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RED CIENTIFICA PERUANA                                                 NOTIRED
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                    Project TEACH 

Attention -- Natural Science Opportunity

     Iowa State University and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute
of Natural History are collaborating on the development of a project
entitled, TEACH; Teachers, Environment And CHildren.  Lynn W. Glass of
Iowa State University (NSTA President, 1991-92) will be the Principal
Investigator of Project TEACH.  The project will focus on middle school
science; involve data collection, sharing and interpretation; have the
participation of leading artists/naturalists, and utilize Internet as a
communication linkage.  Participating schools will need to have access
to a computer, modem, and telephone line.  Instructional materials and
supplies will be within a typical consumable supplies budget.

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     We need EVIDENCE OF INTEREST in such a project to secure Federal
funding. If you are interested, please send an E-Mail message to M. Dale
Streigle at STREIGLE@IASTATE.EDU or send a letter to the address listed
in closing.  The project proposal must be at the funding agency by July
30, 1993, so we respectfully request that you send letters of interest
to us by July 25 to be included with the proposal.
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     A more complete description of the proposed project follows:

     Children have always been interested in the world about
them.  From their earliest moments of life they have explored
fully their immediate environment with all of their senses.  As
children grow we systematically discourage them from exploring
their world with our admonitions to, "Don't put things in your
mouth." "Don't touch." etc.  By the time most children reach the
age of middle school they have learned from their elders and
peers that it is not "cool" to investigate their natural world.
Project TEACH is designed to rekindle the unique human quality of
inquiring by linking, via Internet, middle school children and
their teachers from throughout the United States with
internationally recognized artists/naturalists.

     Early artists/naturalists like John James Audubon, Aldo
Leopold, and J. N. "Ding" Darling were keen observers of their
world.  They observed the physical characteristics of plants and
animals, their habits, the many interactions occurring within an
ecosystem, and the impact these interactions have upon the
inhabitants.  In addition, they communicated through drawings and
writings their understanding and concerns to others.  It is
through these artists/naturalists that many present day values
and practices concerning our world's resources were initiated and
nurtured -- a land ethic, migratory bird laws, etc.

     The artists/naturalists participating in Project TEACH will
use their highly honed skills of observation, interpretation, and
communication to rekindle in our nation's middle school youth the
desire and ability to observe, to interpret, and to communicate
findings concerning their natural world.  A series of five
structured investigations will be used to introduce middle school
students and their teachers to significant areas of natural
science study -- eating preferences and habits of birds at
feeders, migratory flight patterns in the Mississippi River
flyway, (others to be determined).

     Internet will provide the vital communication linkage among
artists/naturalists, students, and teachers.  The Internet will
be used to initiate, nurture, and direct the communication
necessary to the success of Project TEACH.  Artists/naturalists
will initiate a dialog through the use of an open-ended inquiry
oriented presentation.  Following the initiating presentation,
students and teachers will interact with one another and with the
artist/naturalist in the formulation of problems to be
investigated.  The initial presentation and the following dialog
will be used by the artist/naturalist to shape and to direct the
areas of investigation.

     Internet also will be used to share  and to aggregate
student collected data, to communicate interpretations, and to
develop understandings.  Findings will be published on the
Internet and through appropriate local outlets such as
newspapers, radio, and television.

     Leading contemporary artists/naturalists, through Project
TEACH and Internet, will serve as role models for middle school
youngsters throughout the United States in the investigation of
real world natural science problems and issues.  The outcome of
Project TEACH is a technologically enriched middle level science
curriculum and a population of students who once again is excited
about exploring their natural world.

M. Dale Streigle
N164 Lagomarcino Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA  50011
(515) 294-8907

Internet:  STREIGLE@IASTATE.EDU



---
M. Dale Streigle           N164 Lagomarcino Hall       512 9th Street
STREIGLE@IASTATE.EDU       Iowa State University       Ames, IA  50010
                           Ames, IA  50011             (515) 233-6110
                           (515) 294-8907
.