The students settled into their seats and eyed the crayfish lying on the tables in front of them as their instructor reminded them of the delicate nature of the work they were about to do.
"Remember, as these get handled, little parts are going to break off," teacher Judy Vilmure said, adding that the specimens needed to last through several class periods.
The students listened to their instructions. Then they began to draw.
Vilmure's classroom on this particular day could have passed for a biology lab, but she teaches art. This year, though, she has added a twist to her curriculum.
With help from a $2,500 grant from Target, Vilmure has embarked on a project to combine art with science, encouraging her students to view the natural - and sometimes microscopic - world through the eye of the artist. In addition to the Target grant, she snagged a $300 grant from the Pasco Education Foundation.
"I think it's pretty cool," said Ashlee Heffron, 12, a seventh-grader. "You get to mix two things together."
Vilmure hatched the plan after she noticed that Hudson Middle, like many schools in Pasco County, posted low scores on the science portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Improving science education has become a statewide goal; in 2008, the state Board of Education approved new standards in an effort to increase FCAT scores.
Vilmure figured she could try to help with science at Hudson Middle if she could secure grant money to purchase the necessary supplies.
Ronnie Blair
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