The Bio/Diversity Project

Student Intern Spotlight, By: Lizbeth Perez and Berenice Chacon

For the past semester, we have been working in the Bio/Diversity Project to teach students about biodiversity in the Sonoran Desert. The program aims to diversify environmental sciences by coordinating outreach to title one schools in the Tucson area. We are in charge of creating lessons that encourage students to see their Sonoran Desert home in new ways, as well as foster a greater interest in science. We teach Ms. Meraz’s 6th grade science classes at Hollinger K-8, 3 classes with a total of 72 students. What makes her classes special are not only the students, but also that they are taught exclusively in Spanish. As we both have hispanic backgrounds, we find it gratifying to be able to teach in our native language. 

It has been challenging to create lessons in Spanish, but it has made us more mindful of how our lessons are received. Rather than translating some worksheets, we prefer to create interactive, engaging lessons. We are excited to continue teaching through this semester and are proud of the work we have seen our students achieve so far. We know the importance of seeing role models from diverse backgrounds, and hope that we have been the role models for our students that will help them consider not only further education, but a career in environmental sciences.