GRADUATE LEVEL RESEARCH IN HIGH SCHOOL STEM SCIENCE

CLASSROOMS
Amber Hups, Kent Hups

Northglenn High School 601 W. 100

High School students are having an impactDeveloping processes

on authentic scientific research. At Northglenn High
School, the geology students are taking science to new
and higher levels. They have an established partnership
with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS).
Student researchers assisted the DMNS by sorting and
Fig 1.1 Researchers
cataloging and typing
cataloging Pleistocene epoch fossil fauna and flora. The
seeds
research conducted by students uncovered problems
unpredicted in the initial scope of work, generating
proposals and grants. Students are currently working
with researchers from the United States Geological
Survey, the DMNS, the Denver Botanical Gardens and
numerous universities in attempts to germinate
Potamogetonaceae folious (leafy pondweed).

Abstract

to support graduate level research

experiments, they will be evaluating possible avenues. Some of

Fig 5 Modern
Potamogetonaceae folious
(leafy pondweed) seeds
that will be germinated

Fig 1.2 Information used

to morphotype different
species of seeds

Fig 2 Researchers
developing different
growing mediums

Fig 3 Grow box used to

alternate amounts of
sunlight

the steps being considered are: Locating and germinating

modern seeds to assist in establishing strong controls that can
be used in future experiments; Evaluating results from previous
trials and either eliminating failures that have exhausted all
possible avenues or modifying some or all of the variables;
Acquiring additional grant money to modify existing equipment
and build or purchase new equipment; Work more closely with
institutions such as The Denver Botanical Gardens and CSU to
establish tighter controls and processes.

Research Summary / Conclusion

Introduction/Background

In the fall of 2011,

the DMNS agreed to lend material from the
Snowmastodon project (featured in National
Geographic and Nova) to students who are assisting in
the sorting and cataloging of 50,000 to 115,000-yearold micro fossils. Through this process, student
researchers determined that the flora greatly
outnumbered the fauna. Having such a large fossil seed
assemblage created a problem of storage, and it
became evident that most of the cataloged seeds
would have to be disposed of. In the fall of 2012, a
proposal was submitted to the DMNS asking permission
for the students to attempt to germinate the seeds. In
March of 2013, the first attempts to grow the seeds
were made. In February of 2014, the students wrote a
successful grant that enabled them to purchase
materials used by other scientists who have
successfully germinated ancient seeds. Papers have
Methods
been published on the students work.
Morphology - The seeds were morphotyped by
species and then by size, and then by the morphology
of the inside and outside of the seed. On the inside of
the seed the location of the comma head, the embryo,
and the shape of the wall, along with the location of the
outside seam, the style base, and the trap door were
used to identify the species (figures 1.1 and 1.2).
Viable versus Non-Viable - Seeds were typed as
viable by the amount of damage to the seed. This was
determined using high magnification. Seeds that were
split open were not considered viable and were left out
of any growing attempts (Figures 7.1 and 7.2).
Growing Mediums - Different mediums were selected
based upon research from published articles and
personal interviews. Several mediums were used that
were developed from international scientists who
successfully germinated 33,000 year old seeds
(Figures 2 and 6).
Varying Degrees of Light - Varying light times based
upon seasonal sunlight and germination times of extant
plants (Figure 3).
Alternating Temperatures - Temperatures were
regulated using refrigeration based upon research that
mimicked thermocline temperatures of present high-

Ave. Northglenn, CO

th
Next Steps As the researchers progress with future

Fig 6 Compounds used to

develop different growing
mediums for seeds
Examples
showing
fossil
pondwee
d seeds.
Fig 7.1
shows
viable
seed,
where fig
7.2
shows
nonviable
seed.
Notice
the trap
door in
7.2 is
open
exposing
embryo

Fig 7.1

Presently none
of the seeds have germinated. By studying the results of
these past attempts, all future experimentation will be driven
by a combination of detailed research on successful
germinations, interviews with experts, different combinations
of mediums based on research, and the successful
germinations of modern Potamogetonaceae folious seeds.
Developing processes in the classroom supporting high-level
learning can be daunting, however using partnerships and
creative thinking can reduce the stress. Finding problems that
are relevant, engaging, and capable of generating graduatelevel student thinking in a high school classroom are pertinent
to the success of this kind of program. Though scientific
research often comes with disappointment, it also generates
invaluable lessons that transform high school students into
scientists. The hope is that eventually these motivated
student researchers will succeed in getting some of the oldest
seeds ever found to germinate, and in the process develop
ideas that other researchers will use and create a better
understanding of the world around us.

Acknowledgements

Fig 7.2

We would like to thank Dr.

Richard Stuckey for his permission to assist in his
research, Dr. Ian Miller for granting us permission to
attempt to grow the seeds, Dr. Joe Sertich for his
guidance, Laura Strickland for her expertise and lab work,
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science for allowing
us to perform this work, The Denver Botanical Gardens
for their assistance in modern seeds, The United States
Geological Survey, Chris Gdowski , Janette Walters and
Sharee Blunt for given us the freedom to attempt things
that have never been done.

References:

Fig 4 Refrigerator
modified to simulate high
altitude pond water
thermoclines and grow
light to simulate sunlight

Fig 8 Diagram showing

stratigraphic cross section
comparisons of sediments
containing fossil seeds. Used
with permission by the DMNS
from the Snow Mass fossil
site.

Strickland, L., Baker, R., Thompson, R., & Miller, D. (2014). Last interglacial plant macrofossils and climates from
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Biological Sciences - Plant Biology: Svetlana Yashina, Stanislav Gubin, Stanislav Maksimovich, Alexandra Yashina,
Edith Gakhova, and David Gilichinsky Regeneration of whole fertile plants from 30,000-y-old fruit tissue buried
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Leopold, L. B. (2000). Temperature profiles and bathymetry of some high mountain lakes. Proceedings of the
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Palaeobotany: Ice-age steppe vegetation in east Beringia. Nature, 423(6940), 603-603.
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