| Description | The project will be designed to identify through research if the mosquitoes that are biting the students before during and after school are the type that carry the West Nile Virus that is currently plaguing the Gulf Coast. Students will collect specimens and photograph them with different magnification using standard classroom microscopes equiped with a digital camera and with Intel Play which produces computerized images. The next step would be to utilize BugScopes electron micoscrope and the expertise of your scientists and technologists to determine what West Nile Virus is the the mosquito that carry this deadly virus . All photos will be used on a website describing the type of mosquitoes discovered in our area. This issue is a concern being reported through the news media that is affecting many communities were mosquitoes are prevalent. This research will allow the students to make a difference by informing the community and impacting the way this threat is dealt with. The data collected in our research project could realisticly save lives of our students, friends, family and community members. Our goal is to become a part of the solution to a real issue that affects real lives today. The science classes are coed, however this year the predominate gender of my classes is female. This offers a unique and exciting opportunity for BugScope and Blocker Middle School to be a part of the narrowing of the gender gap that is occuring today in the male dominated field of science and technology. This is a great opportunity for the males, females, all learning styles and levels in my classes to become excited by science discovery in the making. Our community is a diverse population of all ethnic and socio-economic groups and this mix is reflected in all of my classes. One team of junior scientists will be responsible for reporting thier research and conclusions to the local new paper, one team will design our new West Nile Virus Mosquito webpage, and still another team of students will produce a news letter to be shared with our local government and area politicians. We all will participate in notifying the appropriate authorities and entities if mosquitoes with the potential of carrying West Nile Virus are discovered. In collaboration with other departments in our school, we will produce a video that Chronicles our entire project from onset to completion. This will be done in order to share our methods of scienticfic inquiry, research and problem solving with generations of young scientists to come. |
