Center for Environmental Education and Natural History

Special Programs

The Hefner Zoology Museum supports several special programs for students, educators, and visitors.

Science Alliance
Science Alliance brings together Miami University graduate students and regional K-12 students. At the invitation of classroom teachers, graduate student volunteers from the natural sciences, science education, and environmental studies prepare grade-appropriate presentations about their research; presentations use hands-on activities and visual aids. In their lectures, graduate students emphasize career opportunities in the sciences.

Why graduate students?
Science Alliance encourages interaction between graduate students and K-12 students because graduate students:

Are experts in their fields of study
Have access to state-of-the-art scientific equipment and museum specimens
Are enthusiastic about teaching science
Can serve as career role models in the sciences

Who benefits from Science Alliance?

K-12 students benefit by participating in hands-on experiences and interacting with young scientists.
Teachers benefit by accessing an innvative learning resource.
Graduate students benefit by improving their instructional abilities and teaching school-aged children.

What are some topics being offered?
Presentation topics reflect graduate students' areas of scientific interest and can be developed to meet teachers' requests. The following presentation topics have been offered in the past:

	Life Science		Environmental Science and Biodiversity		Earth Science
Plant and/or animal adaptations Insect adaptations to the cold Desert adaptations in animals Migration Plant-animal interactions Animal behavior Animal movement in trees Turtle and tortoise biology Human physiology Dichotomous keys		Ecosystems Biodiversity and extinction Reptile and amphibian diversity Water quality Native American plant use Native peoples, plants, and the Amazon rainforest Elephants in Kenya		Earthquakes Geology Environmental geology Volcanoes and lava flows Internal structure of the Earth Minerals and mining Local fossils

How do I participate?
Graduate students who want to volunteer and teachers who want to schedule a presentation should contact the Science Alliance Coordinator for more information:

Barbara Hamilton
Science Alliance Coordinator
100 Upham Hall
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056
(513) 529-6084
hamiltb2@muohio.edu

For teachers, please contact the coordinator at least two weeks in advance of the desired presentation date. Although most graduate students can develop their presentations for a range of grade levels, please note that some presentations are grade-specific.

Science Alliance is made possible in part by funding from the Waksman Foundation for Microbiology.

GREEN Teachers Institute
The museum offers professional development programs for K-8 teachers through the GREEN Teachers Institute (GTI). For more information, visit the GTI website.

Outdoor Activities
Periodically and upon request, the museum organizes nature treks and other outdoor activities for groups and classes. Please contact the museum staff for further details.