A scientifically literate public is crucial if we are to overcome the challenges we face in the future. Science is not a collection of facts, but a process. Students learn science best hands on activities and investigations. Help me provide my students with experiences that will help them.
My students attend a small rural district in eastern Washington State.
Some live in town but most are farm kids. They are accustomed to long days of hard work taking care of animals and tending to the crops. Total enrollment for the district is about 100 students in grades K-12. The school serves families from a range of economic backgrounds. Some come from comparatively wealthy families, while many others live in poverty that is hard to imagine. Because the local economy is based in agriculture, employment is limited; 40% of students are eligible for free or reduced meals.
In order to offer as broad a curriculum as possible teachers in our district must be flexible and able to teach a variety of subjects. I teach all sciences in grades 6 through 12 including: biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, earth science, and environmental science. It is my goal to use science to broaden my students’ understanding of the world and their place in it.
My Project
Students are visual learners and photography is a great way for them to demonstrate learning. In my classes my geology students photograph evidence of past geologic activity, my environmental science students photograph evidence of human impacts on the environment, and my biology student use digital photography to make stop motion animated films of mitosis and meiosis. In making these films students must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the phases of mitosis and meiosis, the movement of the cell parts, and the appearance of the chromosomes. By creating stop motion animated films students begin to see these vital cell processes as a fluid and dynamic rather than disconnected and disjointed. However, finding enough compatible digital cameras is always difficult. Having our own cameras will make this project and others like it easier. By funding this project you will help me to provide students with great educational experiences.
In this time of budget deficits, I find myself making increasingly difficult choices about which materials to buy.
Inevitably my students are being shortchanged. With your help we can continue to provide students with experiences that make science interesting and exciting. Thank you for supporting science in our schools.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Wysock and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
