First off, I would like to say that it is hard to believe that myself and my fellow Kenans are in the last leg of an incredible journey.

The “Pouring over my Poor Mites” project has been a game changer in the classroom in the fact that my students have gotten a chance to play an intimate role in a major scientific study. Kayla, Maribeth and I were able to take the science we experienced and tailor it to our grade level curriculums. We were also able to input information into our curriculum based on our insights of the classrooms we teach in and restrictions we calculated that we would confront during the year.

For me, I was able to introduce a Paidiea piece by way of a Socratic Seminar.  I introduced my students to this study in this manner for them to be able to ask questions, come up the answers and set a strong foundation in understanding the other parts that would come later.  Some of those parts being, understanding what the scientists know, how is the research process conducted, being able to take samples for the study and how the information from those samples is gathered. Having time to present and learn it seemed to be a constant. To help this I made sure that I was able to insert Mites in the units where I covered multicellular organisms, cells and DNA.

This curriculum and the activities that go with it can easily engaged teachers and students alike. There is information, the “Eww” factor, and sampling.

There so much information that Dr. Fergus and the other researchers are getting and can get from this study. Classrooms locally and abroad can increase samples groups by collecting Mite samples and sending them in to be analyzed.  The more information they are able to gathered the more questions they will be able to answer about this mite that lives in our pores.

The “Eww” factor….hey, they are Mites that live on our face! Intro to interest does not get any than that.

And students and teachers can get their fellow classmates and colleagues on board in giving samples to the research. They become active participants in any on going study that they can follow the actual results of.