Monday evening we descended through the final, steep Appalachian pass, the curtainous mountains parting to reveal a plain of flowing, orange sunset. We had reached Ohio, passing through Youngstown and forking away from Akron towards the northern, Cleveland-bound route. After a night in a Walmart parking lot – we didn’t shop, but they provide overnight parking – we drove the 15 minutes to Horizon Science Academy, the first school on our tour.
Can you guess this animal's name? (Hint: it's not Herbert)
After pulling the BioBus up a curvy drive to this central Cleveland charter high school, Ric and I began to set up the BioBus lab. What pride! While I am the first to admit that the BioBus is a bit rough around the edges, our microscope lab is the envy of many university research groups. When the first students arrived, we split them into 3 groups of 8-10 students each. The first group received a tube containing a strange organism – see the attached picture of it as seen at 40 times magnification. Only 2 millimeters long, this tiny animal swims with a jerky, saltatory movement. The second group came on the BioBus and followed Ric to the computer lab, where he discussed the ecology of this unappetizing arthropod. In the microscope lab, I led the students through the preparation and observation of a microscope slide, zooming in on a beating heart, squirming eye, and pulsating intestines.
The students were enthralled by this simple animal, and many complained that class was too short. Unfortunately time was limited as we had 6 full classes to teach that day. The most clear sign of our success came when a student, lagging behind after the bell, asked me how long she would have to stay in school to become a Ph.D. scientist. Oh no! How do I answer this question without turning her off from science completely?! After explaining that after college she would need to take at least 3 years, and probably longer, to do her thesis, she made my heart jump, exclaiming, “that’s what I want to do!”
After school, Wayne, the teacher who hosted us, took us to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We got to see Johnny Cash’s tour bus (not rough around the edges), George Clinton’s Atomic Dog boots, and John Lennon’s “Sergeant Pepper’s” suit. WOW!! We then all drove South to Akron, where Wayne gave us comfy quarters on a couch and inflatable mattress. While I meant to post this last night, a deep sleep overcame me as soon as my body was horizontal.
That’s all for today. Ric and I plan to post on alternating days from here on out until we return to NYC, so stay tuned! Also, check our progress on the live GPS feed via our website, updated every 30 seconds. Oh, and if you’re reading this on Facebook, remember you can go to blogs.biobus.org to subscribe and comment directly.
Signing Off,
Doc Ben