My students need a giant roller ramp, a marble run and magnetic balls for the balls & ramps unit that will provide them with experiences to become lifelong scientists!
$185 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Today we're kindergartners at a STEM school, tomorrow we'll be scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. We teach a balls and ramps science unit, but it doesn't provide enough hands-on materials to let them build, observe, test, and hypothesize about how things work.
My kindergarten classroom is made up of diverse, energetic 5 and 6 year-olds in a southern Arizona Title I, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school.
99% are on free lunch. More than 1/2 of my students are English Language Learners including refugees from Africa, Asia, Mexico and the Middle East. All come from low-income households, living in neighborhood apartments and trailer parks.
Seven different languages are spoken in the classroom and my kindergarten is often the 1st place that they are exposed to STEM activities in English. Their parents often don't have the monies to provide them with materials to develop science concepts at home. However, they strive to do their best against the odds and are always very excited to come to school and learn. Besides, they teach me something new every day.
My Project
The materials I've requested will provide support to our science kit on balls and ramps. Students will learn how objects move using force and motion with the giant roller ramps and marble run. As little builders, my students can design and construct their very own giant roller ramps, then launch the included plastic ball and watch it twist and turn through the ramps. They will learn how to manipulate the ramps so objects can move faster, slower, or in a different direction.
My kids can put the marble run together to create their own unique ramps, then send marbles speeding down the ramps! All the pieces fit together in tons of different combinations, which will help my students develop planning and motor skills as they build incredible mazes. They will have a clear-view, up-close view of the marbles as they roll to the bottom, and pop out.
The magnetic balls will be used on the giant roller ramps to see how different objects move together down the ramp.
These hands-on materials I have chosen will give my students the opportunity to explore various science concepts about balls and ramps, and build much needed language and vocabulary skills.
Our classroom has limited materials that go along with our balls and ramps curriculum. These resources will help my students build on their new learning and explore the hows and whys of force and motion.
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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 Ms. Carlson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
