UBEATS Project
UBEATS is a BioMusic formal education initiative funded by the National Science Foundation as a Discovery Research K-12 exploratory project and is a collaboration of UNCG and North Carolina State University. Award: $374,000.
UBEATS: Universal BioMusic Education Achievement Tier in Science is a 2 ½ year curriculum development project that focuses on the ‘science of music’ for elementary grades 2 to 5. Two teams of in-service teachers comprised of science teachers and music teachers developed innovative modules for upper and lower elementary grades that conform to national science and music standards. The lessons feature inquiry-based learning that builds science-processing skills through investigations of the natural world’s musicality. In July 09, UNCG hosted a UBEATS Summer Institute for 20 teachers and 25 students to introduce the curriculum and to launch a UBEATS Teacher Cohort in the Guilford County Schools and surrounding school districts to beta-test the curriculum during AY09/10.
Virtual Mentors include: Roger Payne (whale songs) Ocean Alliance; Steve Nowicki (bird songs) Duke University; Don Hodges (music/brain) UNCG; and Doug Quin (bioacoustics) Syracuse University; Tecumseh Fitch (animal communication), U of Vienna.
Advisors include:
Dr. John Bransford
PI, NSF-SLC LIFE Center
College of Education
University of Washington
Dr. Cynthia Williamson
Director, Curriculum, Instruction & Technology
North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction
Ms. Christie Ebert
Arts Education Consultant
North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction
Dr. Sam Houston
North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center
Research Triangle Park
Consultants include: Ms. Zebetta King, NC Science Teacher of the Year 2009; Mr. Philip Blackburn, composer and bioacoustician.
