Cellular Respiration Project: A Review

It has been a long journey, but our Service Learning Project has finally come to an end. At the beginning of the semester I wasn’t quite sure what to expect or accomplish with this type of assignment. We had to discover some way to educate ourselves and better the community while working as a team, which can prove to be a tough task. When we decided to do an animation on cellular respiration, I knew that we would be in for a difficult, but exciting journey. Over the past two months Liz, Steven, Steph, and I have spent countless hours researching, discussing, planning, and putting together our animation. Our goal was to put together an organized and clear-cut explanation of the process of cellular respiration including; glycolosis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain. We wanted to gain a better understanding ourselves but also provide a teaching tool for science teachers and professors and their students. It’s a great feeling to be able to be apart of classrooms across the country and active in other student’s education. Although this project was a lot harder then I’d imagined it was rewarding in the end. Not only did I learn about cellular respiration but also I think the entire group picked up valuable skills that will be effective in any job or position we obtain after college. I had a lot of fun working with my group and enjoyed the time together. (Despite all the time spent on deciphering chemical equations and diagrams, after hour meetings, and retakes during voiceovers.) I’m looking forward to participating in more service learning projects throughout my college years. After reading other student’s blog posts, I realized that there are many more opportunities to help out the community while educating and bettering myself. I’d love the opportunity to clean up Schmeekle Reserve, volunteer for hospice care or the Humane Society, or educate other students on organ systems and their functions. Volunteering and service learning is definitely a rewarding experience and I hope my team members felt the same. It would be amazing if everyone took time out of their busy lives to donate their time to help others and the environment.