Building Blocks for STEAM... Working Together, Experimenting and Creating
My students need Legos, baseplates and the STEM kits to help us more fully integrate STEAM into our classroom through hands-on, problem solving and activities.
Our rural school hosts about 500 students in grades PK-4 and the majority are bused in from the three nearest towns. Students come from a variety of economic situations, and many are from single parent homes. We are considered a Title 1 (low income) district. Our location also brings in many Spanish speaking migrant students and families, along with their unique needs.
Second grade is an incredibly important year as we work to build independence and stamina.
Staying focused and working cooperatively can be challenging for a six, seven or eight year old. We are working on reading to learn, instead of learning to read, and need to be able to stay on task to do so. We are also working hard to become independent thinkers and problem solvers. Hands on, interactive activities are a must to prepare us for the real world!
My Project
Recently, there has been a big push for educators to more fully incorporate aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) into the curriculum. Often, with STEAM based activities, students are working together, problem solving and learning valuable, real life lessons and skills.
The Legos, base plates and STEM kits requested in this project will provide my students with opportunities to learn cooperation through teamwork and give them a chance to experience the tremendous learning that comes with trial and error.
When using the STEM kits, students will learn how to make a plan, test a theory and revise it as needed. These are skills that are so necessary to success in the real world and that can give students great academic advantages, as well. The Legos will be a great way to quickly and easily challenge students to build a model of something and demonstrate mathematical concepts (ie: arrays and repeated addition, rows and columns etc.).
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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 Mrs. LaMacchia and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
