Science is best discovered, not told.  

I am a blessed teacher to have a closet full of simple materials (containers, string, wire), with which my students and I have learned to make do with.  We run many simulations and labs using only materials that are easily found around school or after a short trip to the store.

However, I want to lead my students deeper.  And that is going to require some particular items.  With this fundraiser, I intend to acquire:

• Two triple beam balances
  Currently, the whole class shares one scale between all lab groups.  This creates lines and slows down our labs.   ($115 each)
  
• Plant stand 
  Life is a tricky thing to study.  Animals need lots of care and attention, but plants just need some water and light.  Observing how plants respond to their environment helps not only understand them, but also how whole ecosystems might react to different stressors. This is a simple plant stand ($170), but one that will propel our studies forward by providing a consistent source of light.
  
  
• Five basic microscopes to study life beyond what the eye can see ($89 each).  Our current set of microscopes are decades old.  Many have trouble focusing.  One of our key discoveries in middle school science is that life is built of smaller components.  Being able to actually see the outlines of cells makes concrete this rather abstract finding.
  
  

Thank you for supporting my students' discoveries!

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