University of Washington Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Programs

News and Deadlines

Upcoming Events

Application Deadlines

News/Awards

In print...

Read the article about the UW-HHMI Biology Fellows Program published in CBE.

The Biology Department has provided intensive institutes and workshops for in service teachers since 1987. Through hands-on exploration and careful follow-up with Biology faculty, teachers experience life science as a process of inquiry and problem solving. All science investigations use readily available materials and have been developed for use in the classroom. In the past decade alone, over 400 teachers who had little or no background in science and who may have avoided teaching science in the past have been through our programs; 3 have gone on to win Science Teacher of the Year Awards! These teachers, selected primarily from urban schools with high minority enrollment and from disadvantaged rural environments, have reached an estimated 164,000 students.

For a brief overview, please download the brochure.

This resource for teachers emphasizes the use of scientific inquiry for teaching health in the middle school classroom. It was developed through an HHMI-funded collaboration between teachers and science education professionals in Western Washington.

Download the pdf below.

Summer Institute In Life Science (SILS)

Hands on Science!!! SILS is a 4-week hands-on summer institute primarily for Grade 4-8 teachers. This popular program meets on the UW campus during June-July, enrolls 20 teachers/year, and is funded by HHMI. SILS is free for teachers. Participants receive 7 credits of Biol 491 upon successful completion of SILS and submission of curriculum project.

Read a review of SILS from the newsletter Perspectives

All activities are "hands-on" investigations, which provide teachers with a thorough understanding of the life science topics identified in the National Science Education Standards (NRC) for upper elementary and middle school grades.

Field trips allow teachers to learn about different ecological environments in Washington State, and to use the schoolyards and local environments to study nature. Classroom investigations focus on using inexpensive and readily available materials for teaching life science.

Research projects are a part of SILS. We believe that "you can't be a basketball coach unless you've played the game". Simple, interesting scientific investigations can be done in the upper elementary and middle school classroom but unless teachers understand how scientists ask and answer questions, they are at a disadvantage in guiding student investigations. Teachers design their own experiments to answer simple questions about organisms.

Alumni:

Over 450 teachers in Washington have participated in SILS since its early beginnings in 1987. These teachers have come from as far away as Pullman, Port Angeles, Bellingham and Vancouver. It is estimated that SILS alumni have brought hands-on inquiry science to over 85,000 students. Word-of-mouth is responsible for the popularity of this institute.

What participants say about SILS:

Before this class I thought science needed to be taught out of books. Now I know that science needs to be hands-on with children exploring the different aspects of science.

Every day for 4 weeks I woke up excited about what we were going to learn that day. This is the best science course I have ever taken.

The resources were fabulous - the Resource Center, the opportunity to use the Internet, meet guest speakers, field trips.... everything!

This was the best way I could spend 4 weeks of the summer. I hope to share with my school staff the enthusiasm I now have for teaching life science.

Thank you so much for turning me on to science...I have always avoided science like the plague... I know from now on I will teach real hands-on science to my kids and I will share my excitement about it with them.

2010 Dates and Location:

SILS will meet during June-July, M-F 9 AM - 4 PM, in 218 Hitchcock Hall on the UW campus. Exact dates to be announced: Watch our News and Deadline section for updates!

Fees:

Free! All instructional costs are paid by the grant. Written materials are included in the grant. Each participant receives $150 of teaching materials, including a lab manual, several resource books, equipment and supplies. SILS participants will need to pay for parking and lunches. Campus housing is available, but the costs are not covered by the grant, except under special circumstances.

Who should apply:

Upper elementary and middle school teachers who are willing and eager to learn new skills and who can devote themselves full-time to the institute are encouraged to apply. Interested K-3 teachers are also welcome to apply. The institute is limited to 20 participants. Priority is given to applicants with little or no science background.

How to apply:

Online applications are available in Spring, and the deadline for applying to SILS is April 1 of each year. All applicants will be notified of acceptance by April 15. After this date, applicants are accepted into the institute as space becomes available. Inquiries can be directed to Helen Buttemer, K-12 Teacher Training Programs Organizer. Teachers interested in attending SILS must be nominated by their school principal or alternate (department head, a SILS alumnus, staff development coordinator). A letter of recommendation from the nominator is required and can be submitted via mail or e-mail. Applicants from groups which are underrepresented or who serve underrepresented students are especially encouraged to apply.

SILS Application

For additional information:

Please contact Helen Buttemer, K-12 Teacher Training Programs Organizer.

Field trips provide opportunities to learn about science and nature.

Water Quality Study

Trip to an Old Growth Forest

Animal Behavior Study

Quarter Institute In Life Science (QuILS)

QuILS is a 2-credit evening course for Grade 5-8 teachers that features hands-on, investigative science for the classroom. It meets during Winter Quarter on the UW campus. Tuition and course materials are covered by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. QuILS is free for teachers. Participants receive 2 credits of Biol 491 upon successful completion of QuILS.

Topics include: Introduction to Experiments with Cells, Human Genetics, Investigations with Microbes, How the Body Works - Activities and Useful Resources to Build, Activities in Nutritional Education, Activities for Sex Education, Activities in Drug Education, Neurobiology, Heart/Circulation, Bioethics Activities, Exercises for Health and Math.

QuILS emphasizes investigative science in the classroom.

2010 Dates and Location:

Announcing QuILS 2010 - Smart Bodies: Activities for Teaching Health! QuILS will meet for 8 sessions on Thursdays from January 7 - March 4 (with no class during the week of February 15), 4:30-7:30 PM, in 218 Hitchcock Hall on the UW campus.

Who should apply:

Grade (4)5-8 teachers who are eager to expand their knowledge of life health in the science classroom are encouraged to apply. The institute is limited to 20 participants.

How to apply:

There is no application deadline; applicants are admitted on a space available basis. Applicants from groups which are underrepresented or who serve underrepresented students are especially encouraged to apply.

QuILS Application

For additional information:

Please contact Katherine Glew, QuILS Instructor.

Visit Biology

The Visit Biology Project promotes and supports field trips of classes in grades 3-12 to the UW Greenhouse and Medicinal Herb Garden to learn about the extraordinary biology of plants. Trained docents, who are undergraduate and graduate students who show a strong interest in outreach and science education, lead the tours. Activities are designed to encourage student participation. Students will learn how plants demonstrate such themes as Plant-Animal Interactions, Diversity in Flowers as it relates to Reproductive Strategies, and The Evolution of Plants. This learning experience poses intriguing problems for students to solve and new insights for students and teachers to take back to their classrooms.

To learn more about the tours, please see the UW Greenhouse web page.

For additional information:

Please contact Katherine Glew, Visit Biology Program Organizer.

Activities for K-12 Classes

This resource for teachers emphasizes strategies and resources for teaching health in the middle school science classroom. It was developed through an HHMI-funded collaboration between teachers and science education professionals in Western Washington.

Download the pdf.

In this article, Helen Buttemer describes a classroom activity for students to learn how to design a research investigation. As an added plus, students have a great deal of fun as they learn about slugs and slime!

Download the pdf.

In this article, Helen Buttemer describes the use of inquiry boards as a creative tool for teaching investigative science.

Download the pdf.

This workbook can be used for students’ inquiry Boards. See below to download the workbook and Helen Buttemer’s article on Inquiry Boards.

Download the pdf.

For additional information:

Please contact Helen Buttemer, K-12 Teacher Training Programs Organizer.

Faculty

Helen Buttemer teaches Biology 104 (Biology for Elementary Teachers) for pre-service undergraduates and Biology 492 (Biology Teaching Methods) for pre-service high school teachers. She directs the Biology Programs for Teachers in the Department of Biology including the M.S. in Biology for Teachers degree program. In addition, Helen has been a certified K-12 teacher since 1976 and has taught elementary, middle school and high school.

To read an article by Helen on Inquiry Boards, a tool for teaching experimental design: http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/sc0610_34.pdf

Katherine Glew's specialty is alpine lichen ecology in Washington State. She has taught biology, ecology, and marine biology for over 25 years. Katherine was the recipient of the 1990 Biology Teacher of the Year award for Washington State. She received her Master's in Science Curriculum and Instruction at the UW, emphasizing environmental education. Following a career as a high school biology teacher, Katherine returned to the UW for her Ph.D. in botany. She has been teaching in-service classes for teachers since 1991.

In addition, guests with special skills and expertise participate in SILS. These include UW faculty and staff, Puget Sound resource people, and alumni from past SILS.