Hands-on STEM learning experience for Philadelphia students
Help me give my students a chance to experience a science lab like nothing they have ever done before with the Bacterial Transformation Kit.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Fitzgerald's classroom raised $587
This project is fully funded
My Students
Students enjoy learning about science and biology when they can make real world connections to the material. Working in a magnet high school means we get students from all different types of middle schools, and many of them have never had the experiences in their science classrooms to make those connections to the material they learned. In my current AP Biology class we have opened it up to sophomores, juniors, and seniors so this year we have more students then ever before taking the class, and they are all hoping for an incredible adventure through science.
When our students get to high school they are craving real hands-on learning and want to do "real science", but many times they rarely get that experience because equipment and materials can be very costly.
Add to the issue that last year we were completely online and having students buy or acquire their own materials was not possible. They strive to understand the world around them, which makes them exceptional students, and I want to give them those experiences to push their understandings to the next level.
My Project
For many of our students they have never had the opportunity to experience a real world laboratory experience. Running a bacterial transformation lab is expensive so students don't get this experience unless they major in the sciences in college, or perhaps attend a private school. We know however that many students will not major in the sciences because they have never had experiences that show them how exciting of a career they can have.
Performing the bacterial transformation lab is one of those experiences that even if you don't love science you will never forget it, and will always talk about it as one of those "best moments" in school.
The Bacterial Transformation Kit is the classic kit for teaching the central dogma and the basics of genetic engineering. Students transform common bacteria, normally killed by antibiotics, with a plasmid containing DNA that will confer antibiotic resistance. Students calculate efficiencies of transformations and investigate factors that might alter the effectiveness of transformation. This lab illustrates the basic processes of genetic transformation, gene expression, and natural selection.
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 Mr. Fitzgerald and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
