Posted at: 09/22/2009 6:47 PM
By: Axel Gumbel

Medical Edge: Young Scientists

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- The U.S. economy is largely based on science and engineering industries.

But some experts say many schools don't have the tools to produce the quality scientists our economy needs.

Now a doctor at Mayo Clinic is trying to change that.

Doctor Ekker is bringing teachers and students into his lab so they can work together to develop a new curriculum.

And this new line of study is all based on a tiny creature called the zebra fish.

Professor Stephen Ekker and his research team are using zebra fish to encourage future scientists.

"Our so-called pipeline of scientists from the U.S. system is almost empty," says Mayo Clinic Professor Stephen Ekker.

Professor Ekker says the fact that fewer scientists are coming out of the school system is a major problem.

And part of the issue is that resources are just not available for teachers.

"They don't have science curriculums to teach, they don't have science materials to teach. They don't have the active learning modules," Ekker says.

And what they do have is often out dated.

Professor Ekker's solution is to bring scientists, teachers, principals and students into the zebra fish lab at mayo clinic to develop learning modules to take back to the classroom.

Their week in the lab is a real roll reversal. Where teachers are learning and students are teaching.

Professor Ekker says by studying zebra fish kids can learn about biology, ecology, physics, engineering and even genetics.

"If we switch it over to the red, you can see the blood coursing through the veins. And when they enter high school they're going to be a different class of scientist," says Ekker.

Ekker plans to make the learning modules available to school districts nationwide.

After the K8 modules are done, he'll focus on high school curriculum.