Research+Club

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS AT NORTH HIGH SCHOOL: Antimicrobial Properties of Plants Tapole Development in Presence of Environmental Contaminant River Ecology & Census

9.8.07 This was the first day that students were able to meet with me in the field. We sampled the Big Arkansas River throughout Wichita, KS at two different sites. At the first site, students were assisted by Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Fisheries Biologist Jessica Mounts, City Of Wichita Water Quality Specialist Vaughn Weaver, Friends University Ecology Professor Dr. Alan Maccarone and his Field Assistant Heather, along with Dr. Schneegurt, myself and two teachers from North High School, Bill Welch and Hannah Kelderman.

9.12.07 Ice Cream Sundaes!! Provided by Wichita State University's Biology Department, the students were invited to hear about Research Club activities and goals. Student waivers were handed out along with an informational sheet about Research Club including my contact information.

9.19.07 We went over how to search for Scientific Literature including what qualities to look for in a scientific article (primary vs. secondary, what peer-reviewed means, and parts of a research paper) and hints on how to find the most useful papers for their research. We searched for scientific papers in relation to River Ecology. During the next meeting, we will go over some Research data we collected on 9.8 and also look at the student website on wikispaces.

9.26.07 Club was cancelled due to parent/teacher conferences.

10.3.07 Club included talking about anti-microbial plant experiment and discussing other future ecology projects.

10.10.07, 10.17.07, and 10.24.07 Discussed possible frog project including testing environmental contaminants.

We did literature searches for relevant contaminants in relation to organism in question (Xenopus laevis). I shared my protocol for my Thesis project (behavioral aspects of Xenopus laevis) and discussed responsibilities related to this project.

10.31.07 The frog project has been approved and we began to order materials and organize materials in the lab room we will be using for the study.

Weeks of 11.05.07 and 11.12.07 The frog project is a go! We transported all necessary materials to setup for the project and I injected the adult pairs with HCG to induce amplexus. Three clutches should produce more than enough to complete the project! The rest will be utilized by my lab to assist with my Thesis work, along with some donated to a local Boy Scout to complete his Amphibian Husbandry badge for Eagle Scout status.

North High Research Club Continued

Here is a file from last year's Research Club, filmed by previous GK-12 Fellow Ingrid Rocio-Canton. Awesome Video! - MAS