My students need a power supply to run their forensics experiments.
FULLY FUNDED! Dr. Falin's classroom raised $515
This project is fully funded
My Students
The motto in my classroom is "Learn Science by Doing Science." We do a lot of inquiry-based activities and labs. The goal is that students not only learn the concepts, but that they experience how those concepts are applied to solving problems and how they relate to other disciplines.
I teach in a small rural school in West Virginia.
We have about 300 students in grades 9 through 12 and I teach chemistry, AP chemistry and physics to 11th and 12th grade students in both professional and vocational tracks. The small size of our school, and the fact that most of our students have attended school together since beginning primary school, makes our student body a really cohesive group.
There is a high rate of poverty, as is true in most of the state, but our school has consistently met annual yearly progress in recent years. However, they deserve more and the inclusion of a more active learning model engages and excites students about science. Our project-based physics class has increased in size so much over the past two years that a second session had to be added. The first offering of AP chemistry at our school has brought an enrollment of 12 students. Now its our turn to keep that ball rolling forward by providing them with an enriching educational experience.
My Project
Our entire science faculty is new. We all started three years ago and have been working at building our curriculum and department. Going through the storage rooms, we discovered a fantastic set of equipment just sitting there. These include gel electrophoresis chambers, UV lamps, pipets, a rocker, solutions and kits for DNA and protein analysis. They've never been opened. It seems that the school received this generous gift, but it has gone unused. Despite thorough searching, there is one necessary piece of equipment missing. We're lacking a power supply. Once we get this, this equipment will be put to use in the classroom!
Working in small forensics teams, students will analyze DNA using restriction enzymes and separation by size using gel electrophoresis, They will then complete a DNA fingerprinting project. Finally, interested students will have the opportunity to conduct a project to purify green fluorescent protein and learn how it is used in biomedical research.
The age of the CSI and crime show has made forensics a very popular subject with students these days.
This equipment will be the centerpiece of a forensics unit that will provide a bridge between biology, chemistry and physics. It will also give the students a taste of what really happens in a modern biotech or biomedical lab, and perhaps inspire some to explore these areas further.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Dr. Falin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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