This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My 9th and 10th grade Biology students are brilliant and they want to go to college. California has experienced severe budget cuts which have made it difficult for me to secure the supplies necessary for a college-preparatory lab environment. I teach at a high-needs school in one of the highest-needs cities in California.
I teach a college-preparatory Biology class, but we barely have any supplies! Evidence shows that students who have access to experiential and inquiry-based laboratory activities are more likely to attend and succeed in college. Recently, one of my students asked, "What does it look like inside of a plant cell?" I showed him a picture, but I knew that I should be showing him the real nucleus of a stained leaf cell under a microscope.
Microscopy laid the foundation for modern Biology. I can tell my students that microscopic objects exist, but seeing really is believing. Seeing is good science.
With microscopes, my students will finally be able to unlock the secrets hidden inside of plant and animal cells. They will be able to collect their own samples from their own saliva or from pond scum. They will make and stain their own slides and prove that plant and animal cells have nuclei while bacterial cells do not. They will look at blood tissue and see that even on a cellular level it is different from bone tissue. Microscopes will allow my students to ask and answer advanced and engaging scientific questions.
When surveyed, the majority of my students reported never having used a microscope. This is shocking considering that the next frontier in science is taking place on the micro and nanoscopic level. Using microscopes will allow my students to better understand current scientific research. Microscopes will also prepare them to make scientific discoveries in the future.
One of my students recently asked, "Are we going to use microscopes this year? I've never used a microscope before." I said, "Yes, I'll make it happen." Help my students "focus in" on college. You will make it possible for them to access the beauty and mystery of the microscopic world. You will also help my students receive the college-preparatory education that they deserve.
More than three‑quarters of 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 Ms. Johnson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
