Children are always motivated by projects where they work in groups to create a unique product. That is why building bridges has been a perennial favorite in my classroom. Each year my students research different types of bridges and work together to create a solid, viable structure.
My class is a very diverse group of 28 5th graders.
Our school is a title-one school with over 50% of our students receiving free or reduced lunch. Despite the challenges our school community faces, we have performed in the top 5% of all schools in the state of Washington on standardize tests. Our science scores continue to improve year after year because of the support of our principal, innovative staff, and hardworking students. Part of our success is making science part of our daily experience, with reading science text during our reading block and providing many hands-on experiences including robotics and bridge building.
My Project
I am asking for KNEX bridge building kits for my classroom. Every year I do a bridge building project for these future engineers. We research different bridges and they chose one to create using just toothpicks and glue. I bring in real life engineers to watch the students while they create and provide some guidance. At the science fair, we test their products to see how much weight the bridges will hold.
The problem with toothpick bridge construction is the construction is very tedious and slow. Students are limited by the types of bridges they can construct, due to the limitations of the materials used. I often feel that we are missing some opportunities by these limitations. The kits that I am requesting will help me overcome this obstacle.
Having these KNEX bridge building kits available in our classroom will increase my students' knowledge about the different aspects of bridge building and provide them with a deeper knowledge of the characteristics of bridge structures.
The kits come with lessons that address national science standards, which will help my students score even higher on the state test. To top it off, students love to build and these kits will keep them fully engaged while solving real world problems!
More than half of 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 Mrs. Gundlach and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
