I am so excited about this new school year. It is going to be my best year ever. I can just feel the positive energy in my class!
What is going to make this year insanely amazing and authentic is our Citizen Science projects.
I am so excited to share with my students two different projects that we will be researching this school year.
#1 Blast That, DNA
Students are going to have the opportunity to connect Dr. Julia Stevens’s research with research of scientists around the world! My students are going to learn about the importance of DNA, and how it affects who we are and where we come from. Then students are going to take this knowledge and apply it by importing DNA discovered in Dr. Stevens’s research into GenBank and aligning her DNA research with research completed around the world. Then my students will report back to Dr. Stevens about what they discovered. My students will fill out a google form to assist in their report to Dr. Stevens. Don’t you love technology and the internet!
#2 Maze Runner Bacteria
Students are going to design 3-D printed mazes and experiments. We are going to research how bacteria seeks out nutrient sources. My students will develop their own experiments based on their questions. We want to know how bacteria grows, and if it has preferences for food. If bacteria does exhibit preferences for nutrients, how does the bacteria show its preferences during its growth cycle. After the students design their experiments, they will implement them and take daily photographs. The daily photographs will be turned into stop-motion videos or power point shows. The students will present their findings to Dr. Stevens, and this will assist in her understanding of bacteria growth