Water Pollution and Leukemia: A Model for Interdisciplinary Research in the Classroom Experiences Incorporating Effective Pedagogical Approaches for Community College General Biology I Lab Students

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in the United States faces a host of problems including low recruitment and retention in STEM disciplines, under-representation of multiple segments of the US population, and a host of other issues. These problems are well recognized and a variety of solutions are being implemented by interested parties at multiple points along the STEM education pipeline. Incorporating research into STEM classes is an effective way of enhancing student success in STEM education at the undergraduate level. This paper describes the development and implementation of a research-based laboratory module for community college General Biology I lab students that addresses potential relationships between water pollution and cancer while simultaneously implementing established High Impact Practices. This work is part of a larger effort to recruit and retain the next generation of Earth and Environmental Systems engineering students at the undergraduate level. Our inherently interdisciplinary model, which integrates multiple pedagogical elements, can be adapted for implementation in a wide variety of undergraduate STEM courses. This laboratory module allows students to benefit from authentic research, while gaining skills in gathering scientific data, making connections with global and personal issues, and illustrating relevant discipline concepts.