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On this day, my colleagues and I attended the Jason Project workshop at the National Teacher's Science Association national conference. This particular workshop was going to show us how to use household things in laboratory activities as well as showcase the programs they have on their Web site.

The JASON Project connects students with great explorers and great events to inspire and motivate them to learn science. Our award winning curricula:

1. Embed cutting-edge research from NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Geographic Society and other leading organizations.
2. Allow leading scientists to work side by side with JASON students.
3. Challenge students to apply their knowledge to the real-world scenarios scientists face every day.

I was impressed with their laboratory activities because they "tie" them into their programs on the Internet. What a great way to peak a student's interest in science! The softwar programs on the Internet are very good and provide interactiveness that any middle school student will learn from. They even provide you with the curriculum, which is FREE!

JASON's science curriculum units are designed to:

1. Light the spark of inspiration in students
2. Fit within school districts' core 5th-8th grade curricula
3. Adapt to higher and lower levels
4. Align to state and national standards
5. Cover at least five to nine weeks of material
6. Include numerous research articles, hands-on lab activities, videos, games, and multimedia resources
7. Include suggested lesson plans, extensions, interdisciplinary connections, and teacher resources for alignment, assessment, and classroom management.

And, coupled with the fact that they are interacting with real life scientists, you can bet they will inspire students to become a scientist, just like Mr. Smith, Mr. Harris and my Uncle Harlin inspired me to go into the biology.