Making materials material to younger students

Materials science and engineering might not have much name recognition among teenagers, but with the right teaching approach it can still excite a class of middle- or high-school students.

That was the theme of an article written by Wojciech Misiolek, director of the Institute for Metal Forming, and Kelly Wardlow, who earned a B.S. in materials science and engineering in 2001 and an M.Ed. in education last May.

The article was published Sept. 23 in the "A member's voice" section of ASM International's e-newsletter. ASM  is the premier society for materials engineers and scientists.

The article described an outreach program through which Lehigh students majoring in materials science and engineering teach lessons in materials at K-12 schools and develop companion web sites for teachers at the schools. The program, which reached more than 300 students in third grade through high school, has been expanded into an experimental course called The Education Option for materials science seniors and graduate students.

"Materials science and engineering, although a key to almost every emerging technology, is often one of the least known engineering disciplines," Wojciech and Wardlow wrote. Wardlow now teaches mathematics at East Norriton Middle School in Norristown, Pa.

In a survey conducted by the Lehigh students, 79 percent of the middle-school students said after the Lehigh presentations that they wanted to learn more about materials science and engineering. A total of 37 percent of the high-school students said they would be interested in attending a materials science camp.

The ASM article can be read at the ASM website