Past projects 9
Dissections and Tech for Future Doctors
Funded Oct 21, 2019Once again generous donors have made a huge impact in my low ses school district. The access to laboratory materials and technology has made all the difference. Access to computers at our school is at minimum so trying to integrate technology becomes almost impossible. Having gotten laptops through this project I am now able to integrate technology easily and with much flexibility.
Students appreciate having access to the technology even during their lunch periods. Many students utilize the laptops outside of the class period. So the laptops are having positive effects to many other classrooms in my building not just mine. I have a certain group of students that spend every lunch period in my class working on the laptops. I know for these students this is such a gift as they do not have access to technology at home and many of the courses they take require access. I am grateful to my donors for giving me the opportunity to give my students this much deserved resource.
I look forward to ordering our fruit flies in the next week or so. Students will be able to get real experience with living organisms to study genetics. It makes the concepts we learn in class so much more meaningful when they get to apply their knowledge in the laboratory setting. Many of my students are going to be biology and/or other science majors so getting access to these laboratory materials is going to prepare them for the types of laboratory experiments they will experience at the collegiate level.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
Technology for the Next Generation of Scientists
Funded Oct 23, 2018The lab materials have already made a huge impact on my classroom. We were able to perform meaningful, college level laboratory experiments because of your generous donation. In the coming weeks my students will be working with live fruit flies and performing genetic crosses. This hands on experience will bring to life the concepts they learned.
This the first year that I requested technology in the form of laptops. I cannot believe the difference it has made already! Access to technology in our building is very limited in order to get laptops you need plan way in advance- it completely takes the spontaneity of creative teaching out of the equation. I have been able to start a new initiative to develop scientific graphing and interpretation skills. My students are now becoming confident creating graphs and manipulating data. This is a huge step forward. It is my hope that by the end of the year my students will be adept at using various platforms to represent their data visually. In addition, I am also hopeful that they will be able to interpret what information they are given at a much higher success rate.
So yes you make a difference to my students and my school. Without the generous donations many of us would not be able to grow as educators as these resources enable us to challenge ourselves to be better.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
Strive for a 5 in AP Biology
Funded Dec 15, 2017I have been hearing from a number of teachers that Strive for a Five is the premier review book for most all AP exams. It was with this in mind that I pursued a project to obtain a copy. I have been using it to augment each unit. It contains great open ended questions and multiple choice questions that involve critical thinking. Exposure to review exams is the best way to prepare my students for our AP biology exam.
Students are required to read nightly as we use a college level text book. In addition, students are often given readings and case studies that require a critical eye when reviewing.
All of my students appreciate all the additional review material that your generous donation made possible.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
Dissections for Future Doctors
Funded Oct 6, 2017My students have just finished dissecting sheep brains as a highlight to our nervous system unit. It was wonderful to have students be able to see a cerebellum as we reviewed it's role in muscle memory. The students were full engaged in this hands on activity. Just recently my students finished their fruit fly genetics labs. My students had spent five weeks isolating, sexing and mating flies. They collected their data and were able to see the patterns of inheritance from the mutations that are flies possessed. This was an opportunity to work with living organisms and deal with the positive and negative traits associated with such work.
The students were very excited to see all the donorschoose materials arrive. I had kept them informed throughout the process and so they were very happy that our project and all the opportunities it contained for them got full funded.
I looking forward to the trying out the materials I received that will allow me to review the central dogma and genetics in a novel way.
In addition, all of my students cannot wait to dissect fetal pigs. This is our big after the AP exam project. Students will get their first glimpse of mammalian anatomy. For some students it will be a stepping stone as they pursue a career in medicine.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
Dissections For Future Doctors!
Funded Feb 3, 2017My students were able to dissect sheep brains when we studied the mammalian brains. They excitedly talked about the cerebellum and how it looks like the tree of life or "arbor vitae". This hands on experience is invaluable. Our fruit fly genetics experiments yielded excellent results and now all of my students have experience sexing and sorting and caring for fruit flies. When they walk into their college labs they will be confident as they again work with fruit flies.
