Step into our colorful library to see lots of smiles and excitement as PreK-1st grade students have the opportunity each week to connect the curriculum in their classrooms to a world of books and fun activities as they explore literature, music, puzzles, crafts, and technology.
Our library services approximately 430 students in a Title 1 school that is located in a small rural town.
During the 2014-15 school year, 74% of our school population received free or reduced lunches.
In addition, last year 60 of our students came from migrant families and 22 were considered homeless. All of our students, despite their socioeconomic status, deserve the opportunity to explore, share ideas, and simply use their imaginations for creative learning.
My Project
I desire to add more hands-on learning experiences that will allow my students to expand their imaginations and reasoning skills through makerspace centers in the library. With these new centers, little learners will think the library is the coolest place in school and not even realize that their “playing” is actually learning which will lay a foundation for thinking as designers and engineers.
I am asking for a marble run, an engineer-a-coaster kit with magnetic design center, and a Makey Makey invention kit to use as makerspace centers. Including makerspaces in library classes will enable me to collaborate with teachers even more to touch on math and science standards in the library. At a young age students can begin to understand concepts of gravity and motion through designing and manipulating the pieces of a marble run or coaster kit. They will be challenged to think about their constructions and how they may need to be modified to create a desired result. Using the Makey Makey will encourage students to be inventive as they explore various ways to use a computer and the Makey Makey kit to create music, art, and more!
The sad reality is that many of my students do not have access to creative learning toys at home.
Having these resources in the library will level the playing field and give all students an opportunity to grow and succeed through creative play. Incorporating makerspaces in our library will result in students being actively engaged with their entire bodies and minds while increasing their enthusiasm for learning.
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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. Lancaster and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
