Summary

This inquiry project came together serendipitously as the result of considering whether student engagement might increase through connecting Biology 20 to career opportunities. I also wanted to move toward offering inquiry-based projects in class. Having come fresh out of Career and Technology Studies (CTS) for non-majors, I mentioned these interests to my Teacher Mentor and discovered that he was already a step ahead. He has been offering students the CTS Health and Social Services (HSS) 1010 course, a prerequisite for 6 Health Care Services (HCS) courses that align with, and extend, the Biology 20 curriculum perfectly. This came together into one idea – would students opt to extend a mandatory in-class project and presentation to complete the outcomes necessary for credit in a HCS course?

In order to incorporate student choice, I let students select any of the 6 human systems to do their project on. I also gave them the option to extend any of the human systems into the corresponding HCS courses. The result is that some students have opted to do anywhere from 1 to all 6 courses, earning up to 6 additional credits. One requirement of the extension is that students need to interview someone in a career related to their project inquiry. Interestingly, it is not only the students who chose to do the extension who are benefitting. This project has generated a greater awareness of career opportunities and connections for the entire Biology 20 class.