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Sailing the Seas of Space: by CRAIG ROTHSTEIN |
Photo by Rena Hansen
"Defying Gravity:
Embracing Life in Space" is a new educational outreach
program based on space biomedicine research. It was created
by Dr. Patrick Gannon (right), who developed the project with
his wife, Dr. Nancy Kheck, and Matthew Dusenberry - all City
Island residents. Drs. Gannon and Kheck are scientists
at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Matthew is a student
at Hunter College High School. |
Turbulent waters
of educational reform surround New York City, and three intrepid
City Island residents - no strangers to the elements - are
among the pioneers trying to develop a new curriculum designed
to improve education by starting where it counts - the classroom.
Dr.
Patrick Gannon, a scientist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine,
and his wife, Dr. Nancy Kheck, Assistant Dean of Curriculum
at Mount Sinai, have embarked on "Defying Gravity: Embracing
Life in Space," a novel educational outreach program based
on space biomedicine research. Collaborating with them
is another islander, Matthew Dusenberry, a student at Hunter
College High School.
Dr.
Gannon launched the program with a summer project in 2001 -
an intensive five-week collaboration between New York City
high school students (including Matthew), teachers and scientists
- in which the participants offered ideas about the best ways
to teach science and math in the classroom.
The
students and teachers were from top schools, and the scientists
were members of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. NSBRI
is a nationwide consortium of research institutes and universities
working under the auspices of NASA to help astronauts reach
the planet Mars in a journey that is to begin within the next
20 years. The scientists focus on the effects of space
travel on the human body, or space biomedicine, although they
have also managed to devise treatments for such earthbound
ailments as osteoporosis and radiation exposure.
The
student-teacher-scientist partnership was derided at first
by experts, but the model proved to be a success, and now the
project is making important progress, with three of the eventual
eight curriculum modules already completed. Each module
consists of pre-lesson and lab homework, a formal lesson plan,
visual presentation materials, a lab session and a teacher's
guide.
The
Defying Gravity project is now entering its third phase - that
of field-testing the three completed curriculum modules in
New York City classrooms. Because the modules meet important
aspects of the National Science Education Standards, the fit
easily into existing public school curricula. Each module
is stand-alone, meaning that it can be implemented at any time
a teacher chooses during the course of the school year.
Patrick
Gannon, who comes from a maritime village in Yorkshire, England,
traveled to the United States in 1979 to pursue a doctorate
in anthropology at the City University of New York. A
year ago, in April, 2002, he and his wife, who is the associate
director of Defying Gravity, moved to City Island, which reminded
him of home. Attracted by the Island's strong sense of
community and nautical history, the couple now lives on Minniford
Avenue and are proud to call themselves Islanders.
Coincidentally,
one of their student participants is also an Islander. Matthew
Dusenberry has lived here for eight years. After working
on the summer project in 2001, Matthew began his collaboration
on Defying Gravity by working on the Thinking Big Possibilities
module, which teaches students about how far humans can explore
in the depths of space. Currently, Matthew is responsible
for spearheading laboratory kit production. He prepares
bone slides for use under a microscope and organizes kits that
enable students to experience the importance of the sense of
smell, which is compromised during space travel. Matthew
will be going to college next year, but for now, he enjoys
his work in the lab at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. as
he puts it, "I've always thought that Defying Gravity
has been a noble, worthwhile project, trying to rekindle interest
in science and math for students."
On
Friday morning, Jan. 21, Dr. Gannon woke his family at 5:50
a.m. to watch the Columbia orbiting high above the earth, visible
in the western sky above City Island. But when tragedy
streaked across the skies above the southwestern United States
on Saturday, Feb. 21, Dr. Gannon was sure the Columbia disaster
would dampen enthusiasm for crewed space travel. However,
the effect was, in fact, just the opposite.
During the week
of Feb 24-28, Defying Gravity was given a major field test
at Life Sciences Secondary School in Manhattan. Despite
the fresh sting of losing seven heroes in the course of exploration,
students and teachers shouted a chorus of approval for continued
efforts to discover new places in the universe.
At
an assembly of students, teachers and Mount Sinai faculty,
held at the Hatch Auditorium at Mount Sinai, students showed
off projects and presented comments and opinions on the novel
educational program. The results were overwhelmingly
positive, and the ninth- and tenth-graders were fascinated
by space travel and its inherent dangers. When Dr. Gannon
asked the crowd of over 200 if they knew of a teacher whom
they would nominate to travel to space in NASA's Educator Astronaut
Program, a roar erupted as the students shouted out the name
of their favorite nominees.
"Defying
Gravity: Embracing Life in Space," renamed from "Enduring
Life in Space" in honor of the Columbia Seven, continues
in its field-test phase. Other schools in the New York City
area have expressed an interest in continuing the collaboration
to bring new educational materials based on space biomedicine
to more students. For more information, visit the project
Web site at: www.defyinggravity.net |