We need five oxygen sensors and seven sets of microscope slides to create an amazing learning experience.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Snodgrass's classroom raised $2,796
This project is fully funded
About My Students
My science students are excited to get out of their seats and investigate with almost anything that is set up at the lab stations. There is so much to explore in biology and chemistry, so I feel that it is important for the students to have the opportunity to investigate, collaborate, and use critical thinking whenever possible.
Most of our labs involved communication, working together, and analyzing data/results. Last year I received extremely generous donations that allowed me to acquire the material for STEM based labs. This year, the students will use technology, such as the Vernier LabQuests with sensors during many of their chemistry and biology activities.
Biology students enjoy the opportunity to use the microscopes and technology; therefore, this student inspired project ensures their success in cell biology. Two main components to this project are the eukaryotic cell slides and oxygen sensors which will be used in a way that ensures reliable understanding of organelle structure and photosynthesis/cellular respiration.
My biology students really want to use helpful microscope slides relate to the components of a cell and not just random slides that are usually presented with the microscopes labs. These motivated students found a company that sells slides that actually have the organelles that they need to know. Good for them! Now they will be able to to collaborate and communicate their findings!
In Their Own Words
We would really like to have microscope slides that have structures of organelles and not bizarre specimens that we will never be tested on. Also, we researched oxygen gas sensors and now we really want to create a lab that measures the amount of O2 that is produced in photosynthesis and consumed in cellular respiration.
In 7th grade we needed to know the structure and function of cell organelles but the only pictures were in a textbook. We would talk about how cool it would be to actually see the real organelles but we never had the proper microscope slides. We would REALLY like the opportunity to study the slides we found from Ward's Science.
Secondly, we were a little confused between photosynthesis and cellular respiration, mixing up the changes in CO2 and O2. Now we can eliminate the uncertainty! A couple students and I want to change that by ordering microscope slides, oxygen gas sensors, biochambers and inoculating loops in order create labs that will help more students (like us) understand and like science more!
For the microscope slides, we are going to use STEM technology (we have the equipment) to study the right kind of microscope slides. The inoculating loops will be needed to further our investigation when we prepare our own specimen slides. Furthermore, we are going to help create a photosynthesis and cellular respiration lab using the oxygen sensors that can measure the changes in concentration. This lab idea is super cool because we use the oxygen sensors by inserting them into the biochambers (which we also need) to measure the actual change in gas concentration in parts per million. We can place leaves, yeast, and even crickets into the biochambers!
These two labs are really great because it provides the students at our school better resources that help us really understand what is taught by the teachers and what is in the textbooks. Many of us are interested in biology and chemistry AP next year and these labs will help us.
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