A typical day in my classroom involves communication, relevancy, problem-solving and collaboration. Students come ready to learn and live up to our classroom belief “Learning and thinking are hard work.” Math involves daily writing to improve communication and hands-on tasks to remain relevant.
My thirty motivated, hard-working students have created an exciting and welcoming environment where “We are a family” is one of our classroom beliefs.
Active listening, discussion groups, think, pair and share are all ways we work to become leaders. Coming from diverse families and socioeconomic backgrounds, they are ready to travel and see what’s outside their city and county. With goals of becoming marine biologists, sports managers, pediatricians, and writers, these students are anxious to see how they can impact the world and what other people have done before them. Without the cost of a bridge building kit covered, these students will be unable to see how geometry connects to the real world through engineering.
My Project
In teams, we'll build seven, five to six foot long, K'NEX Bridge Models including replicas of real-world bridges such as the Golden Gate (suspension), Forth Rail Bridge (cantilever) and Sydney Harbor Bridge (arch). We'll use the models as a catalyst to study the history, function, structural design, geometry and strength of bridges through our study of geometry and its real-world applications. Students will be expected to understand the engineering principles that have been applied to allow bridges to support the loads they must carry.
Through inquiry-based lessons, I challenge students as they build, investigate, problem solve, discuss, and evaluate problems in action.
This project will allow me to continue to challenge students daily in math.
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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. Hopkins and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.