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By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO — A female motorist driving a moving van and suspected to be under the influence is stopped on the ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY campus in a mock scenario.

Suspicious museum-quality artifacts are found in plain sight, the truck is confiscated, and more than 100 youngsters, on campus for the Creating Student Investigators residential camp, try to determine whether evidence supports her story.

That’s only one of the scenarios 40 science teachers and 105 eighth- through 12th-graders were involved in during the National Science Foundation-funded program.

In the scenario, the participants try to decide whether furs, ivory, vintage fabrics and other artifacts are authentic, based on what they see and what their tests determine, said Dr. Ann Ross, assistant professor of elementary education.

“She (the suspect) said the materials were given to her by her aunt. We think they’re stolen,” Dr. Karen Yanowitz, associate professor of psychology and project director said.

A second scenario included a black bear poaching incident.

“Teachers are working with the kids to solve crimes they — the teachers — learned about in the previous week,” Yanowitz said.

Other specifics under study include water quality and toxicology, fiber analysis of clothing, document analysis and bacterial transmission.

Teachers spent two weeks at the camp; students spent one week. Teachers from Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee participated. Students from those states, as well as Texas, New York and Shanghai, China, also participated, Yanowitz said.

Deborah Gann, a special education teacher from Bass Middle School in Nashville, Tenn., said she hoped to learn lessons to help her teach her students.

“I’ve really learned so much this week. It fascinates me. I already have six lessons planned that meet science standards,” she said. Hands-on activities “grab the interest of special education students.”

“Overall, they are learning new science content and pedagogy approaches to take back to the classroom using a forensic science theme,” Yanowitz said.

About the program

Along with Yanowitz and Ross, other organizers at ASU include Dr. Tanja McKay, assistant professor of entomology and Dr. Staria Vanderpool, assistant professor of botany.

This is the second year of the 3-year project before grant funding is exhausted, Ross said. Grant funds cover the cost of room and board in a ASU residence hall. This year organizers partnered with the ASU Museum for a tour and as the place where the children went to pick up test results. There, they encountered authentic coffins, an autopsy table, a cabinet for surgical tools and related funeral-home items.

Twenty ASU biology graduates and classroom teachers worked as student supervisors.

As an evening activity, a job fair was held, with ASU departments and outside vendors participating.

“This program gives them exposure to things they wouldn’t get in class,” Yanowitz said.

“They get to be with other students who like science,” Ross added. “And they get individual attention.”

sherry@jonesborosun.com