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S.T.E.M. Updates

April 2022, By Ms. Sheila Appel, MileStone Academy Biology & Science Teacher

Science Fun with Ms. Sheila Appel April 2022

It’s unbelievable that we are almost at the end of the year.

Our S.T.E.M. class is waiting anxiously to hear if we have any winners in the Fluor Challenge, even though they are all winners to us just for submitting their super projects. The class is now considering how technology affects society. For an out of school lab, they have been tasked with interviewing at least three people over 50 years old to see how technology has affected their lives. As a teacher, my tools have definitely changed! From paper letters home, using books for all learning and research to internet – based, to writing about student achievements, to sight a few tasks.

Amiya & Chris Fluor Challenge 2022 MileStone Academy
Jose Fluor Challenge 2022
Nate Fluor Challenge 2022
Xavier & Kashif Fluor Challenge 2022

Our biology students are learning about genetics and heredity. Their assignment will be to research a trait that can be seen in their family through three generations. On their return we will be developing a pedigree to show a trait’s passage. A pedigree is like a family tree but focuses on a characteristic. Traits can be visible traits, like face shape, height, eye shape, mouth shape, whether you can roll your tongue, hitchhikers thumb. Traits that are not visible can be health problems like breast cancer, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia.

As our students are coming of age to meet with doctors on their own, it is important for them to know their family’s health history. Please help them in their efforts to understand their inherited genes. Students were told that if there are special circumstances where information is not available, adjustments to the assignment can be made.

Family get-togethers during this Spring season are wonderful opportunities for our students to learn. We are calling on you to assist them in their labs. Please make time to put your spin on their learning.

Have a lovely Spring break.

Ms. Sheila Appel


More S.T.E.M. updates by Ms. Appel: