I am training the scientists of tomorrow. My passion for science is contagious, and I want students to learn science by doing science. I teach high school biology in Colorado. About 20% of my students are on free and reduced lunch, and even though poverty in the area has been rising, our school's rating has been increasing, too! One special thing about my school is that it is 40% minority students, and the composition of our school closely mirrors that of the U.S. on the last census. I teach students at all levels in biology, from students with individualized education plans to advanced students in AP Biology.
I don't have the money to purchase new science equipment. Like most schools, big budget cuts forced bigger classes and cuts in funding for all programs. I do know that my students are always interested in "real" science, and giving them the opportunity to practice science to learn science is the most effective teaching strategy. I want to offer all students the chance to conduct DNA fingerprinting, rather than just reading about it in books. This is the golden age of biology, and technology is advancing fast. How great it would be if my students could keep pace!
Luckily, DNA technology has come down in cost drastically in the last 10 years, so I can offer my students the chance to actually conduct a DNA fingerprinting and analyze the DNA using gel electrophoresis. The materials I need to do this will help students learn science by doing science. I will need a class set of materials for students to work in pairs. I will need one micropipet, that students will share. I require one classroom kit for DNA fingerprinting, which contains enough materials for students to perform a restriction digest on DNA samples. I will use gel chambers that I already have in class to visualize student results.
You will make it possible for my students to become excited about science. The best way to keep American strong in the future is by training the best scientists and most scientifically literate citizens. The United States lags behind almost every industrialized nation in science achievement, probably because our students are forced to learn "everything" in science--a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep. I want to take the focus off depth and allow students the chance to learn about DNA technology in depth. Getting students excited about science is my goal, and once I grab their attention, I can teach them the nature of science.
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