Hawthorne High School students in three different sciences classes attended a live webcast presented by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) on December 5, 2013.  Students in AP Biology, Genetics, and Anatomy and Physiology classes took advantage of the high school’s technology that enables the projection of computer-based programs on the Promethean Board to attend this lecture. This free opportunity brings current research into the science classroom, helping to bridge the gap between textbook curriculum and exciting new research developments. The lecture, entitled “Sizing up the Brain, Gene by Gene” was presented live by Christopher A. Walsh, HHMI Investigator at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Science teachers Joanne Dallessio and Matthew Zaolino arranged the in-school field trip to show their students how the various branches of science overlap, each building on the knowledge of the other. Senior Alexa Dichio was excited about the experience: “It was awesome. The instructor talked about the brain and its many functions, and he introduced us to college-level language and lecture situation that prepares us for college.”