My students need a Solar Telescope, Spectrometer, a Star Theater, a planetarium model and celestial globe so that they can study the Sun and other objects in the universe.
$1,087 goal
This project expired on October 2, 2015.
This project expired on October 2, 2015.
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.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Space, the final frontier! These are the voyages of an 8th grade teacher teaching astronomy for the first time to economically disadvantaged middle school students as part of a STEM curriculum.
For the first time my district is offering the opportunity for pre-AP science students to take Astronomy, a high-school level course, in 8th grade.
This is an incredible opportunity for these students, many of whom have never been outside of their neighborhood, because it will expose them to the exciting world of astronomy and space exploration, as well as give them high school credit. However, because this is the first year we will be offering the course, I don't have much in the way of materials to provide for a hands-on learning opportunity for these kids. Even though the majority of students at our school are economically disadvantaged and many speak English as a second language, these kids are incredibly bright young people who have worked very hard in school and have gone through a rigorous application process to be a part of our STEM program. They have worked so hard and have such a bright future, and I want to provide them the best experience possible.
My Project
During the Astronomy course, students will learn many incredible insights about our solar system and the universe, such as the reason the Earth has seasons and the reason the Moon changes phases, as well as studying the movement of constellations and the changing cycle of spots and magnetic fluctuations of our nearest stellar neighbor, the Sun. Because these concepts can be very difficult to understand, I want them to have as many opportunities as possible to explore hands-on and to make their own observations about the Moon, Sun and other objects in space. This is why I am requesting a Sunspotter solar telescope to allow them to study sunspots; a star theater and celestial globe to allow them to study constellations; and a spectrometer, to allow them to study the spectral emissions of sunlight and other kinds of light and to understand how the spectrum is used to study stars, nebulae and galaxies. These items will support essential parts of the curriculum.
By assisting with this project, you are literally opening a whole universe of learning and opportunity for these students.
I hope that this astronomy course sparks their interests and passions and that many will begin dreaming and striving for a future as planetary scientists, physicists, engineers and even astronauts!
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