My students need the most basic lab equipment (thermometers, meter sticks, goggles). These will be used several times a week. The department only has one set of these.
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My Students
This year we were told that the science department's budget was exactly $0. The National Science Teacher Association says that we should be doing several labs a week, but in the department we have one classroom set of many of the most basic supplies (thermometers, goggles, etc.).
I am a 9th grade biology teacher at a large comprehensive high school.
My high school is composed of 6 schools within a school. Students in each of these small learning communities are assigned via a lottery, and the demographic of each small learning community is reflective of the demographics within the district. The district is approximately 35% white, 35% African American, and 30% other.
My Project
When you walk into some biology labs, they don't really feel like biology labs, right? There are some posters and desks and that kind of stuff, but that's not what science is about. Science is about inquiry and experiments and getting your hands dirty.
When kids come into my classroom, I want them to know that they're going to be doing labs several times a week. We're going to start school by doing the Metric Olympics so we need thermometers, meter sticks, and balances, then we're going to dissect cow eyeballs so we need safety glasses. Basically every lab we do needs one of these four things and that's why I've requested them. Most bang for your buck! And right now the need is urgent! We have about 3 thermometers in my classroom.
In my opinion, getting kids excited about practicing science - the experimental, hands-on part - is just as important (if not more) than the content we teach them.
My students need experience with the methods of science and measurement and analysis. These are skills that they will use throughout their lives - scientists or not. They are totally transferable.
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