This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
STEM careers are of great demand, but there are not enough workers to meet the criterion for these jobs in 2030, especially from minority groups. At our school in Newark - NJ, our students are curious, engage, and innovative in scientific projects. This past year, eight students showcased their work at the NJ Academy of Science (June 2018). The two projects were entitled: Rosemary leaves as an organic bug repellent against fire ants (Solenopsis Invicta) and Developing a model system to study the negative effects of cigarettes fumes on organismal growth. This was a great experience for our students to engage and exchange ideas with other students, mentors, and the scientific community. For the next academic year, our students' next goal is to improve their findings.
It is our hope, we can count on you (the public) for your support via personal donation, employer donation or employer equipment donation to help us improve our science facility and continue to create scientific innovators of tomorrow.
As you can see from the above, student scientific future goals, We will need help with common laboratory supplies such as gloves, media, and many more.
My Project
In Newark - NJ, about 71% of students graduate with a High School degree; however, only 12.7 % of students graduate with a college degree and 3.7 % students obtain a doctorate or professional degree. This is not beneficial to the city’s socioeconomic status, specifically in a highly technological era. For this reason, it is my goal to develop an inclusive STEM curriculum that can benefit and empower our Bardian students with critical thinking, innovative ideas, and scientific skills.
Our students will continue their project by:
1. Evaluating diverse strategies to improve their organic ant repellent and observe whether it can affect other bugs too. In addition, the ant genomic DNA will be isolated and PCR techniques will be used to determine changes in gene levels due to repellent exposure.
2. The cigarette model apparatus will be used to determine cigarettes fumes effects on plant development. Plant seed germination and growth will be recorded. Plant genomic DNA will be isolated to determine any alterations in genes associated with stress. Students will learn to make primers, PCR analysis, and gel electrophoresis.
3. Testing the effects of bisphenol analogs on nematodes survival. The nematodes will be observed under the dissecting scope using the Petri dishes containing a special medium, exposure to three BPA analogs will be analyzed. Egg laying, Egg hatching, and nematodes behavior will be analyzed. Metabolic assay staining will be conducted to determine its toxicity on lipids.
4. The planarian model will be used to investigate the effects of the bisphenol analogs on tissue regeneration. Under the dissecting scope using the Petri dishes, the exposure to three BPA analogs will be analyzed.
It is my hope that through these experiences, our students will obtain the necessary scientific skills to tackle the scientific job industry of 2030. With your assistance and donating towards this project, we will receive the common laboratory supplies that need to make our goals come alive, such as gloves, Petri dishes, MediaStorage Bottles, and many more.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Dr. Agapito and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
