introductory+email+to+upper+el+students

March 9, 2014

Subject: Greetings from your RPI mentor!

Dear Lena,

As you already know, my name is Michelle and I will be your mentor for the Upper Elementary Research Program at RPI. First, I'd like to tell you a little more about myself. I am a fifth year student at RPI. At the end of the school year, I will be graduating with both my bachelor's degree and master's degree in biology. I research how contaminants in the environment affect the growth of bacteria and plants. Some of the contaminants I research include the pesticide atrazine, pharmaceuticals (medicines) that get into our water, and silver nanoparticles (really, really tiny pieces of silver- they're so small that you can only see them with very special microscopes). Before coming to RPI, I lived in a town called Germantown, which is in Columbia County- another one of the Region 4 counties! Now, I'd like to know a little bit more about you. I know you are in the 3rd grade and go to Tamarac Elementary, but what are your favorite things to learn about in school? What town do you live in? Have you always lived in New York? We'll be learning a lot more about each other over the next several weeks!

Finally, you can email me (as you already have) at this email address if you have any questions about the memos each week. Your goals for this week are to 1) finish the memo about internet search terms, sources, and habitats in your county and 2) to then use that memo to write a paragraph about habitats in Otsego County to use in your final report. The goals for the following weeks will be similar; you will have to complete a memo and then use that memo to write a paragraph for your final report.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, but in the meantime, please email me if you have any more questions!

Talk to you soon, Michelle