title: Increasing student learning through space life sciences education.
abstract: Scientists and educators at Baylor College of Medicine are using space life sciences research areas as themes for middle school science and health instructional materials. This paper discusses study findings of the most recent unit, Food and Fitness, which teaches concepts related to energy and nutrition through guided inquiry. Results of a field test involving more than 750 students are reported. Use of the teaching materials resulted in significant knowledge gains by students as measured on a pre/post assessment administered by teachers. In addition, an analysis of the time spent by each teacher on each activity suggested that it is preferable to conduct all of the activities in the unit with students rather than allocating the same total amount of time on just a subset of the activities.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Educational Outreach, Houston, TX 77030, USA. nmoreno@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: J Kyle
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Barbara Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Tharp
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Denk
authors.forename: Paula H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Cutler
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine / Q000193:education*; D002648:Child; D003479:Curriculum; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012574:Schools; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D013026:Space Flight; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013781:Texas; D014495:Universities