In the Summer of 2020 the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials MRSEC, along with the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center (NERC) for Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy Technologies (NASCENT) and Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), created a virtual professional development program for the teachers who were selected to participate in the Research Experience for Teachers.
Meet the teachers!
Meet the mentors!
RET Curricular Materials
Blue Sky in a Cup
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Subject Area: Data Analysis & Probability, Earth/Space, Physics, and Reasoning & Proof
Teacher: Arianna Dial
School: Bagdad Elementary
Fashionable Metals
Grade Level: 5th - 8th
Subject Area: Data Analysis and Probability, Measurement, Physical Science, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Science & Technology
Teacher: Monica Sanchez
School: Bernice Hart ECP Elementary
Chromaful Art
Teacher: Stephanie Valenzuela
School: PhD Graduate Student, Chemistry Department at UT Austin
Color through Coding
Grade Level: 4th - 8th
Subject Area: Chemistry, Computer Science, and Science & Technology
Teacher: Ariel Kay and Cecilia Osornio
School: Govalle Elementary and Wilhelmina Delco Elementary School
Crystallization of Sugar - Creation of homemade rock sugar candy
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Subject Area: Chemistry, Physical Science, Physics, Problem Solving, Reasoning & Proof, and Science & Technology
Teacher: Patricia González-Villaseñor
School: Bernice Hart Elementary
CSI: Messy Classroom and Modeling Mass Spectrometry
Grade Level: 3rd - 8th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Amanda Lengnick-Hall
School: Cunningham Elementary
Density Solutions
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Subject: Properties of Matter
Teacher: Elizabeth Schuster
School: Spicewood Elementary
Exploring Deposition through Art
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Subject Area: Earth/Space and Science & Technology
Teacher: Irene Hidalgo and Jennifer Sladek
School: Casey Elementary and Boone Elementary
Exploring the Properties of Everyday Hydrogels
Grade Level: 6th - 8th
Subject: Polymers and Hydrogels
Teacher: Danielle Washington
School: Salyers Elementary
Fizzy Water
Teacher: Stephanie Valenzuela
School: PhD Graduate Student, Chemistry Department at UT Austin
Gel Engineering
Grade Level: 4th - 6th
Subject: Physical Science
Teacher: Elizabeth Schuster
School: Caldwell Elementary School
I’m at the end of my (aluminum) rope!
Grade Level: 5th
Subject: Material Science
Teacher: Danielle Woods & Yvette Dodd
School: Deep Wood Elementary & Northwest Elementary School
Inflation Creation
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject: Matter and energy, conservation of natural resources
Teacher: Amber Rivera
School: Dearing Elementary
Is Your Tool up to the Task
Grade Level: 3rd - 8th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Becky Spillers
School: Purple Sage Elementary
Kaleidoscopes and Refraction
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Dara Reeder
School: Callison Elementary School
Leaf Chromatography
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Melissa Saldana
School: Caldwell Heights Elementary School
Let's Save Our Clothes with Avocados!
Grade Level: 1st - 2nd
Subject: Structure and Properties of Matter
Teacher: Connie Rodriguez & Lisette Cruz
School: Dearing Elementary & Rodriguez Elementary
Lights! Camera! Action!
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Subject Area: Physical Science
Teacher: Zachary Wilborn
School: Ruth Barron Elementary
Like Sand through the Hourglass
Grade Level: 3rd - 8th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Becky Spillers
School: Purple Sage Elementary
Liquid Crystal and Nanotechnology
Grade Level: 5th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Amanda Lengnick-Hall
School: Cunningham Elementary
Liquid Density
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Subject Area: Data Analysis & Probability, Chemistry, Physical Science, Problem Solving, and Reasoning & Proof
Teacher: Marianella Garza and Monica Sanchez
School: Mendez Elementary and Bernice Hart ECP Elementary
Living in a Metric World
Grade Level: 3rd - 8th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Becky Spillers
School: Purple Sage Elementary
Nature-Inspired Soap
Grade Level: 3rd-8th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Olivia Barrow
School: Bernice Hart ECP Elementary
“Nothing Else Matters”...or does it?
Grade Level: 1st - 3rd
Subject: Physical Science and Problem Solving
Librarian: Catherine Jones
School: Purple Sage Elementary
Optical Obstacle Course
Grade Level: 4th - 6th
Subject Area: Physics
Teacher: Kathy Rogers
School: Wooldridge Elementary
Piano in A Box
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Subject: Physics
Teacher: Raianna Markham
School: Cunningham Elementary
Real World Ratios: Viscosity Investigation
Grade: 4th - 8th
Subject: Science
Teacher: Ashika Ganguly
School: Mathews Elementary
Red Light, Green Light with Gummy Bears
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Subject: light energy, light characteristics
Teacher: Stephanie Escalante
School: Northwest Elementary
Scanning Probe Microscopy Design Challenge
Grade Level: 3rd - 8th
Subject Area: Science
Teacher: Becky Spillers
School: Purple Sage Elementary
Solar Powered Insects
Grade Level:1st Grade
Subject: Science
Teacher: Wendilyn Ilund
School: Caldwell Heights Elementary School
Starlight, Star Bright, Which Light Will Turn My Paper White?
Grade Level: 3rd - 5th
Subject Area: Science & Technology
Teacher: Arianna Dial
School: Bagdad Elementary
The Power of Produce: Powering Up with Fruits and Veggies
Grade Level: 4th
Subject: Forms of Energy
Teacher: Yvonne Rodriguez
School: Bowie Elementary
What’s the Matter? Observing the properties of matter to decide on best material to make a book cover
Grade Level: Kinder - 2nd
Subject: Physical Science
Teacher: Diana Garcia
School: DeZavala Elementary
Design and Build a House
Grade Level: 2nd - 4th
Subject Area: Data Analysis and Probability, Geometry, Physical Science, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Science & Technology
Teacher: Olivia Barrow
School: Bernice Hart ECP Elementary
Intermolecular forces behind the “swelling effect” of hydrogels
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject Area: Data Analysis and Probability, Numbers and Operation, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Measurement, Science & Technology
Teacher: Patricia González-Villaseñor
School: Bernice Hart Elementary
Ready, Set, Solar
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject Area: Data Analysis and Probability, Measurement, Physical Science, Physics, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Science & Technology
Teacher: Catherine Jones
School: Purple Sage Elementary
Navigate Your World!
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Subject Area: Earth/Space, Measurement, Problem Solving, Science & Technology
Teacher: Zachary Wilborn
School: Ruth Barron Elementary
What causes materials to break differently?
Grade Level: 1st - 3rd
Subject Area: Data Analysis and Probability, Geometry, Measurement, Physical Science, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof
Teacher: Connie Rodriguez
School: Ruth Barron Elementary