In our school having gloves for students to wear for dissections is not something we take for granted. Thanks to donor choose my students had gloves and will also have them for our upcoming end of the year fetal pig dissection!
Overall, the materials made this course more meaningful. Students feel valued because they have access to laboratory materials that without organizations like donors choose would be out of reach for us. They are proud to be in a class where they get to do interesting, challenging lab work. There is no substitute for these experiences and I am very appreciative for the generosity of all the donors to this project. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
Dissections for Future Doctors
Funded Dec 1, 2015We have benefited from the lab materials for the past several months. The Easy Fly lab materials were the best ever experience I have ever had working with fruit flies. The materials were excellent and students were able to sex and cross their flies and almost all of our results matched up to Mendelian predictions- amazing!!!!! The sheep brain dissection was a highlight of our unit on the nervous system. Students thoroughly enjoyed getting to examine brain parts after having read about them- there is no substitute for that hands on experience. All year we have been talking about the fetal pig dissection that will be a reward for finishing what is a very challenging course. all of my students are looking forward to that dissection in the weeks ahead.
Students were very excited as they saw the boxes of materials line up. We did a round of applause and a shout out to our generous donors.
It would not be possible to do most of the hands on labs that I have been able to do because of donors choose projects and the generosity of donors. I can not imagine teaching AP biology with any less laboratory experiences and so I feel so fortunate that through this organization I was able to provide my students with a college level laboratory experience. Hopefully, I will be able to continue this trend and never have to limit the experiences my students have because their district has no funding for such things..”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
"Dissections For Future Doctors"
Funded Dec 5, 2014We have started our fetal pig dissections in my AP biology classes. You can see by looking at the pictures the exuberance that students have (and their in school!) for this fantastic experience. They are asking probing questions and learning things about mammalian anatomy that they would of never been exposed to if not for your generosity.
In addition, my regular biology students are so excited about dissecting frogs next week at the mention of it they erupt with enthusiasm.
These experiences you have provided will be the most memorable (and favorite) for my students when they look back at their high school years.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
Dissections For Future Doctors!
Funded Mar 19, 2014At the beginning of the course I asked my students if they liked the idea of doing dissections following our AP biology exam instead of another type of project. The decision was unanimous-all students were thrilled to have a hands on opportunity. Many of my students had never completed any type of dissection and they are mostly seniors! So when I created the project on donors choose I was hoping that I was not going to have to tell them "Sorry guys we did not get funded." Instead, because of your generosity we excitedly received our fetal pigs, cow eyes and other essential dissection materials. The materials were waiting for us for weeks as we worked so hard towards our big ap exam on May 12th.
I was fairly certain it was going to be a great experience but I was wrong it was beyond great. My students were not only fascinated by the pigs (they were the biggest fetal pigs I have ever seen!) but they felt so special to be able to do such an extensive dissection. They invited friends from other classes to sit in, they posted pictures daily chronically the 6 day dissection on schoology- it was simply wonderful.
As the title of our project states many of my students dream of being doctors someday and I was able to see the future doctor in some of my students in their careful and precise dissection technique. I am going to try and make this part of the ap biology curriculum and I hope that donors choose can continue to support my curious, hardworking students. There were so many great pictures it was hard to choose just six! Thank you so much for making the end of our ap biology course so interesting, meaningful and exceptional.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett
This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T Foundation and 6 other donors.Getting Students Excited About Evolution and Ecology
Funded Jan 8, 2014My students were so excited about having an opportunity to complete hands on ecology and evolution laboratory experiments.
The predatory prey experiment was definitely a class favorite. Students excitedly picked groups of 4 and each student chose a feeding tool. It was especially entertaining to watch students trying to manipulate two sticks (those that regularly use chopsticks were pro's!). Each group had to rotate to different environments; which included sand, water and dry land. It really gave all the students involved an appreciation of how adaptations to ones environment enable them to thrive in one setting but would be a detriment in another setting.
This was an activity that allowed all students to participate, all abilities got to shine. Donors you can find great joy in the fact that you made possible an authentic, fun filled experience for my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Barnett