My middle school students are a diverse group who are excited by challenges but are cautious of new situations. They come from different backgrounds and have limited experiences of real world applications of science and engineering. They have great ideas but are unsure how to use those ideas to solve problems.
My students are eager to direct their learning and share their knowledge with others but have limited opportunities to apply their science knowledge to real world engaging experiences like solving crimes.
With only 52 minutes of class a day, my students have limited opportunities to engage in open-ended projects. For this reason, creating new learning opportunities that students can engage in while also sharing the experiences with their families is important to not only their intellectual growth, but also for the emotional and social growth.
My Project
In studying forensic science, my students learn the importance of applying scientific principles to solving crimes. In doing so, my students use computer simulations to conduct virtual autopsies. Imagine the impact that dissecting a frog can have on my students!
Being able to see the body systems and remove each one to analyze it for potential abnormalities will provide my students with a lifetime of memories associated with their first STEM career class.
As my students continue their investigation of the crime, they will need to analyze the crime scene and the blood splatter analysis kit will allow them to apply the physics of forces and motion to help identify suspects. The blood typing kit will allow students to solve the crime and identify the suspect while learning genetics.
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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. Brown and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
