Resources for Teachers

Beginning a science research program of any type or size is not necessarily an easy thing to do, but at the same time it is absolutely possible. Even if the teacher does not have a research background, if there is even one motivated, highly curious student who wants to investigate some topic thoroughly, possibly do original work and make a discovery, or simply try to learn if research is something he or she enjoys, any science teacher can help by simply being supportive and trying to help that student find a topic and, most importantly, a specific research question, that is doable with the available resources. If you are new to the research process, it can be helpful to consider the numerous pieces that go into a good research proposal and project.  Also, learn how to teach and learn about a process of developing research questions by thinking about simple, everyday phenomena. One way I do this is through a 15 minute lesson involving a hydraulic jump.

The main MISconception is that to do original work one must have access to a professional laboratory, usually at a university. This is NOT true! There are hundreds of possible discoveries waiting to be uncovered in projects that involve common equipment and materials, or make use of online datasets and software. This is the point of this website.

The Society for Science and the Public (SSP), which runs the Science Talent Search (STS) and International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) has compiled some resources for science research at home.

Articles for Teachers - Go to this site and find the following articles from various journals:

- From The Science Teacher journal (NSTA) - Creating and Maintaining A High School Research Program (Horton and Vondracek): provides pointers and examples of how a research program for individual students runs at Evanston Township High School, and what goes into a program to sustain it from year to year.

- From The Physics Teacher journal (AAPT) - Computational Research (Vondracek): provides ideas around the concept of computational research, or having students use computer simulations for just about any topic, and an effectively endless number of research questions since an environment and system of interest can be designed. It becomes possible to do studies on the computer, by varying and controlling any number of parameters, that may be physically impossible. Or one can test mathematical models and theories about systems your school may not have the means of testing experimentally.

- From the Journal for Secondary Gifted Education - Working with Gifted Students in a Public School (Ngoi and Vondracek): provides more ideas of options and opportunities teachers have to get their students involved.

- From The Science Teacher (NSTA) - Hydraulic Jump, Finding Complexity in the Seemingly Simple (Vondracek): this outlines an activity any teacher can do to model how to develop a larger number of possible research projects from what appear to be a simple, everyday phenomena. Have students use this example and find something in their world that they are intrigued with and break it down into as many parameters that may have an effect on that system...this could produce numerous research questions and projects, and begin your research program for multiple students! Here is a sample lesson and accompanying video for this activity.

- Examples of student research papers. Almost all of the dozens of papers on this site have been recognized at a local, state, or national level. Each paper has suggested project ideas at the end of the paper that other students can do, which are almost entirely original ideas for research. These also provide good exemplars and templates for younger students to use as a guide.

- Template for a research report. Go to this site, and click on the Research Report Structure file.


Here are more links. To get other project ideas, the following sites have the projects that were nationally recognized in the two major U.S. science contests for high schools, the Intel Science Talent Search (STS) and the Siemens Science Competition. Note: These are almost all done in professional labs. The reason is most teachers and students around the country do not realize what can be done CABS style!

Intel Science Talent Search (Check out what some top projects were about, get ideas)
2022 Regeneron Finalists and information

2021 Regeneron Finalists and information

2020 Regeneron Finalists and information

2018 Regeneron Finalists and information
2017 Regeneron Finalist Project Descriptions
2017 Regeneron Semifinalist Project Titles
2014 Intel Finalist Project Descriptions
2014 Intel Semifinalist Project Titles
2013 Intel Finalist Project Descriptions
2013 Intel Semifinalist Project Titles
Check out any year of the Science Talent Search (since 1942! Project ideas galore!)

Siemens Science Competition (Check out what some top projects were about, get ideas; unfortunately the SSC is no longer running)
2016 Regional Finalist Abstracts found here
2013 Finalists
2012 Finalists
2011 Finalists (see Julia and Patrick!)
Links to past year's winning students and project descriptions

Research Contests
Regeneron Science Talent Search, deadline mid-November
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (Loyola's site), deadline late January
Google Science Fair

Research Publications
Students can submit their research papers to the following journals for publication:

• Sigma Xi, Chronicle of the New Researcher
• The Columbia Junior Science Journal
• Journal of Emerging Investigators (all papers accepted, grad student review)
• National High School Research Journal of Science (student-reviewed)

Journal of Experimental Secondary Science

• *Note that many CABS projects can be used by other teachers as lab demos, students labs, or inquiry projects for their students. You might consider writing a paper, co-authored between student and teacher, and submit to teacher professional journals, such as The Physics Teacher or The Science Teacher.

For summer research programs students may apply to:

Research Programs
Fermilab TARGET Summer Internship (for underrepresented juniors)
IMSA's Mentor Matching Engine (for students in Illinois)
Northwestern CURE Summer Research Program (for underrepresented seniors)
Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (Boston U)
REAP Application at Loyola University at Chicago
Research Science Institute (at MIT)
Rockefeller University's Summer Science Research Program
Secondary Student Training at the U. of Iowa
Stanford Institutes of Medical Summer Research Program
Summer Science Program (run by Caltech)
Zoouniverse - Site of 33 'People Powered' online projects

One other suggestion. If you do want to start a more robust research program, and have any sort of college or university near enough for students as well as for you to make connections and have other experts with whom you can get ideas or access to equipment or projects, check out the faculty lists in STEM departments. Check out the research areas professors are working in, and see if there is anything that is of interest. Most professors are very willing to help, or have others in their research groups answer questions or help high school teachers with their plans.