received advanced placement credit at different universities and many have been able to begin investigations on the undergraduate level following their work at John Adams.

Locally the class members have received much publicity due the sophisticated nature of their work.  Their research proposals have been funded by repeated grants from the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, Dow Chemical Company, Indiana Academy of Science and American Association for the Advancement of Science.  Further, thousands of dollars worth of scholarships, trips and rewards have been presented to many of these students for their work.  More than 700 of these students are now practicing scientists, performing research as a career.

Over the past several years many request have come to the science department to provide an outline of the course for use in others schools. Although these letters have been handled individually, an inordinate amount of time has been involved with the replies and the responses have not always been identical or complete in scope.

A booklet has been complied in an attempt to answer many of the routine questions about the introductory portion of the course.  The pre-investigative period is the most important part of the course.  Unless the student has a good understanding of the basic theory underlying his proposed investigation, he will be doing nothing except “adding solutions together or testing organisms and observing the results”.  All the while wondering why that occurred!

The course is offered as a science elective to students who have completed two years of biology and chemistry maintaining an A or a B average in both of these courses.  Further, for seniors, the research class cannot be taken in lieu of physics or chemistry, but can be taken concurrently with both or either of these courses.  In addition, the first and second year biology and chemistry teachers concur about those students who elect the research course.  Not all students who perform well in a structured class setting do well in this course when given the necessary freedom to perform independent research work.

       The curriculum guide contains a schedule for the first nine weeks of work, laboratory plans for the introductory period and the library research proposal form.  Additional information about the course can be secured from WWW.sbcsc.k12.in.us/adams/default1.html     

                                                                              

Nevin E. Longenecker

John Adams High School

September 2008

 
 
Science Grant Recipients for 2007-2008 PDF Print E-mail

Optimizing the Oxidation of NADH in Enzymatic Fuel Cells with Redox Dyes as Secondary and Tertiary Mediators

Junior-Adam Kern

 
Techniques to Ameliorate Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Other Impediments to Commercial Production of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Senior-Joseph O’Rourke

 
Investigations Using Fuel Cells with Modified Electrodes and Chitin to Produce Energy From Lake Sediment

Senior-Michael Tomchaney.

 

Nanostructure Architectures for Photoelectrochemical Cells

Junior-Thomas Hauch

 

Optimizing Factors for Hydrogen Evolution in a Bioreactor Containing Vanadium-Nitrogenase Anabaena Variabils ATCC 29413

Junior-Nicholas Murray Vachon

 

Aiding and Enhancing Preexisting Microbes in Bioremediation Focusing upon the Degradation of Xylenes Ex Situ Within a Salt Water Environment 

Junior-Joshua Courtney

 
 
Partial List of Awards Presented to Students In JAHS Science Research, 1980-May 2008 PDF Print E-mail

1.      Research Grants Totaling > $65,000

      40  American Lung Association

      37  American Heart Association

      45  Indiana Academy of Science

      45  American Assoc. for the Adv. of Science

       1   Dow Chemical Company

       1   Indiana University Biology Dept.

2.      All Expense Paid Student Trips > $100,000

     102   Indiana Science Talent Search IU Med. Center

     40   American Lung Assoc. Convention

      6    NASA Space Shuttle Program

     19   American Heart Assoc. Convention

     38   International Engineering Fair

      2    Hawaii Naval Research Labs

      2    CA Navy Research Labs

3.      Additional Awards and Recognition

     102   Finalist in Indiana Science Talent Search

      8    Finalist in Westinghouse Science Talent

      3   Semi-Finalist in Siemens Science Talent

      7   Presenters Am. Assoc. for the Adv. of Science

      7   Students have had science journal articles published

     15   Students selected to Three Rivers Science Symposia    

     10   Top research student in Indiana--IU Med Center

            1985,1988,1989,1990,1995,1999,2001,2002,2003,

                           2004,2005,2006,2008

4.   Monetary Awards International Engineering Fair

     25   Students in top 4 places $30,000 

5.   College Scholarships Offered => $800,000

6.   Total Monetary Value of Awards => $1,200,000

 
 
Indiana Science Talent Search Finalists 2007-2008 PDF Print E-mail

Construction of a Prototype Enzymatic Fuel Cell for Purpose of Oxidizing and Generating Power from Wastewater

Adam Kern

 

 

Developing Novel Methanol Crossover Management Techniques to Increase the Performance of the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Joseph O’Rourke

 

 
Ecotoxicological  Effect of Ionic on Aquatic Life

Neeta Kamat

 

Investigations Using in Situ and in Vitro Fuel Cells with Modified Electrodes to Produce Energy from Simulated Wastewater

Michael Tomchaney

 

A Comparative Study of the Possible Role of Ingestion of Supplemental Antioxidants on the Physiological and Behavioral Processes on Laboratory Mice

Stephen Hsieh
 
Essential Learnings for the Science Research Course PDF Print E-mail

          Science Investigations 1 and 2 are designed for the interested and talented science student who wishes to perform science research.  Class prerequisites are A and B average grades in all science and math classes taken before electing the research course.  It is recommended that the student complete first year biology and first year chemistry before electing this course.

          The following Essential Learnings for the course are reinforced with appropriate textbook readings, class lectures, lab investigations and Internet searches.  Students are introduced to:

 

1.                 Science as a process as well as reviewing science as a body of knowledge.

2.                 Different divisions of physical, biological and behavioral science as      areas of research.

3.                 Different approaches to science research in the physical, biological and behavioral sciences.

4.                 A variety of physical science principles, laboratory techniques and instrumentation, which will permit them to quantify their findings.

5.                 A variety of biological sciences principles, laboratory techniques and instrumentation, which will permit them to quantify their findings.  

6.                 A variety of behavioral science principles, laboratory techniques and instrumentation, which will permit them to quantify their findings.

7.                 The necessary steps to library and web research.

8.                 The correct proposal format and hypotheses formation.

9.                 Statistical analyses related to their findings (data) in order to determine the validity and the significance of their collected data.

10.            The correct format for oral presentations (Power Point)  at the conclusion of their investigation.

11.            The correct format to use in the final written research report.
 
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