Science at LSW
On this page you will find Science Course Information, Links, Nature Stories, Outdoor Trail & Areas tour and even our Research partnership with Michigan State University. Furthermore there are some current updates to happenings within the sciences here at LSW inside and outside the classrooms.
Take the time to read through the various pages here depending on your purpose for landing at the Lincoln Southwest High School Science Page. Here are the various pages explained for you to navigate through.
Home Page: you are here at the home page which directs you to various other pages specific to LSW sciences. Updates of current science happenings at LSW are also highlighted below.
Curriculum & Science Course Progression here at LSW: this is the page you need to review if you are interested in the types of science courses we have to offer. Incoming 8th graders, current students and parents will want to visit this resource page.
Outdoor Classroom Tour: this page will explain our network of trails and natural areas on campus and how the public can visit the areas during NON-school hours. The areas have been studied by students who created dozens of content-rich documents, videos and images for you to learn about Nebraska native plants and animals.
Weekly Science Highlights: this is a window into unique science phenomena around LSW. These are documents emailed to staff a few times a year to entertain, educate and satiate the life-long learner in all of us.
Lessons with Levi: this page is for the kids and families. I have a written document explaining the phenomenon along with a video lesson and supplemental handouts for kids. Both parents and children alike will enjoy the videos & activities associated with them.
Hive Helpers: this is a LINK to the Hive Helpers web page. Hive helpers is an ecological club at LSW in charge of native pollinator gardens as well as the vegetable gardens here at LSW. They fundraise, provide valuable community information, organize increasing native pollinator plant species as well as coordinating with the Family Consumer Science team on vegetables for the gardens. CLICK THIS LINK TO GO TO HIVE HELPERS WEB PAGE
Biology classes work with SCC & NeoGen for Dog DNA research 23-24 school year.
photos by student Mr. Everett
LSW teacher Emily White participated in a workshop over the summer of 2021 with Southeast Community College and the biotech company NeoGen. The workshop was designed to help bring more biotechnology and lab skills into the high school classroom. After Mrs. White completed the training with SCC, she brought the lab into her classrooms later that same school year. Now that Mrs. White is at LSW, she asked the other Biology teachers if they would be interested in the program. Long-story-short, they all participated in a crash-course of the program assisted by Mrs. White after school one day.
This school year was the first year all LSW Biology students (general and diff) participated in the Dog DNA project partnered with SCC and NeoGen. LSW students collected DNA swabs from their dogs, extracted DNA from the cells, amplified the DNA sample using PCR, then ran the DNA fragment samples through Gel Electrophoresis to determine if a specific marker for "Wild type" or "Insert" is present. The larger study done by NeoGen is to determine if the two different genes are related to a dog's hyper-sociability. Students score their own dogs' behavior and report the scores along with the DNA results to be included in a growing data base.
Thank you Mrs. White for bringing this citizen science to LSW science students!
AP Environmental Science
Creating nature presentations for the Lower Platte South NRD Nature Night programs. This one was at Arnold Elementary which had over 250 families from the community in about 1.5 hours time. Students created their own presentations to encourage families to get outside, enjoy nature and to be stewards of the land. More pictures below to click through.
Learn MORE about how our Biology Class helps out Elementary schools with SCIENCE. Lincoln Public Schools wrote a story about our Organism Visitation Program. READ HERE
BE AWARE THIS PROGRAM IS NO LONGER HAPPENING DUE TO DISTRICT OFFICE NOT ALLOWING STUDENTS TO SEND ORGANISMS TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
Mr. Bittle (Science Department Chair) traveled to Northern Kenya in the summer of 2022 for research. He spent 2 months there as part of the Koobi Fora Field School. While there he wrote an online blog using his phone. The blog was written truly in the field with minimal signals and updated when cell signal was available in very specific regions. Since this blog was written (typed) using a cell phone in rather harsh field conditions there are typos, grammar mistakes etc. However like a traditional field notebook those imperfections add to the authenticity of the notes/blog. He chose not to edit the posts upon his return to Nebraska. Enjoy by Clicking HERE
Several years ago a student named Jason Schrad graduated from LSW. After his undergraduate work he was accepted into Michigan State University under and into the lab of Dr. Kristen Parent (Parent Lab Link) eventually earning his PhD in Virology. Jason is the eldest son of Science Teacher & Head Track Coach Kevin Schrad. During Dr. Schrad’s doctorate program he had the idea to share the bacteriophage work his high school, LSW. A pilot visit with high school students searching for bacteriophages in freshwater systems around Lincoln began the entire program as it stands today. Protocols for the program were developed over a couple years of working with MSU staff, including Dr. Parent & Dr. Schrad, and is still running strong.
Newest Published Article: The American Biology Teacher Journal
To learn more about the virus (bacteriophage study) please visit the following items: