FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2002
FY02-17
Donation Adds Up to Better Science for OSHS Students
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. –Scientists use advanced technologies to gather data during experiments. So do Oliver Springs High School science students, thanks in part to a donation from Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ (ORAU) Volunteers in Education Team (VET).
VET’s $1,000 donation funded the purchase of 10 graphing calculators to use with the school’s Calculator-Based Lab System (CBL) equipment. Connected to a CBL—a hand-held device with different probes that can be attached to measure light, motion, temperature, and conductivity—each calculator can store, process, analyze, and graph data. Gathering data with CBL equipment is faster, easier and more accurate than gathering data by hand.
“The kids like to do the labs [with CBL equipment],” said D’Arcy Harder, who teaches chemistry and principles of technology in grades 10 through 12. So that students don’t trust the calculators unquestioningly, Harder encourages them to estimate answers before using a calculator.
VET’s donation will also fund the purchase of additional lab glassware, like beakers and distillation equipment, said Harder.
VET is a group of ORAU employees who work to enhance education in East Tennessee. VET supports science, mathematics, technology, and computer science education and the development of professional skills of K-12 students and teachers in East Tennessee through a variety of activities and donations.
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 86 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.