My students need weather instruments for the weather lessons in our garden. They need books to match each lesson. We need the computer to create the video lessons.
Good stewards are made, not born. If we want our children to understand and cherish their world, we need to help them connect. We have built a garden and an Earthship, now we need to provide some fun, inspiring lessons and we will save the world.
We are an urban, K-8 school that serves a multi-cultural community.
While 95% of our students qualify for free lunch, their families are deeply concerned with their education and want to be as involved as possible. Our children come to us from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Yemen, Romania, Honduras, Algeria; places where poverty is the norm and education is coveted. We have many programs designed to develop communication skills, both because of our language barriers and as an acknowledgement of the social problems that can result from an inablility to deal with conflict. It is not unusual to hear our students using their "I messages" when they feel slighted and the corresponding "conflict stopper" such as "I was mad when you told ____ what I said!" followed by, "I didn't mean to make you mad, I won't do it again" It sounds simple, but for many of our students, the natural reaction to any slight is to fight. We have worked hard to create a safe, family environment.
My Project
All of our projects are designed to put the responsibility for learning directly into the hands of the students. We don't believe in passive education. The sixth grade class will create video lessons for use in the school garden. Each lesson will be placed into a backpack that can be checked out by a teacher and returned when their class has finished. Backpacks will contain the video lesson, worksheets and any tools needed to complete the enclosed lesson along with a book on the subject. For example, we have built an Earthship using discarded tires, plastic bottles, sand etc. One lesson will be on repurposing materials and include activities on what materials decompose, recycling, use of local resources and a book on the environment. Another will be a study in weather during which students will learn how to use a variety of instruments and interpret the readings. We will have lessons on urban plants and animals, human impact on the environment, poetry, geometry and more.
These donations will provide our students with the opportunity to learn, lead, take responsibility for the choices they make regarding their education and how they use what they know.
Rather than wanting to keep their success to themselves, they will want to share what they learn, feel compelled to pass down their lessons and take pride in seeing the progress of others. They will begin to view themselves as an important part of the solution, look for new ways to contribute
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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