This project reaches 275 students; 250 of which are freshmen, Honors Biology students, and the other 25 are enrolled in the school’s AP Biology course. The school is a performing arts magnet, so piquing the scientific interests of young artists can often be its own challenge. I desire to give my students the chance to experience what being a scientist is all about, showing them that they can succeed at both the arts and sciences. Their minds are overflowing with creativity, so inspiring their imaginative intellect to think, analyze, and question like a scientist is a highlight to my every day. I enjoy introducing students to unknown topics and exploring problems that often have many answers.
My students are highly creative, brilliant, and motivated artists who are inspired by the world around them.
They are inquisitive, gifted learners who enjoy being challenged to push their learning and understanding further than the requirements of state standards. Because these students are all visual artists, many of my students are hands-on learners and benefit from being able to create their own visual models of how they conceptualize information from the coursework.
My Project
The College Board AP Biology curriculum recommends students conduct upwards of 8-10 of the 13 labs deemed necessary for students to complete in order to fulfill the requirements set by most colleges and universities for the introductory Biology course; one of these labs is bacterial transformations. In this lab, students take a segment of DNA from a jellyfish that codes for bioluminescent proteins and insert it into the genome of E. coli bacteria. After several days of incubation, students will grow colonies of E. coli bacteria that now have the ability to glow blue. In Honors Biology, students are encouraged to think about life from the perspective of other organisms. When learning about cellular structure and function, students often compare the differences between prokaryotes (bacteria) and eukaryotes (plants, fungi, animals, and protists). Students have often heard of different bacterial species but do not know how to identify these colonies when looking at them under a microscope. Growing different bacterial colonies will ensure students obtain a better understanding of the life these prokaryotic organisms live, allowing them to apply their new insights of advantageous bacterial adaptations to each of the units that are taught throughout the school year.
Biotechnology is a huge industry that continues to add new pathways and areas of research each year; giving high school seniors an introduction to basic biotechnical skills ensures that these students enter college with a basic understanding of what will be expected of them during their time in college and in the field.
By funding this project every Biology student at our school to obtain new knowledges of bacterial species. This incubator is specifically designed to help grow bacterial colonies and your support will ensure that our students receive this education.
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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. Riccio and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
