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Mr. Helfrich's Classroom Edit display name

  • Chenango Forks Middle School
  • Binghamton, NY
  • More than a third of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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We're building an aquatic habitat that will house several axolotls in my classroom. In a class focused on the science of living things, having class pets serves as a memorable learning opportunity and building point for many of the topics we cover in class. Axolotl's need cool water, and traditional methods including fans, evaporative cooling, and shade have struggled to keep the water temperature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. My classroom is on the 2nd floor of our building, and two of its walls receive direct sunlight throughout the day, making it a struggle to keep cool for humans, let alone organisms that require mid-60s water temperatures; a quality water chiller would immediately solve this issue. Axolotls directly relate to topics we cover in class, and provide tangible evidence for students to base their understanding upon. Amphibians- we study amphibians and other classes of vertebrate organisms during our unit on classification and taxonomy. Metamorphosis- Juvenile axolotls never complete the process of metamorphosis, making them unique among amphibians. This is a great discussion point for students. Stem cells / advanced medicine- Axolotls have the ability to regenerate missing or damaged body parts, which has many potential medical implications should we understand how to responsibly attain and harness these cells for humans. This leads into further discussions about genetics, organ transplants, etc. Ecology- the native lakes that house wild axolotls have been subject to man-made habitat destruction, lending to a conversation about how our decisions may negatively impact the other living things on our planet, and force us to focus on sustainability. Genetic engineering- Our axolotls have had a gene artificially included in their DNA that makes them glow (GFP), which serves as a conversation point regarding genetic engineering.

About my class

We're building an aquatic habitat that will house several axolotls in my classroom. In a class focused on the science of living things, having class pets serves as a memorable learning opportunity and building point for many of the topics we cover in class. Axolotl's need cool water, and traditional methods including fans, evaporative cooling, and shade have struggled to keep the water temperature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. My classroom is on the 2nd floor of our building, and two of its walls receive direct sunlight throughout the day, making it a struggle to keep cool for humans, let alone organisms that require mid-60s water temperatures; a quality water chiller would immediately solve this issue. Axolotls directly relate to topics we cover in class, and provide tangible evidence for students to base their understanding upon. Amphibians- we study amphibians and other classes of vertebrate organisms during our unit on classification and taxonomy. Metamorphosis- Juvenile axolotls never complete the process of metamorphosis, making them unique among amphibians. This is a great discussion point for students. Stem cells / advanced medicine- Axolotls have the ability to regenerate missing or damaged body parts, which has many potential medical implications should we understand how to responsibly attain and harness these cells for humans. This leads into further discussions about genetics, organ transplants, etc. Ecology- the native lakes that house wild axolotls have been subject to man-made habitat destruction, lending to a conversation about how our decisions may negatively impact the other living things on our planet, and force us to focus on sustainability. Genetic engineering- Our axolotls have had a gene artificially included in their DNA that makes them glow (GFP), which serves as a conversation point regarding genetic engineering.

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About my class

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