My students need clipboards and magnifying glasses for the schools rain garden. Field guides would be used by the teachers to help identify various plants and animals
The students learn best when activities are hands-on and engaging. Teaching my students about the environment they live in will give them an appreciation for it as they grow older. This can be challenging when literacy and math skills are being emphasized more than science ones.
Our Pre-K to 2nd grade students are excited to explore and discover more about the natural world in our restored rain garden and prairie, and they will be able to do so with the support of simple tools many great naturalists, like Aldo Leopold and John Muir used.
Young children thrive in hands-on learning activities which spark their curiosity. Students should be able to learn the science concepts in our curriculum through active exploration outside the classroom on our school grounds. Only then will they experience the diverse life cycles, systems and connections at work in the environment right here in our community and one day work to protect them for future generations!
My Project
With hand lenses, students can explore the fine details of a prairie plant in many different seasons, or discover that a handful of soil is teaming with life that supports the growth of the plants in our gardens. Field guides will allow them to identify the variety of species which inhabit our school grounds and visit our rain garden. This will help them make personal connections with the delicate ecosystem we humans must work to protect.
A child’s sense of wonder about their environment is a wonderful catalyst to continued learning.
By sparking their interest in the world around them, students will be more likely to read a non-fiction text about plants and animals during literacy, or calculate the amount of seeds in a milkweed pod in math class. Environmental learning has the power to impact all learning within and outside of our school. Help us create a community of scientists, explorers, and naturalists!
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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. Hellenbrand and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.