Far Away Friends in First Grade - An E-PAL Project
The cost of a Compaq Presario Notebook computer and cords from Best Buy is $1526, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My first grade boys and girls are at the stage where they are questioning who they are and what their place is in the world. Social Studies in the first grade curriculum gets the children involved in studying their own culture as well as cultures other than their own. We study countries and their cultures such as Japan, China, Italy, and France. This is a time in my childrens' lives when they are questioning their identity and how they fit into the real world.
I teach in an equity plus school, meaning that approximately more than 80% of our population receive free/reduced lunch. We have more than 20% of our students speaking English as a Second Language and 18% of our population is served as Exceptional Children. The children I teach have a limited background of knowledge, of which, I feel, is necessary for their academic success. For many of my children, the meaningful life experiences needed to build their background knowledge of the real world, occur not at home, but within the school environment. In my classroom, I strive to incorporate a meaningful, hands-on curriculum in order to help my children take ownership of what it is they learn.
In helping my children to become the young men and women that they are striving to be, I am developing a PenPal project to enrich their knowledge of the real world. This penpal project will thoroughly excite my young students who are fascinated with other children and especially children in other places.
I am writing a proposal for a laptop computer and the necessary cables for my children to use when corresponding with their new EPALS (email Pals.) With this project, we will have a better opportunity to learn about other cultures and countries and especially about children from Far Away Places. Please assist us in our endeavors to enrich the lives of the children of today. This will make such a positive impact on my boys and girls this year as well as many years to come. They will surely be able to carry this experience with them for years. I am so excited about implementing this project. Thank you for considering this proposal as beneficial! My children will definitely thrive with this opportunity!
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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. Lineberry and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.