Project BioEYES: A Focused Science Lesson Plan

A female specimen of a zebrafish with fantails (Credit: Marrabbio2, Public domain)

Using tiny zebrafish in their science lesson plan, the educators and staff working in the BioEYES program help teach kids in k-12 education to be curious and ask questions. The project reaches out to primary, elementary and high school classrooms across the country to implement week-long modules into their curriculum.

What is Project BioEYES?

Supported by higher education across the United States, BioEYES has partnered with many universities. While furthering children’s education is one of the program’s main goals, BioEYES also focuses on enhancing teachers’ education. Currently, the outreach program has reached more than 100,000 students and their teachers.

With the interest of educators and students in mind, BioEYES was created. The project’s founder, Dr. Faber, is a scientist that has helped to foster an interest in science for k-12 students since the program’s inception.

Designed to teach children to pose and answer scientific questions, the science lesson plan focuses on creating a fun environment. BioEYES chose zebrafish because they are unique, highly compatible with a classroom, and share 70% of their genes with humans.

What is included in the Science Lesson Plan?

The program presents students with genetics, cells and developmental biology all through the zebrafish and over five class periods. The project provides classrooms with a pre-designed experiment using live zebrafish embryos.

The title, “Junior Scientist” is granted to the students that partake and become leaders while observing a pair of zebrafish over the week. At the end of the week, the students observe the zebrafish larvae that developed during the planned period. For many students, this will be the first time that they see an actual heart pumping in real-time.

BioEYES allows students to see the growth and development of zebrafish as they mature and the behaviors of the fish all over a week of lessons. The module is compatible with both remote and in-person classrooms. Furthermore, the program sends trained educators to assist each class. By providing qualified staff, BioEYES ensures that every school receives support on the module.