My students need the industrial strength Rubbermaid tanks and a pump to scale up their aquaponics research systems to provide fresh vegetables for the local food bank throughout the school year.
The premise of my program is to challenge students to make a difference in the health of the world. This project encourages and models collaboration between students, industry, and the local food bank in an effort to address hunger. Ultimately students understand the impact a STEM career can have upon the world.
My students are interested in the study and culturing of aquaponics innovations that may be used as a food source to alleviate not just global hunger but hunger in our local area.
Critical thinking and problem solving skills will be crucial as well as an understanding of the process of science. This project is designed to provide students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned from course work; design their own active inquiry experience; research and upload their data to a database maintained by ISB (a local industry). The overarching goal is to expose students to relevant and rigorous science in a collaborative team effort between teachers nationwide and local industry(ISB) while providing food for the local food bank. Emphasis will be on “doing” science in an effort to impact real-world local as well as global health issues.
My Project
This past year we ventured into the realm of aquaponics. My students designed, constructed, monitored, and managed their aquaponic systems over several months. It was an amazing experience but their systems were on a relatively small scale.It was such an incredible and powerful experience from the design, through construction, and onto the research portion that students would like to scale up the project.
Their goal is to run 3 tanks with growing beds and a large tank for tilapia with the Rubbermaid tanks and a pump.
They intend to grow kale to supply the local food bank throughout the school year. They will also design and implement research projects based upon this system. All data will once again be upload to ISB as part of Project Feed 1010 with the focus on developing sustainable agriculture for all.
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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 Mrs. Caraballo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
