Middletown High School, $1,020.50

 

The purchase of the Rutland 503 Windcharger, a basic wind-powered electrical generator, will provide students will a hands-on introduction to a renewable energy source. A student research project will be conducted that collects weather and wind generator power output to use in a feasibility study for a larger wind power installation at the school. It will demonstrate the capability of wind generation to power a small pump/ filtration system that will filter water at a small pond on the high school campus. With the conclusion of this project, it is hoped that students will be encouraged to plan their "energy future."

 

Kingston High School, $1.845.00

 

Funds will be used to purchase the PASCO Standard Biological Sensor bundle that includes CO2 and O2 sensors, a water quality sensor which monitors conductivity, DO, pH and temperature, a barometer/low pressure sensor, a weather anemometer and a photosynthesis tank. A soil moisture sensor and a soil water potential sensor will also be purchased, as well as the Spark Science Learning System, which is a hand-held device to used for data collection. Students in Environmental Science, Environmental Biology, General Biology and Ecology classes will use this equipment. The use of these sensors will more effectively illustrate the dynamics and relationship of these two processes as the data is collected and encourage the visual understanding of these difficult concepts.

 

Ellenville High School, $1,106.00

 

Students will explore how wind power is converted into electrical power through the use of the mini wind farm. While attached to the LabQuests, the anemometers and current probes will be used to graph relationships and analyze patterns between wind speed and power production. Energy and Power conversions are part of the New York State Core Curriculum for Regents Physics. Once students have an understanding of how power is generated they will then use the equipment to determine the ideal location for a wind turbine on our campus. Students will have to research the practicalities of doing so and determine what percentage of our electricity use can be offset with their solution. With this information, students will produce an informational packet to be presented to the school's Board of Education.

 

Poughkeepsie Middle School, $2,350.00

 

Grant will be used to purchase standard laboratory glassware used during student laboratory activities and projects. Items include test tubes, funnels, beakers, Petri dishes and microscope slides/coverslips, to name a few. This equipment is essential to provide hands-on, inquiry based lab activities mandated by best practices in science education and the NYSED. Twelve hundred middle school students will benefit from the use of this equipment.

 

Warwick Valley High School, $1,052.00

 

Funds will be used to transform a eutrophic, algae-covered 3.62 acre pond into a paragon of steady-state aquatic ecosystems. The accessible and balanced pond ecosystem will join a 100 kilowatt wind-powered electric generator at the elementary school campus near the middle and high schools to help anchor a center for environmental education. Environment Science students, as well as others, will gain experience as primary researchers. They will baseline and subsequently monitor various chemical and physical measures of the pond water. Students will do benthic macroinvertebrate study and calculate various species diversity indexes. Students will install a solar-powered aerator and be on hand for the professionally conducted stocking of the pond with fish species professionally selected to pioneer the pond ecosystem. This authentic and hands-on scientific inquiry will require students to analyze data, understand the complexities of this pond community, and chart the next research steps. Data will be shared online at the school's website.

 

John A. Coleman Catholic High School, $1,359.00

 

DNA technology has been utilized for a number of years in basic research in biology, as well as in medicine and criminology. Hands-on, experiential learning is the best way to not only teach certain topics, but to be able to "situate" that information for students, making it both meaningful and memorable. Reagents are now commercially available to make it possible to safely work with, analyze and dispose of DNA in a high school setting. Having the ability to run DNA electrophoresis gels would allow a large number of students to see this technology used across several disciplines. AP and Regents Biology students will be able to use enzymes to manipulate DNA and perform subcloning experiments in commercially available and safe bacterial vectors. Environmental Science students would be able to simulate testing for bioengineered ingredients in common foods. The Forensics classes would be able to simulate crime scenes and run DNA gels as "evidence" for cases.

 

Arlington High School, $992.87

 

Lab activities on blood pressure and pulse rate will be expanded to enhance students understanding of how the heart works. Students will use models to master workings of the heart and then move on to real hearts that they will dissect to reveal the anatomy of the heart and learn how to perform medical procedures such as by-pass surgery. Students will work with local cardiac surgeons. Students will also learn how to conduct to conduct EKGs on themselves. Working with the models and the EKG probes will enable the students to have a more direct experience with the heart to better understand their own bodies and to better ascertain if the medical field is one that they wish to pursue.

 

Arlington High School, $1,225.00

 

Wind energy is more than a promising technology for meeting a significant portion of our future energy requirements. Wind energy is also a fabulous hands-on way for students to understand the process of conversion between forms of energy.   Wind acting on the blades of a wind turbine provides kinetic energy to the blades which gets transferred into electrical energy through the use of a small integrated generator. Through experimenting with various blade designs and arrangements, students will learn how to maximize the amount of electrical energy produced by the turbine. In the process of investigating the science behind an effective wind turbine, students will also explore the existing wind technologies and applications in the modern world. In addition to studying the physics behind the wind turbine students will use these turbines to introduce elementary students to the ideas of work, energy and power through peer tutoring. The wind turbine kits are a perfect curriculum addition as they provide an ideal blend of science content, engineering design and exposure to relevant to emerging technologies.