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Igniting Excitement for Science Through a Carnival Atmosphere

Bryan Schrepel - USM Class of 2003

(Article first appeared in Aspire Magazine, Winter 2007 issue)

After nearly two years of planning, nothing could sway Melinda Merrill's goal of bringing real-world science to Kansas City area middle school students - not even rain soaked swamp-like grounds and gusty winds.

Melinda, Class of 1993, masterminded a day long science fair called "Students as Scientists" at Center Middle School in Kansas City, Mo. for 100 students from six different area school districts. The "Students as Scientists" fair brought in seven scientists from the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City to demonstrate anything from testing C02 gas levels to tagging birds with West Nile Virus.

From a distance, the "Students as Scientists" program looked more like a carnival than a science fair. Random tents and packs of students bustled from one station to another. But these students were not grabbing cotton candy or riding ferris wheels. Instead, they got to witness scientists do things like draw blood from a sparrow's jugular vein to test it for West Nile Virus. Melinda believes the students received the program well.

"The concept of learning from scientists and seeing science inquiry in the field could not help but be a strong motivator for students," Melinda said. "I love to see the excitement of kids learning."

Melinda did much more than just plan "Students as Scientists." She wrote a grant proposal to the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation, which approved $5,000 for the effort. NEA typically awards only 15 to 20 percent of the grant proposals submitted.

Despite marshland conditions, and temperatures unusually chilly for a mid-October day, the scientists continued on as planned. Besides testing birds and C02 levels, the pre-teen students met with scientists to measure pollen particles in the air, witness crossbreeding and genetic medication of sunflowers, discuss how fossils are formed in rock, georadar map underground rock and soil layers, and discuss the negative affect ultra-violet o-zone rays have had on swallows and monarchs.

A science and "gifted education" teacher at Center for five years, Melinda said she could not have done it alone. She relied heavily on community support and local Boy Scout troops, who structured nature trails, and built a fire pit as well as benches in nearby wooded areas. Not even the poor weather could throw the day off.

"I really wasn't surprised at the success of the event," she said. "The weather did present a bit of a problem, but once we got everyone started and going, it was great."

One of Melinda's mentors at Saint Mary, Dr. Gretchen Wilbur, professor of education, showed up to see "Students as Scientists" in action. When Dr. Wilbur taught Melinda, she had a feeling she would be a great teacher. "Melinda was an inquisitive, self-motivated student who wanted to become an excellent teacher so that her students would inquire, think, create--instead of memorize and regurgitate," Dr. Wilbur said. "She was always a questioner - still is - and creates the opportunity for questioning to flourish. That's why she brought scientists together with middle school students and that's why it was so successful."

Before coming to Center, Melinda spent the previous four years teaching at Congress Middle School, part of the Park Hill school district, in the Kansas City Northland. She has been teaching gifted education since 1995. She finished an elementary education degree from Saint Mary in December 1993. She remembers what Wilbur taught her even today.

"Every summer when I'm reflecting on what I have taught and what I need to improve, I always think of what I learned about the reflective teaching model from Dr. Wilbur," she said.

So why was it so important for Melinda to create "Students as Scholars?" Her answer is simple - education is simply a labor of love - and she always strives to be the best.

"I love to see the excitement of kids learning. Middle school is a great age for kids to learn about themselves, their capabilities, and what directions they might want to pursue," she said. "They've also reached that age where you learn simple things that you had forgotten in your own pursuit of knowledge - like what's important in life and why learning is such great fun."

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