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What is this class like?  Every student should download this CLASS DESCRIPTION so you know what you will be getting into.

Research can be HARD!  It takes work, humility, a willingness to repeat yourself, a willingness to start over, and a dedication to solving problems that you didn’t anticipate….

But it is WORTH IT!

When you finally do something that is new, challenging and frustrating but also SIGNIFICANT and REAL, it is a true accomplishment.

We have been teaching students research skills for many years now and here is what WE have learned:

• Most students do NOT know how to do good research when they first come to SFP.
• You are probably NOT an exception.
• An independent research project is NOT the same as a “report”.
• The key difference is that a report tells me that you understand what OTHER people have done while in a true research project YOU generate some kind of NEW knowledge.
• It takes time.
• You won’t learn it all your first year.
• You have to be willing to take risks and do things you are not comfortable with.  In some ways, failure is GOOD because then you know you are trying something new.
• Collecting good data is really only the START of the process.

This class is designed to give you (a 9th grade or “new to Zoo” student) the basic skills to conduct your own, independent research project.  In 10th grade you will take another research class that will further develop your skills.  When you get to 11th grade you will have a chance to compete with other young Scientists at a Science Fair. And finally, as a senior you will complete a “capstone” project that uses everything you learned in the past 4 years and helps prepare you for whatever it is that you want to do with the rest of your life.  Want to be a marine biologist?  Great, then you should be doing a Marine Bio capstone project as a senior!

*Note: as a team we are still developing the idea of the “capstone” project and how to best prepare you for it so the description above may (will) change as we fine tune things.

What is this class like?  Every student should download this CLASS DESCRIPTION so you know what you will be getting into.