My students love a challenge! They also love it when our creative problem solving leads to making a valuable contribution to the school and community. Each year, we strive to create an event, display, presentation, or some kind of "legacy project" that will contribute to learning in our school.
My K-5 students, identified as academically gifted and talented, come together from two elementary schools to attend class with me once a week.
Both schools are located in a suburban area and have diverse populations. It is a privilege to challenge these students, and I learn from them every day. Our studies include advanced Literature, Math, Science, problem-solving, and critical thinking, and the students share their learning on our class blog. We post many original, creative products designed to teach and challenge others such as logic puzzles, simulations, slide shows, games, displays, and demonstrations. A few have even created their own apps! This year's project is our most ambitious yet, and they are over-the-moon excited about it! They know that their audience (other students, teachers, and parents) will expect high quality work, and are rising to the challenge!
My Project
The students are creating a hands-on museum for our school, and these materials will be part of the technology exploration area of the "DoSeum." The starter kits we are requesting include a "Newton" activity, described as an iPad game in which "physics meets creative problem solving." Students and community members who visit our museum will have a chance to explore the various levels of this game, and advance to greater and greater challenges. The students chose this product not only because they will enjoy the challenging curriculum, but they believe other students will as well. The Osmo starter kits includes many other types of challenges that involve vocabulary building, geometry and art integrated with Science and Math. All of my students, K-5, will enjoy advancing through the many levels of the games, but most importantly my 5th graders will benefit from creating their own Osmo challenges for inclusion in the exploration area of their museum.
This hands-on exploration and learning space, inspired by our city's children's museum, will be a permanent learning space in our school.
A great deal of creative problem solving went into the development of this "DoSeum," and the students are proud of the contribution to their school! It has been our year-long project, and we can't wait to open in May! The kids will be the proud docents when our first visitors, about 175 fourth graders, rotate through the various rooms of the museum.
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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. Lasher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.