Bacteria are omnipresent and antibiotics are being used more and more. It is imperative for the future leaders of the Biomedical profession to have hands on experience with live bacterial cultures to appreciate the power of these microscopic organisms so intertwined with our own existence.
My students come from very a wide variety of backgrounds in a high poverty urban school district in Indiana.
My classroom is diverse in race, ethnicity, income, and ability. The students share the same goal, to be a professional in the biomedical field. Students choose to participate in the courses I teach, choose an additional academic science course because of their desire to be in the medical profession. They are motivated and excited to learn. For many they are the first to have the opportunity to continue their education past high school.
My Project
I am requesting an incubator to have in our classroom so students will be able to grow their own bacteria for gram staining. They will have the experience of plating the bacteria with sterile lab techniques. The incubator allows the students to see precisely how their techniques worked. Once the bacteria is grown students will use the gram staining method to identify the types of bacteria they are working with. Students can combine this knowledge and their own research of currently prescribed antibiotics to design a test for the strength and scope of the antibiotic. By growing new bacteria in the incubator with antibiotic discs they will be able to determine which antibiotics work with specific strains of bacteria as well as which are broad spectrum drugs. Students will then apply what they have learned to the Superbug epidemic.
Every student knows what it feels like to be sick, some more than others.
By giving students the opportunity to explore bacteria and antibiotics through the use of an incubator they will become more aware of how we, as a society use as medical interventions. This activity may inspire future medical researchers to create antibiotics that mutate along with the bacteria or future pediatricians to be cautious with the prescription of antibiotics.
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 Mrs. Bozoian and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.