DrosoPHILA: a partnership between teachers and scientists that begins in the lab and continues in city schools
Authors: Kaitlin Laws 1; Anthony Natale 2,3; Edward Waddell 1,4; Jamie Shuda 2,3; Greg Bashaw 1
Affiliations: 1) University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; 2) University of Pennsylvania Institute for Regenerative Medicine; 3) University of Pennsylvania Netter Center for Community Partnerships; 4) Holy Family University
Keywords: e. diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom
While exposure to laboratory activities often awakens student interest in science, many schools lack the resources to offer such experiences. Outreach sponsored by local colleges and universities can provide students with first-hand knowledge of the scientific process, reinforce learning objectives, and connect them to scientists in their community. Our program, DrosoPHILA, is a two-part high school curriculum built by teachers in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) with input and support from members of the Bashaw lab and experienced outreach educators. In the first phase of this collaboration, three teachers from SDP conducted paid research in the Bashaw lab while helping to develop outreach modules. These modules, Flies on Ice and Roundabout We Go!, highlight the utility of Drosophila as a model organism for neurobiology research while reinforcing students’ understanding of the scientific method and quantitative reasoning. In Flies on Ice, students determine how the time flies spend anesthetized on ice affects their recovery. In Roundabout We Go!, students study larval crawling in mutants with aberrant nervous system development. Each module is scaffolded by grade-appropriate presentations, student-driven experimentation, and guided data analysis. Our team leads at least two fifty-minute class periods of instruction.
In phase two of our program, we invited six SDP teachers to a two-day professional development program in the Bashaw lab, where they participated in our modules. During the 2018-2019 school year, our team led visits to these teachers’ classrooms to guide students through both modules, reaching 252 students. In Fall 2019, we expanded our reach, visiting 14 classrooms (349 students). At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we transitioned our program online and reached nearly 500 students by remote instruction. In Fall 2021, we resumed classroom visits, reaching more than 600 students across 21 classrooms. By surveying students before and after our visits, we were able to identify whether and how DrosoPHILA affected their knowledge and science identity. Our preliminary analysis indicates that our modules improve students’ understanding of what it is like to be a scientist. Furthermore, because we surveyed students receiving both remote and in-person instruction, we are positioned to ascertain differences in outcomes under these circumstances. The teacher-informed design of our modules, along with the broad use of Drosophila as a model organism, makes them suitable for school districts across the United States.