My third graders live in three small, rural communities that come together in one great district. We are a farming community, but live close enough to a larger metropolitan area that our options are plentiful. This group of kids are a tight knit group; most have known each other long before they started school. They are hard working, eager to please, and a pleasure to teach.
As with most smaller districts, our teachers need to stretch, share, and be creative when it comes to finding necessary resources.
If the students notice that we are scraping by, they certainly don't mention it! In fact, the few things I have been able to accumulate have been openly appreciated by all.
My Project
At a math conference this summer, a presenter shared a video of her students using Legos to reason and develop understanding of fractional relationships. I was blown away by the deep understanding these students were able to demonstrate by modeling with these simple tools.
Students will be able to touch the numerator and denominator, feel the dots, and see many examples of equivalent fractions by building and explaining their models.
One student was able to explain how eight sixteenths was the same as one half because he counted the dots, but he could also look at the blocks stacked on each other and see that one was half of the other. I would love for my students to have the same opportunities.
Another tool I'm requesting are number line white boards. So much of our time is spent identifying a fraction on a number line, but more time is spent drawing lines and partitioning them into equal parts than anything. These boards will give opportunities for both estimating where the division lines will go, but on the other side they are already partitioned and students will be able to identify the marks.
I'm also requesting a new pencil sharpener because the one we use now jams all the time.
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
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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. Perkins and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
