THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507210196
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Most people wouldn't expect 9-year-old girls to enjoy dissecting a cow heart, but Christina Huch and Jennifer Carter think it's cool.
``We got to play with it and cut it,'' Jennifer said enthusiastically.
Christina and Jennifer were among 13 young ladies who spent the past two weeks discovering that girls and science - and even math - do mix.
At Mentors and Chips, an enrichment camp at Alanton Elementary School, the girls conducted experiments, went on field trips, learned computer exercises and met with women in engineering, medicine and similar fields.
They studied the principles of matter by making ``slime'' - a blend of water and cornstarch.
They dissected animal hearts with help from members of the open-heart surgery team from Virginia Beach General Hospital.
And they got to spend chunks of time on the computer, rather than the piecemeal access they have during the school year.
The camp was the brainchild of Alanton teacher-of-the-year Susan Anderson, who came away from a training session on gender equity in the classroom a couple of years ago convinced she wouldn't find problems in her school.
``I sat in the class for a whole week saying `That doesn't happen in our building. That doesn't happen in our school.' ''
But then she pulled Alanton's standardized test results and, sure enough, found girls' scores were below boys' in math and science.
Studies have shown that a difference in expectations too often lowers the performance of female students in such subjects and steers them away from careers in those fields.
A 1992 report by the American Association of University Women found that pattern to be pervasive throughout America's schools. Even though girls entered school roughly equal to boys in ability, they had fallen behind by the time they graduated high school. Among other things, the association found girls received less teacher attention than boys, that curriculum frequently stereotyped or ignored women, and that many standardized tests contained elements of gender bias.
The Alanton camp was limited to girls to make sure they had a chance to figure out problems themselves, without ``a boy telling them what the answer was or how to do the program,'' Anderson said.
But don't tell Christina or Jennifer that girls do better in French than physics. Now they've met women who work in medicine, drafting, engineering and other fields. Every professional woman Anderson contacted agreed to come and talk to the students, she said.
``I want to make sure the girls know they have all the opportunities open to them,'' she said.
The girls, all rising fourth-graders, were chosen for the program based on teacher recommendations and test scores.
The camp was financed by a grant from the Eisenhower Consortium for Math and Science. Whether the camp will be offered again next year depends on funding.
Anderson and Elizabeth Hunt, a student teacher who volunteered her time for the project, have seen their hard work rewarded with enthusiasm.
``They don't want to leave (at the end of the day),'' Anderson said. ``I think they feel successful.
``It's actually been one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever done as a teacher.''
On a field trip last week, a nature walk at Seashore State Park, the girls tackled a 1.5-mile hike with the eyes of scientists and energy of the young. They studied lacy spider webs, swags of Spanish moss and the occasional startled reptile.
``Turtles! Look!''
``Oooooh, I see it! Right there under the bush.''
A snake, spotted at a distance weaving his way through the marsh, was greeted with less enthusiasm but considerable interest.
``I don't know who found that snake, but you sure do have good eyes,'' said Anderson. Three girls proudly claimed credit.
``Math and science in school are harder than in camp,'' said Jennifer Carter, explaining why she'd enjoyed her two weeks. In school, it's work, she said. Camp was fun.
Heather Yount, 10, also said camp had been fun.
``We do things like adults do. We get to have a lot of computer time.''
Danielle Taylor, an eighth-grader a Lynnhaven Middle School, returned to her old elementary stomping grounds to help out with the program. A math and science fan herself, she was one of several student volunteers who answered computer questions, helped on field trips and provided mentors closer to the campers' own age. Danielle said she didn't use a computer until sixth grade and was glad the younger students were getting an earlier start.
``It's a really good experience for them,'' she said. ``I think this will show them they can do these things as a woman.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Joaquina Jackson leads a group of fourth-grade math and science
students on the Bald Cypress trail at First Landing/Seashore State
Park. They spotted lacy spider webs, swags of Spanish moss and -
eeek! - a snake.
by CNB