UH Termite Project Public School Educational Program

Program Goals:

1. Suppress Ground Termite population through public school and adult educational programs.
2. Inform, directly and indirectly, Hawaii homeowners about termite biology, prevention and control.
3. Compile grade appropriate termite activity packets in accordance with Hawaii state science standards complete with assessment suggestions, activity worksheets, project resources, interactive media (video/CD experiments) and opportunities for arranging hands-on demonstrations and presentations by guest termite experts.
4. Assist motivated teachers and students to help develop, test and provide feedback on packet materials.
5. Locate public schools with active ground termite colonies and work with the administrative and custodial staff on prevention and control if measures are not already in place.
6. Incorporate students and teachers into the research process.
7. Involve as many public schools in as many different geographic locations as is possible.
8. Collect student evidence of knowledge sharing with parents and other community members as well as evidence of program impact on student learning.
9. Accommodate the requests of all interested teachers for activity materials, resources, classroom help and current knowledge on termite behavior and biology.

UH Termite Project Public School Educational Program

Advantages for Participating Teachers:

1. Materials for termite activities are provided at no cost to the teacher by the program for use in their classrooms.
2. Flexibility of program in allowing teachers to design their own unit (chosen from a comprehensive list) based on time availability, interest level, current focus and desired levels of commitment.
3. Opportunity to arrange for field experts for guest presentations.
4. In elementary levels, staff is available to co-teach.
5. In intermediate levels, staff is available for demonstrations as well as for consultation on classroom projects.
6. An opportunity to observe rarely seen insects inside the classroom.
7. Prepared lesson and lab worksheets.
8. Access to unit materials that meet state science standards.
9. Opportunity to involve students first hand in the process of scientific research and expose them to new careers in science.
10. Access to research knowledge as it is being generated.
11. Teachers will be provided with background information and will have access to staff for additional information as well as help with any termite projects they would like to carry out in the classroom that may not already be covered in the packet for that grade level.
    

UH Termite Project Public School Educational Program

Timeline:

1. Project duration will depend on interest and motivation level of individual teachers.

2. Current Unit Design

   Elementary: 5 lessons, 1 sharing knowledge project, observation

activity (1 Week)

Intermediate: 1 classroom project, 1 demonstration, 1 video

experiment, inquiry activity (1 week) and 1 community outreach project

Termite knowledge will first be generated by background research done by students and then the teacher will be responsible for determining any further knowledge dissemination to students with the aide of notes and overheads provided for the teacher in the activity packet.

Teacher Expectations:

1. Provide feedback to staff on program materials and information delivery.
2. If necessary follow up with students outside of scheduled lesson times.
3. Be present in the classroom at all times.
4. Collaborate and actively participate with staff in the process of information delivery, classroom management, hands-on activities and assessment of student learning.
5. Help project staff document and assess student learning.
6. Organize and carry out a sharing knowledge project in which the students will share knowledge with parents and other community members (project staff will be available for consultation as well as to help teacher and students produce the final product).