Chemistry is a very scary subject for most kids, especially for middle school kids. My mission is to show my kids that chemistry surrounds us and is one of the most familiar and exciting sciences there is.
Because my students live in an urban, high poverty area of the city, they are lacking many of the experiences afforded other children.
This makes it very hard for them to build on prior knowledge. Due to the poverty my children have faced, they have not had the experiences and opportunities given to a lot of other children. They have endured more than most adults could handle, and for many, school is the only safe and nurturing place in their lives. My kids' eyes light up when they know it is a lab day and they are so excited to learn. However, their lack of exposure to things such as playing outside, trips to the beach, the museum, the zoo, etc., means that my students have very little prior knowledge from outside of the classroom. I want their science class to be hands-on, student centered learning, so they can build on their background knowledge.
My Project
The purpose of this project is to help my students see the usefulness and familiarity of Chemistry. In the unit I have designed, my students will create a "recipe book" for chemical reactions in which they will create an actual cookbook to make useful products that they use in their everyday lives. In the unit, students will make both soap and nylon through chemical reactions. At the end of the project, I hope that my students will no longer be intimidated by Chemistry and will instead be more confident and better prepared for their high school science classes.
Chemistry is a required course for any student that wants to attend college. My students are already facing many obstacles in their lives and are at a high risk to drop out of high school. By providing them this opportunity for success in middle school, they may feel more confident in their high school classes and in turn may be more likely to complete high school and move on to further education.
How do you teach a middle school student about chemical reactions without them having the opportunity to create a new and useful substance right before their eyes?
The kits I am requesting will provide the opportunity for my students to be "real scientists" and see first hand the benefits of modern chemistry.
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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 Ms. Reasoner and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.