My students come from varied backgrounds from all over Houston to attend our high school in the heart of downtown. Our institution is a Title I school serving a student body that is 70% students with socio-economic needs. My kids love biology, and they have chosen to express their enthusiasm for the subject by enrolling in AP Biology. They are quite the energetic and inquisitive bunch, engaging routinely by asking insightful questions!
I want my students to have authentic hands-on experiences.
The field of biology continues to grow in leaps and bounds and yet, oftentimes, high school biology teaches yesterday's science. I want my students to be exposed to the most current discoveries and techniques employed in the biological field so they can be better prepared for college-level biology and beyond.
Please help support and fuel my students’ curiosity and passion for biology by providing funding for equipment and materials.
My Project
High school science curricula are typically many years behind the current state of their respective fields, especially in biology. Students often come out of classes like AP biology understanding what was relevant 10 or more years ago which means they have an uphill battle in college to catch up to the present state of biology.
The equipment and materials being requested here will make it possible for my students to have authentic contemporary lab experiences in AP Biology.
In the pGlo BioRad kit, students will gain hands-on experience in genetic engineering by inserting the GFP gene from jellyfish into bacteria. This can be tied to antibiotic resistance and the regulation of gene expression. In the BioFuel kit, students will test the ability of an enzyme to increase the conversion rate of a clear substrate to a yellow-colored product.
These modern biotechnology kits will enable my students to get real hands-on inquiry experience in my classroom! Furthermore, each kit provides multiple inquiry projects which means that I'll get many lessons out of these kits. These kits will help my kids develop scientific skills such as explaining biological concepts, representing processes and systems via models, and engaging in scientific argumentation using analysis of statistical data.
Please help me give my students the tools necessary to fully employ and apply their understanding of biology. Your support would mean that my students can learn the essential concepts used daily in today's biological labs and apply them to new and emerging challenges.
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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. Thao and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
