My students need 20 pounds of dental-grade alginate, which is a hypo-allergenic, to make their highly detailed molds, and 22 pound of plaster of paris for casting their forms.
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
Standardized testing season is upon us, as my students bravely face these Kafka-esque, one size fits all exams, let's help them regain their sense of individual and unique self.
My school is a Title I school, with 100% of our students qualifying for free meals.
We don't have a well off PTA that teachers can turn to when they need a little extra money, to make up for a budget gap.
These are great kids, who were not born with any advantages, but deserve opportunities for their future. The students are the American Dreamers, and the ones who know the odds are against them. But, they won't let that stop them from trying.
My Project
My students will be learning how to create a mold, and cast a form. To start them off, we will be making a cast of their hands, and symbolically break the alginate mold, to free the plaster form. They will then paint their hands, to express the uniqueness of their personalities. While this all sounds like a fun time, and it is, students will have to use math skills to calculate and measure their alginate to water, and plaster to water ratios, mixing the correct volume needed, to cast their hands. They will have to consider and observe, the effect mixtures using different water temperatures has, on setting time, hardness, and overall texture. In addition to the math and science connections, students will reflect on their sense of self, and work as a class community, to support, and appreciate the expression of their individuality, through art.
This project will make a difference, because it will have the students creating something unique, personal, and expressive.
Everyday these kids are working hard to make a future with possibilities. Standardized testing keeps trying to jam them into a factory mold. This is a project, that can have them reclaim their sense of self, take pride in their individuality, and open doors for students to share themselves, through that expression.
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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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. Martinez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
