Seeing is Believing/ Scientific Inquiry at its Best

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.

My Students

Students are natural scientists. They are curious to understand the world around them. A typical day in my classroom begins with how we can be successful and show perseverance in all the learning that will occur during the day. Student engagement and focus are key to learning scientific concepts.

My students are fourth graders who begin their academic year far behind peers in other districts.

The makeup of my classroom is 85% free and reduced lunch, mostly second language learners and children in foster homes or in highly disadvantaged circumstances. My students do not have access to outside resources that engage their curious minds. All of my kids are active, curious and excited to learn but need to be engaged with hands on lessons and activities. Students need to meet the standards of collaboration and creativity in order to be successful. The school is located in a rural area where most families work in agriculture. Resources in my district are minimal. My classroom functions without many of the necessary equipment to teach students to think critically and question their world. Technology is slowly becoming a part of the classroom but it needs to be enhanced and focused on 21st century learning so my kids can be successful as they advance to other grades.

My Project

Microscopes will give my students the opportunity to see the world around them. Student partners will build their collaboration skills by working together using the microscopes. All students will develop collaboration and cooperative skills in working with multiple partners during inquiries. These skills will be a valuable tool as they move through their educational career. With these microscopes my students will be engaged and excited to learn about the world around them. The school is near the ocean and in the middle of agricultural fields. Students will use these microscopes to study plant life, living and non-living things, ecosystems and water pollution. I see my students gaining a large scientific vocabulary because they are engaged in hands on learning of fourth grade science standards.

Microscopes will improve my classroom tremendously as well as advance my students ability to think and question critically.

Typically my classroom is without basic scientific supplies. My students observe one example during science that is usually an item that I have found online to give them an idea of what we are discussing. These microscopes will give them the opportunity to lead discussions and use the vocabulary they are learning in a natural environment.