My first grade students explored our Solar System and now these experts have asked to use this knowledge to create their own planets. This "suntacular" extension of learning gives them an opportunity to merge fact and fiction in a fun, engaging way.
My students come from diverse cultural backgrounds (this includes hearing children with Deaf parents, deaf children with hearing parents, Deaf children with Deaf parents and hearing children with hearing parents as well as children from African American, Hispanic and Caucasian households) with a wide range of SES.
In my class we also have a child with physical disabilities and abnormalities.
Do they all look forward to coming to school in the morning? YES! Are they eager to learn, even when the task before them is challenging? YES! Do they deserve an opportunity to express themselves creatively? Of course!
Our school provides a unique opportunity for students of all backgrounds to come together and learn side by side in a welcoming environment. Our class size is small. We adhere to a general education curriculum and maintain high expectations for all of our students. We meet the challenge everyday.
My Project
We just completed an in-depth study of our Solar System that was inspired by student interest. Within this unit my students learned how to research a topic, synthesize information, write interesting, focused books and share their finished work with an audience. The commitment and excitement surrounding their work was truly impressive. However, there were times when I wished I could allow for a bit more play. A bit more imagination. A bit more fun. So, when they thought of creating their own planets based on their learning I immediately thought of the children's author Todd Parr and his book, "Create Your Own Planet!" It is a 240 page "Doodle and Draw" book that asks children things like "what makes your planet special?" and "what does your planet look like when you see it from space?" This project seems like a natural extension to our nonfiction study on planets and our Solar System. I am requesting 12 copies of the book for my students to use as an extension to our study of the solar system.
Our schools are becoming more rigorous every year.
The demands on our students keep increasing. The kindergarten class of today is like the second grade classroom of my childhood. Children feel the stress. Their creativity and sense of play is in jeopardy to the requirements of the curriculum. If we can find ways to make learning more meaningful, fun and engaging then we should commit to that. Create your own planet! The sky's the limit!
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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 Dr. Wellbrock and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
