Conducting Original Research at the High School Level--the Students' Perspective.

H AVE you ever wondered if there was a way to teach students the sciences while involving them in more hands-on experiences? Do lectures and standard labs really get the main points across to your students? Have you ever dreamed of throwing conventional teaching out the window and allowing your students to conduct their own original experiments on a topic for which the results are unknown? We, as present high school seniors learning the sciences, as well as many of our peers, are grateful to have had such an opportunity. In a unique course developed by Ron Reimink, a biology teacher at Hudsonville High School in Hudsonville, Michigan, students are allowed to engage in original science research while developing their talents and independence. The broad goals of this Scientific Investigations class are aligned with district outcomes that encourage students to be knowledgeable people, effective communicators, collaborative contributors, quality producers, and complex thinkers. This class follows a format typical of conventional research. It starts with teams of students developing an interest in some area which is then refined by gaining knowledge on the topic. Once financial support is obtained, the experiments are designed and conducted. Data are collected and the findings are then orally presented to the scientific world. The final step of this experience is to write a scientific paper in an attempt to get published. We present, in what follows, a description of this outstanding program along with our opinions and insights in hopes that other teachers will adopt similar curricula and provide this experience for many students.