I work at a wonderful and diverse Title One, public school in the California Bay Area that focuses on lifeskills and hands-on learning.
Our district is one of the few public school districts that continues to believe in teachers building their own curriculum to teach various concepts and to help students make cross-curricular connections throughout the year, so that they can build meaning of the world around them.
Last year, a grant funded a fantastic student-centered science unit based on freshwater habitats. This unit covered so much content that it made transitioning to the CCSS science standards and practices smoother.
We were able to buy the reusable hardware for this unit along with the live animals last year with grant money. This year, we need your support to help fund the living organisms we need to get these habitats going!
My Project
Students will collaborate as scientists to make predictions, make observations and to dive into student-driven inquiry about freshwater habitats.
Your donation will help us pay for the live organisms that are needed to have a functioning habitat.
The class will begin this unit by setting up ponds in their cooperative science groups. Once the water is set up, the groups will add in the donated organisms and make observations. They will start by adding the worms before adding in the fish, daphnia , freshwater plants, and snails.
Our second grade scientists will make daily observations that they will record and have conversations around.
By the end of this unit, the class will understand how each living organism played a part in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
This project allows every single student to access the same scientific background and knowledge through direct, hands-on and student-centered learning. It will also provide students with several avenues for cross-curricular learning.
This project is a great way to utilize our classroom microscopes to further encourage student inquiry. It will also allow second graders to extend their learning by thinking about environmental issues (i.e. Why biodiversity is beneficial in local habitats).
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 Ms. Yogi and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
