My students need 7 cordless microscopes to view cells--this would be half of a class set. All science classes in the school could use these microscopes.
My school is a large, diverse Title 1 school in Brooklyn. We serve students from literally all over the world, and have large populations of students receiving services as English language learners and for special education. In sixth and seventh grade, students at MS 88 learn about cell parts and functions then build upon this cell knowledge to learn about human bodies. None of our students today can actually view cells in our classrooms. This is crucial learning for middle school students, and often student understanding is confused or incomplete without microscopes for student use. Our school currently only has very old mirror microscopes, which break frequently and are difficult to use in dim classrooms. As our science team plans to teach cells and human bodies, again and again we realize how essential microscopes are for our students to learn about cells. The fact that all living things are made up of cells hinges teacher-centered rote memorization unless students can actually SEE these little building blocks. Only through actually viewing a cell, and identifying key organelles, do students really begin to grasp that their bodies are made up of cells. Then exposing students to the variety of cells in the body helps the students understand why heart cells act differently from skin, bone, or and blood cells. Students can also learn about the difference between animal and plant cells, diffusion, and conduct experiments on bacteria growth, all through the power of seeing life up close with microscopes. Moreover, students need to have experienced using microscopes before high school science if they are to be truly prepared for more advanced sciences.
Our school serves over 800 students and has eight science teachers. This class set of microscopes could be checked out by teachers to use on lab days, both in sixth and seventh grades. With these microscopes, all students would have a chance to work in small groups of two or three even in classes as large as 30 or 32 students, thus maximizing the amount of time each student would have using the microscopes. Because our classrooms are older and have few outlets, using electronic equipment all over the classroom can be difficult and in a crowded classroom, dangerous. Cordless microscopes will enable us to have students use the microscopes at their desks without long extension cords coiling around their feet. By funding this project you can impact the education of literally hundreds of young scientists for years to come.
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