I teach at a high school that is a high need school. At my school, 30% of the students attend a 4 year college or university or go to trade school. I teach 10th grade students, a grade which is a borderline as to dropping out of school or finishing an , in some cases, being the first in his or her family to get a high school diploma. Kids need something to motivate them. I believe that performing experiments that they students normally would not do and that other teachers won't do because they are afraid that they kids will act out of control or tear things up would motivate them.
Dissection is the highlight of a tenth graders life. That is the first question I am asked on the first day of school and I am asked that question at least 4 times a month. I know that the students will be so disappointed if they are not able to dissect an organism. At my school, ordering is in limbo. Our previous principal threw our science department requests in the trash before he left. In the past, when we did have frogs to dissect, the students felt very restricted. There are only a certain amount of frogs for all of the biology teachers. A group of 4-5 students is too large a group for the students to learn from their experience. With your help, students could work in pairs to examine the specimen and work like a true scientist.
To solve this problem, I would like to order rats that have been injected so that the veins and arteries can be easily identified. I would like to order rats over frogs because rats are mammals, just like humans. The organization of the internal organs is extremely similar in humans. Students will be amazed to be able to examine "their" internal organs. Some students have dissected frogs in the past and rats will provide a new challenge for those students who may have previously been exposed to that type of dissection. In addition to challenging students who would otherwise be bored or want to not participate in the frog dissection, the frog dissection would be an excellent way to introduce students to anatomy and physiology. This project would interest the students who may think science is boring or those students that say "I don't like science." Science is not just about worksheets and reading the text. It's about getting out there and getting your hands dirty. This rat dissection will benefit the students immensely by encouraging their scientific minds.
You will make it possible for my students dreams to come true. That is a very cliched saying, but with my students it is the absolute truth. They talk about this dissection all year. I would hate to disappoint them if I am unable to perform this engaging activity due to lack of funds.
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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. R. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.