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A community science project to learn about intracellular infections in wild nematodes

Who can Participate?

For our Fall 2023 program, we will be recruiting 4th grade teachers located in Pennsylvania. Prioritizing title 1 schools.

 

However, in the future we hope to expand to other grade levels and locations! To be the first to hear about new opportunities to participate, you can sign up for our newsletter.

Teachers

Nematode Hunters Fall 2023 Classroom Program

Coming soon to a classroom near you!

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We will be recruiting 4th grade teachers in Pennsylvania to participate in our Fall 2023 Nematode Hunters program. See below for more information about Fall 2023 program and the current Fall 2022 program.

How will the classroom program work?

If your classroom is selected to participate, the Nematode Hunters team will reach out to you and work together with you to schedule the classroom module.

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The module will take place over 2 weeks with a later follow-up classroom visit. Check the timeline below.

July: Applications for the Fall 2023 

program open.

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August: Selected applicants will be notified. Teachers will be provided with lesson planning resources, and the Nematode Hunters team will work together with teachers to schedule the module.

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September-October: Nematode hunters module will be run during the scheduled time.

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  • Week 0:

    • Teachers will be shipped a Nematode Hunting kit, containing all supplies needed for the isolation of wild nematodes.

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  • Week 1:

    • Teachers will introduce concepts using provided lesson planning resources.

    • Nematode Hunters team will conduct a Zoom classroom visit to introduce the project.

    • Teachers will instruct students in collection procedures with the help of Nematode Hunters tutorials.

    • Students will collect potential nematode-containing plant substrates from their local environment including school, home, parks, etc.

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  • Week 2:

    • Students will bring collected plant substrates to class

    • In class, teachers will instruct students in plating substrates using Nematode Hunters tutorials and kit supplies

    • Students will observe plates using provided digital microscopes and identify plates containing nematodes

    • Students will make observations of nematodes

    • Plates containing nematodes will be returned to WCU using provided shipping box & label

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November-December: Nematode Hunters team will conduct a follow-up classroom Zoom visit to share the results of the infection testing of your submitted nematodes

Timeline

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