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
This is a fantastic classroom project! I have repeated this project twice before thanks to Donors Choose, and it has proved to be a great geometry lesson, an architectural building experience, fun and engaging in the classroom, and leads to a great sense of accomplishment upon completion.
These are great kids, mostly low income in a high poverty high school, and eager to make their mark in the world.
The students are full of spirit and very active in many school programs. My architectural class offers students the opportunity to learn real world skills in computer drafting and design utilizing what they have learned in geometry.
Student groups with the best designs from each of six classes create foam board polygons to replicate the Buckminster Fuller practical invention, the geometric dome or "Bucky Ball". Imagine these full size seven foot tall (at the center) half domes erected on top of computer processors (as a foundation). It is amazing to behold.
Students passing by in the hallways to and from classes stop to behold our creations. They pass the word, and shortly thereafter hordes of students make a personal "field trip" so they too can admire fellow students handy work.
My Project
Students create CAD (Computer Assisted Design) architectural drawings utilizing hexagons and pentagons. They also provide a colorful design in the polygons, a one piece scale model that is printed out for the field plan.
The design is enlarged to full scale, and students lay out the polygons on the foam board sheets. The pieces are cut out and taped together. Doors and windows must be designed into the project for entrance and egress, as well as allowing for light to filter through to the computer workspaces below.
Students will be putting their geometry skills to good use. They will be experimenting with color and design, and students will be exercising their mechanical abilities building the projects.
Students will also be learning about the "magic" and strength of triangles as they build these geo-domes to bridge the gap from row to row of student desks. Students will "inhabit" their new workspaces with a profound sense of accomplishment
Donations for this amazing project have been successful for two fall semesters previously.
It is a prove product. It helps motivate and engage students to create and build.
Students sense of accomplishment is written on their faces as they stand back and admire what they have created. They are indeed proud when fellow students stop by to admire their handy work. They imagine the world could be a better place to live with their talent and ability to work together.
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
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Teacher Gruenfelder and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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