I have been collecting aquariums for the past 12 years at DHS. Most have been through donations or purchased at resale stores. Over the years, many have been broken, cracked, are leaking, and some are too large for students to manage. Currently, I only have 30 functional aquariums. I would like to have 40 total so my students can all work on growing tadpoles at the same time. Currently, I have 125 Zoology students; this is the largest group of Zoology students I have had while at DHS and I expect to have at least that number every year now due to the block scheduling. The terrarium covers are necessary to contain the frogs once they get to that point in their metamorphosis. The thermometers are requested for students to gather quantitative data when they observe their tadpole each day during class. Currently, I do not have any aquatic thermometers, which is why I’m requesting 40.

With 40 working aquariums, students could work in groups of 3 to grow and collect data on tadpoles for the months of March through June each school year. In addition, freshwater biology and IB biology borrow these aquariums for mesocosms and fish analysis labs (Marine Biology and Oceanography are new courses for next year, and we will potentially have a need for these supplies as well).