Andrea Starnes

The impact of Hurricane Katrina was felt in many aspects of life in Southeast Louisiana. The storm, though devastating, has actually created a learning environment for a science class at Lake Harbor Middle School. Starnes and her 25 students will participate in the "Interacting in the Wetlands" program. This will provide them with the opportunity to study life in the wetlands by playing the role of scientists using computers. With assistance from the Disappearing Wetlands Unit from the JASON Education Foundation, students will read research articles on the plant, animal, human and natural factors that build and destroy the wetlands. Also, students will use the computers to access digital labs to build and destroy wetlands, select wetlands restoration projects, and manipulate the conditions of plant and animal life in the area. They will also view water samples and microscopic plant and animal life. For the students, this project reinforces the protection of wetlands in hurricane-prone areas. Starnes resides in Mandeville.