Help us bring Aquaponics and Nature into our Library!
My students need Aquaponics kits to create science centers in the library and succulents and potting soil to add plants to the library to learn about indoor air quality.
Our library is a place of exploration and discovery. On any given day, our students are building with LEGOs, researching on the computers, writing on our Whiteboard wall, or reading on a comfy chair. Our students are curious and inquisitive, and we provide an environment for them to learn.
We are a Title 1 magnet middle school with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
We are located in the inner city; many of our students come from low-income housing. 70% of our students are on free or reduced lunch. Many of these students come from urban areas with little exposure to nature or gardening. Our students come from all over the county, and represent all races and ethnicities.
One focus of our school is in on marine and environmental science. We are located on a river, and we want to provide our students with many opportunities to explore nature. We want to give all of our students a chance to interact with animals and nature by bringing them into our library through interactive science centers and indoor plants.
Our students are innovators and problem solvers, and providing more tools will help them to thrive and grow into the scientists and engineers of the future
My Project
Our "Teach for the Planet" project will give all of our students the opportunity to explore aquaponics and the life cycle of plants. We will focus the project first on our marine science classes. We will work together to research and understand what aquaponics is, how it works, and how it can help create a sustainable food system. These classes will study the nitrogen cycle, the life cycle of a plant, and how these systems can be used to solve real world problems. We will set up the aquaponics stations in the library so all students in our school can learn about them.
We will also spend some time learning together about how indoor plants can improve health, student attentiveness and indoor air quality. We will make recycled planters and decorate them, then plant succulents to raise around the library.
We'll document all of what we learn and display it in the library, so that all students in our school can learn and explore our new biomes we'll have set up.
By providing our students with the tools they need, they will be able to continue to be the creative innovators that they are, as they discover and explore new concepts through hands-on experiences.
By creating displays based on our research, these projects will continue to help our students grow in their curiosity about nature and science. Exposing our students to these opportunities for discovery will help to prepare them to be the scientists, engineers and problem-solvers of the future.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Rendina and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.