Day 3 Nano Institute

The focus for today was atomic force microscopes (AFMs). Val reminded us that when we use AFMs we are "seeing" the surface without really seeing it. It is a sensory experience. A good reminder of that was given through the "Braille Game." The essence of this game was to determine what braille letters were punched into the cardboard without looking at it, so we kept them from view under the table while determining what letter was represented.
Similarly, AFM works by tapping along the surface and reading it, rather than looking at the surface with light. AFM gives only a surface image, it does not give color. AFMs can be operated in different modes; contact mode, in which the tip is in constant contact with the surface of the sample, and tapping mode which is used for soft samples such as cells and DNA. Val also advised us of the concerns that may come up with imaging; moving the tip too fast or too slow, the distance between the sample and the tip, and the tip itself. Images were shared showing some of these concerns. The morning continued on with completion of an analogous grid activity where we had to tap a probe along a surface, map it, build a 3-D model, draw the negative spaces of that 3-D model (which I just realized I did incorrectly looking at the picture). Then we made an Excel surface plot and changed the angle of that plot.


Val also discussed her current research, asking frequent questions of us along the way. This helped to keep me engaged in her lecture, as I attempted to put what I've been learning to work.

Following all of this, each of us was able to operate the AFM with Val sitting beside us! It was exciting but frightening at the same time! I am thrilled that my students will have the oportunity to see the AFM when they bring it to school as part of the nano program!

The afternoon was spent in pedagogy discussing issues we may have implementing this nano program in our classrooms and with science education in general. Commenting on that discussion, at HFS we do not have any dedicated space for science and I frequently feel limited by available materials. I would love to have a source to borrow materials as well as guidance in establishing a science club.

Day 1 Nano Institute for Teachers

What a great start to the NANO K-6 Summer Institute! Becky, Mike and Val are terrific at getting essential information across to those, like me, are virtually uninitiated to nanotechnology. We did scale projects where we had to place items where we believed they belonged on a number line by length and then by mass. Those items I am familiar with weren't difficult but those that were very small like viruses and blood cells or very large like the Earth and the sun were a different story! This would be a great activity to do with students. Perhaps begin with those things they are familiar with and then add in microscopic items like blood cells, bacteria and viruses after they've been studied. At a later time in the morning we watched "The Powers of Ten" video.

Mystery boxes were a great way to introduce what we can learn through the use of touch. We then learned about different kinds of microscopes used in studying items at the nanoscale:
scanning tunnel microscope (STM)-tip scans along and maps out surface
scanning electron microscope (SEM)-a beam of electrons scans a sample, the electrons actually go into the sample, and the topography is mapped out
atomic force microscope (ATF)- through tapping the surface with a cantilever, height variations are measured

I loved the discussion on the potential impact of nanotechnology: nano solar cells mixed in plastic and painted on objects, materials that resist stain, paint that doesn't chip, paint that reduces pollution, dvds that could hold a million movies. The implications in the medical field are the most fascinating for me: nerve tissue talking to computers, quantum dots injected to detect disease earlier, growing tissue to repair heart muscle, nanocoatings to prevent viruses. The potential for making repairs to the body is amazing!

This is the video we watched introducing us to nanotechnology: