My students need an earthquake kit seismograph model, and other materials to construct earthquake proof buildings, test them on shake tables and display the results on a 'Smart Board'.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
This has always been the motto in my classroom. I believe students learn best while "doing Science". My goal is to have an activity or lab each day in the classroom.
Our junior high school is located in Southwestern Ohio.
We have approximately 600 7th and 8th graders. The district is mostly middle income families but we also have 15% of our population classified as economically disadvantaged. Our district has been rated as "Excellent" for 12 years in a row.
My Project
With the materials requested the students are going to be designing and building earthquake resistant structures. They will be able to test their buildings on the shake table. The seismograph will record the earthquake activity. I plan on recording the best designs from each class and using the connection cord, play the videos taken on my ipad for the other classes to see.
This is my 17th year as a teacher.
Most of my career has been spent in the science classroom. It is disheartening to me to see the ever increasing emphasis on standardized testing. As a country I believe too much importance is being placed on test taking skills and not enough emphasis on fostering teamwork and creativity in children. I strive to provide learning experiences that are hands-on and require teamwork.
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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. Seitz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.