The Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB), which brings together Penn, the National Science Foundation, the Franklin Institute and more than a half dozen other universities, exists in part to help STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) teachers. “Part of our mission has always been lifelong learning,” says Annie Jeong, the CEMB’s former managing director.
Founded in 2016 as an interdisciplinary hub for research and education, the CEMB offers K-12 teachers in Philadelphia a paid, six-week summer program to expose them to cutting-edge scientific research. The teachers then work with CEMB staff, scientists and engineers to develop innovative, hands-on lessons to engage students in STEM-integrated education.
The traditional way to teach concepts like the stress/strain curve—or really any concept in math and science—is to divide ideas by discipline. “We’re trying to bridge the gap between science courses in K-12 education and real-world research,” says Amanda Cottone, the CEMB’s director of STEM Education, who directs the RET. “We want students to learn about careers and opportunities at the intersection of these fields that they otherwise wouldn’t have had exposure to.”
Mechanobiology is inherently interdisciplinary, a blend of biology, engineering, physics and chemistry that asks questions about how living things and physical forces intersect. One of the CEMB’s most popular curricular offerings involves learning about how Venus flytraps convert mechanical stimuli—like the pressure exerted by insects landing on them—into electrochemical activity.
In addition to building a physical flytrap model out of wood, water bottles and rubber bands, students also computationally simulate the voltage-gated ion channels of the cells that allow Venus flytraps to close, and learn how to measure the electrical activity in living plants.
“Most people have never heard of mechanobiology,” says Cottone, “but it’s all around us, from the way our cells divide to crucial indicators of health.”
In addition to curriculum development, the CEMB’s summer program for teachers also provides community. Last summer, Max Lawrence, who teaches engineering at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber, a public middle and high school in West Philadelphia, partnered with Kayla Gay, who teaches math and science to sixth-graders at Cook-Wissahickon, a public elementary and middle school in northwest Philadelphia.
For Lawrence, who studied fine art, computer science and electrical engineering, having a partner with a different educational background proved extremely fruitful. “There’s a lot I don’t know about biology,” says Lawrence. “I was able to ask her questions to help fill in gaps in my understanding.”
Read more at Penn Engineering Today.
