By Mai Nojima
Circulation Editor
With Chevron’s grant of $100,000, which was approved in January, Costa will offer a new Biotechnology elective for the 2015-16 school year.
Biotechnology will be a three-year elective where students will study different lab techniques and scientific processes. Costa has not yet decided who will teach the class; however, Biology teacher Jessica Bledsoe is currently preparing the course.
“Students will be able to do science instead of just learning about it in class,” Bledsoe said.
The Costa Science Department learned about the Biotechnology course at the National Science Teachers Association Conference in 2012 in Phoenix. Bledsoe then presented the course idea to the school board last January.
“This summer, I will be spending a lot of time writing the course description, daily plans and assessments as well as deciding which labs we will do,” Bledsoe said.
Incoming sophomores will be eligible for the program, which will have up to 15 students. They must meet a grade prerequisite and be interviewed. Because it is a three-year commitment, juniors and seniors are not able to take the class.
“This course is for students that are interested in a career in science,” Bledsoe said.
The elective is now going through the process of meeting the A-G requirements to become an UC-approved course.
“These students will have knowledge that even graduate students do not have,” Biology teacher Daniel Sponaugle said.
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