Project Description
The San Ramon Valley School District and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
(LLNL) are working together to bring state-of-the-art science and technology to high
school classrooms. Together SRVSD and LLNL will transfer the technology used to grow
500 pound used to filter laser beams at the billion-dollar, stadium-sized laser,
the National Ignition facility (NIF) to high school classrooms.
Dr. Natalia Zaitseva, a Russian scientist working at LLNL, developed this technology.
Through her research she is able to grow crystals weighing in excess of 500 pounds
in fewer than 30 days. Ms. Laura Seeley, a Chemistry teacher at Monte Vista High
School (MSHS) working under the direction of Dr. Zaitseva, will scale these protocols
and the crystal growth chamber fit into a classroom environment enabling students
to grow 3 pound crystals in as few as four days.When chemistry teacher Laura Seeley
peers into tile fast-growth crystals she's cultivated this summer at LLNL, she sees
an endless array of possibilities for her incoming students. In fact, she's already
outlined several lesson plans in chemistry and crystal structures to take back to
school next month. Ms. Seeley, working with Lab engineers has developed plans for
a proto-type crystallizer that can be used in the classroom.
With the support of the San Ramon Unified School District and LLNL-STEP, Ms. Seeley
will conduct workshops to pass on this "state of the art" technology to
other teachers. Teachers interested in participating in these workshops can find
additional information by following the links to Dissemination.
Follow the links below to learn move about the project and how you can use this
technology in your classroom.
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