Scroll down for this week's project. On tap this week: Aquatic Ecosystems!
Reminder: Look for "The Inoculation Project" every Friday afternoon!
The Inoculation Project: Math & Science in Red State Schools
Solid science education is the best inoculation against ignorance.
The objective of this weekly project is to combat the anti-science push in conservative America by providing direct funding each week to math and science projects in red state classrooms.
Fortunately, a conduit organization for achieving this direct funding already exists: DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose.org allows you to make direct contributions to specific classroom projects (all vetted), resulting in tremendous and immediate impacts from small dollar donations.
Each week we focus on funding a single small-dollar project in a traditionally red state classroom. These are projects whose funding requests are expiring within the next week. If the projects are not funded by their expiration date, they die.
.
This Week's Project
Project: Sink or Swim Time in Aquatic Science
Resources Needed: an aquarium and supplies for a newly established Aquatic Science class in order to study aquatic ecosystems
School Poverty Level: High
State: Texas
Total Cost: $517.40
Still Needed: $95.00 FULLY FUNDED!
Expires: Mar 26, 2011
Click to Donate
Teacher's Comments:
My Students
I have enjoyed aquariums since I was 10 years old and was thrilled to find out I would be teaching an Aquatics Science course this year. Unfortunately, we are lacking basic supplies to create aquatic systems for students to study and learn from.
My students come from a fairly low socioeconomic area of a large Texas city. I am trying to provide them with experiences that they would not normally have in their private lives away from school. Some of my students have never had any opportunity to experience the joy of taking care of any form of wildlife. These students get the opportunity, in our class, to take ownership of these aquariums, and learn the science behind the aquatic ecosystem. We have set up 2 small tanks in the classroom and the students are responsible for maintaining them.
Our grant is asking for funds to create a larger aquarium system in which we can study cichlids. The students will be able to study what makes up a habitat, how external factors affect an ecosystem and make real world connections to how small changes affect our aquatic world today.
My Project
I am requesting a 29 gallon aquarium, hood and filter along with glo fish for these classes. These resources will provide my students with an opportunity to set up multiple aquatic ecosystems in the classroom to study. They will be responsible for taking care of living organisms and determining the elements that create a healthy ecosystem. Our vision is to focus on the Cichlid species, some from Africa and also from South America, and use them to compare and contrast their habitats and behaviors. We will also attempt to breed cichlids in captivity.
By creating these aquariums, they will have hands-on experience that can translate into real-world applications. Each student will be able to take various measurements of the system and determine how these factors relate to our aquatic systems worldwide and how humans are interacting and affecting with our natural habitats.
These donations will allow students from a low socioeconomic background to experience something they have never had the chance to enjoy. It will peak the interest in an area of science that is growing day by day, and may lead to a career for some students in the area of Aquatic Science.
Please consider rescuing this project by making a small donation to it. Small dollars make a big difference.
.
Good News
Last week's project, The Great Science Film Makers, got rescued!
Here's what the teacher had to say:
I am a fifth grade teacher and I teach Math, Science, and Social Studies. Our school is a low socio-economic school with 95 percent on free and reduced lunches. We are also predominately Hispanic. My students will benefit greatly from y project because they will experience hands-on science in the classroom. Watching the caterpillars change into butterflies will be a learning experience that will not match that of book learning. Using the camera to catch each day's changes will only enhance and solidify their learning process.
We greatly appreciate your funding for this project. Thank you for letting us have the opportunity to experience science in a fun and interesting way!
With gratitude,
Mrs. F.
.
Projects Funded So Far
Can we grow this list of successes?
The Viking Shark Project
Weight Our Learning
Complications - Reading to Learn About the Human Body
The Colorful World of Science
Fill Our Display Case!
Magnetic Learning
Caught By A Kiss
Add, Subtract, Write, and Save the Trees!
Math Mania!
AVID Style Interactive Notebooks
Human Body Study for my Science Class
Physics Visuals
Rocks Rock at Knox
Owl Pellet Fun!
To the Front of the Class
Help A Fishy Cause
Microscopes for Illumination
What Day is it? I Forgot!
Absent Scientists
Math Centers Full of Learning!
Time For Kids?
Extend Our Learning
We've Got the Power to Learn Math (Help Us Get Charged Up)
We Are "Mac-ing!"
Help CreateNew Experiences & LearningThrough Nonfiction Text
Projecting Success!
Help Us See. Help Us Learn
Save The World ... Make It A Better Place!
Feathered Friends
Write and Stick Learning
Leading Through Learning
Hands on ESL Scientists
Electricity Shock!
Up and Atom...A Chemistry and Math Experience!
Sun Power!
Erupting With Excitement!
I Believe I Can Fly!
Art and Science Team Up!
Bringing the Earth Up Close and Personal
Fixing the Ditch
Creepy, Crawly, Critters!
Macro Micro Nano: The Minuscule World Revealed
VaVaVaVoom Vibrant Math in Art
Ant-icipating Results!
Exploring Force and Motion
Calculating our Potential in Physics and Chemistry
Let Me See It: Representing Mathematical Models
He Ate WHAT?!?
Chemistry is a Piece of Cake!!!!!
Current Events in Science
"Prints, Bones And Stones," Oh My!!
6th Grade Science Fair Here We Come!
Super Science Centers Grade 1
Math Maniacs Need More Games
123 Count With Me!
Have Rockets...Will Travel!
Lab Notebooks (Just Like a Real Scientist)!!
Reading and Math is AWESOME!!! WE LOVE IT!!!!
Elements You Can See
Truth of Fertilizer: Investigative Research
The Pendulum Swings
Young Scientists: Investigating and Recording Data
Hands on Physics
Getting to The Roots of Our Plants!
Help Me Protect My Students
Have Fun With Math And Science!!!
Hands on Heredity
Happy Hypermedia Creates Happy Homeroom
Science Technology - Time to Interact
Watch it Grow
Interactive Math for 4th Graders
Math Manipulative Mania!
Help Us Get Wired for Our Robot Competition!
Scientific Learning with ScienceSaurus
Our 4th Annual Science Fair!
I see. I think. I can
Math Is Everywhere in 3rd Grade!
Keeping It Real with Non-Fiction Reading!
Science Students Need Hands-on Research Capability
Creating Science Solvers and Critical Thinkers
Picture-Inspired Writing
HP for AP Chemistry
Creating Science
The Quest for Math
Video by Van
Environmental Science DVDs
Motivate to Cultivate
Saving a Life at Mc Nair
CSI: Classroom Science Investigation
Math Monster Mania
Makin' Math Fun!
The Great Science Film Makers
.
Helpful Links
DonorsChoose.org
DonorsChoose.org Blog
DonorsChoose.org Donor FAQ
All DonorsChoose.org Math & Science Projects
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with DonorsChoose.org, or any of the classroom projects presented for funding. I'm just volunteering my time and pixels to make a difference.