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Pass Me the Salt Research Clubs
High school students and teachers are working with WSU GK-12 fellows and faculty on primary content research projects. Groups meet after school and during lunch periods to investigate new research areas and perform experiments. The GK-12 program has funded the purchase of equipment and supplies to support these projects.
The focus is on generating data that can be presented at regional scientific meetings, ultimately at national meetings. The goal is to generate publications in regional and mainstream scientific journals. The high school students and teachers involved in the research clubs get to experience the joys and frustrations of true research through inquiry and discovery. GK-12 fellows get to bring their research into the classroom and learn by teaching, supplementing the dataset for their thesis research and publications.
Sample Projects
Antimicrobial Discovery - Students are investigating the antimicrobial activities of common plant extracts. Many previous studies have examined plant extracts, but the Pass Me the Salt clubs are looking in new areas. For instance, many times leaves were examined, but roots were not. In other cases, single reports from more than 50 years ago are all that exist. Most studies investigated antibacterial properties, while few searched for antifungal or antiprotozoal activities.
Valsalva Effect - When someone lifts a heavy object improperly, they hold their breath. This increases pressure in the chest, affecting the functioning of the heart. A previous study focused on the role that lifting instructions can have in limiting this effect in college-age subjects. Pass Me the Salt clubs are reproducing this study, but now in high school-age subjects. Students are learning how to use heart monitors and performed controlled physiology studies.
Microbial Pigments - The Salt Plains Microbial Observatory at WSU has isolated hundreds of bacteria from the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma. Many of these salt-loving bacteria produce pigments. In some cases, the pigment content of the microbes changes due to environmental conditions. Pass Me the Salt clubs are investigating the control of pigment production. The role of the pigments is not known at this time, but may be a protective mechanism against damaging unltraviolet rays in sunlight.
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