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I'm a first year chemistry I, chemistry II, and physical science teacher at a Title I high school. My students live in the upper part of the Mississippi Delta, and the overwhelming majority are African-American students on free or reduced lunch. Many of them "do not like" ... " MORE

I'm a first year chemistry I, chemistry II, and physical science teacher at a Title I high school. My students live in the upper part of the Mississippi Delta, and the overwhelming majority are African-American students on free or reduced lunch. Many of them "do not like" science, and most only know science as a set of notes that a teacher gives to them, since they do not have access to a functional science lab or funding for equipment or chemicals. My students have learned about the laboratory and standard science experiments by looking at pictures in the book in the past, instead of by DOING them.

My students beg to do science experiments. When we do them, they get excited about science. It is obvious that hands-on science helps them to retain science knowledge, since it allows them to use their senses to experience science. Furthermore, most of my students struggle with higher-level thinking. Science experiments provide a perfect opportunity to develop skills of inquiry-based science, to increase conceptual thinking capabilities, to analyze cause and effect relationships, enhance writing skills through lab reports, and to critique procedures for sources of error and design methods for improvement. However, our lab options are limited. We do not have access to a laboratory setting, so all of our experiments must be done at the students desks in the normal classroom. The lab equipment that I have is outdated and very limited in quantity. My school owns three hot plates. All are outdated, caked in chemical residue, and are severely rusted. One does not work at all, another is broken so that the heating coil is exposed and it is not safe to use. We don't have functional gas in the school for bunsen burners, so my students have no way of doing experiments that require heating.

My students need two new hot plates. These portable devices would be perfect for using within our classroom, and would benefit students in all three of my classes by allowing teacher demonstrations and a variety of lab experiments. With the hot plates, my students would be able to learn about phase changes, thermodynamics, and more. My chemistry students would be able to learn about saponification by making soap, and my physical science students can see how chemistry applies to everyday life by doing "cooking chemistry". My students could learn about crystal formation by making rock candy....the possibilities are endless. In my science classes, I try to encourage my students to consider college as an option and to support those that are planning on going to college, and I try to help my students to see that science is exciting. The hot plates will help my students to become familiar with standard lab equipment that they will be expected to use if they go to college, and they will help make science applicable and interesting to my students.

Your help will make it possible for my students to do many different lab experiments and to become more excited about science!

My students need two hot plates.