I tell my students that they can achieve anything as long as they have determination and a drive for success. Many of them can only see the present, so I try to open their minds to the possibilities that lie ahead and challenge them to become citizens that can make a difference in the world.
My fifth grade students are located in a rural community in North Carolina.
The county is lined on three sides with water and a large portion of the county was destroyed due to Hurricane Irene. Many of the students are still living in transitional homes until permanent housing can be arranged. I teach 41 students which include 9 exceptional children, 1 bipolar child, 10 attention deficit, 1 autistic, and 7 academically gifted students. Even though it is a very diverse group, they are kind students that are willing to help each other and encourage each other daily. The students strive for success, but sometimes the struggle is overwhelming. That is why my classroom is very hands on and interactive so that it gives opportunities for success to everyone each day. The students need lessons that relate to real world situations and manipulatives to experience positive educational concepts that relate to their prior knowledge and can help them succeed in the classroom and in the world.
My Project
I would like to do a unit on coordinate graphing "Survivor" style. Many of my students are extremely involved in watching the Survivor series on television. This unit would have the students stranded on an island located somewhere in the world. Over a course of four weeks, the students would use clues, activities, and the materials to graph coordinates to determine what island he or she was stranded on. Throughout the unit,each student will have to complete mental and physical "challenges." With each challenge, the children will receive hints and coordinates to plot on their graphs. I am requesting graphing boards and accessories in order for the students to record their data during the unit. The boards will be a changeable resource to guide the student. The large graph will be used to plot the entire class. Students will use the data to make a guess about which island they are stranded on. Once a student has the correct island, he or she will be entered into a "final" competition.
The majority of my students are overcoming personal obstacles everyday and I try to make school a place where they can leave their worries behind.
I feel that this unit would give them an opportunity to excel because it is based on one of their interests and it allows time for student learning and team building skills in a nontraditional setting. It is important to use activities for a diverse group of students that motivates them for success.
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