Life is a roller coaster. You can either scream every time you hit a bump or you can throw your hands up in the air and enjoy it. My students deserve a chance to enjoy learning about physics, not scream with frustration as they attempt to learn about it through text books!
My students are an incredible bunch of 6th-8th graders who have proved to be both academic achievers and creative minds.
These students have all been specifically chosen to be a part of our small rural school’s GATE enrichment program. Every student involved in the program has scored Advanced in Mathematics and/or English Language Arts on the California Standardized Test. They are an eclectic bunch who has a strong desire to enhance their education with fun and exciting hands on projects that will take educational concepts to a higher level. For 2010-2011, GATE will meet after school once a week for an hour and to work on projects that will last approximately 4 weeks each. These projects will go above and beyond the work that is completed in the classroom, just as these students have consistently gone above and beyond!
Many of these students are low income and most live in a very small rural community, yet despite this, my students have large dreams and goals
My Project
In an effort to find projects that combine cooperative learning, hands on learning, and a high level of interest, I came across this K’nex Roller Coaster Physics Set. This is exactly the type of project that my students would love! Not only does it provide an incredible learning opportunity covering topics including acceleration, force, work, momentum, projectile motion, and centripetal force, but it will also create a lot of enthusiasm, because my students love roller coasters and are very interested in them!
Our four week program for this project would focus on the learning and understanding the science and math concepts associated with roller coasters. As we learn about roller coasters, the students will begin working cooperatively to create a sustainable coaster. Science, math, engineering, fun, and excitement! What an amazing project for my amazing GATE students!
This is just one part of a special program for my students, but it is an important part.
This project will get my students interested in science, engineering, and math! They deserve to have this opportunity! Please help me with this project!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Irby and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.