I want my eighth grade science students to be not only excited, but ready for high school science. My ultimate goal is for students to be prepared for the rigor and excitement of high school science.
Our middle school is based on the house system.
This means students spend time in their core classes with a group of students in the same house that they are in. This makes our school environment feel smaller and it helps students feel a sense of identity within the school. As a result, the majority of my eighth grade students have spent two full school years in my classroom learning how to think like a scientist.
These students have learned that scientific skills and a good work ethic will get them far in science class, school, and life in general. We focus on having a growth mindset, meaning we can always learn more, especially from things that seem to be a struggle. Furthermore, these students are taught to believe in "failing forward", meaning more can be learned from overcoming failure. This type of mindset helps these students embrace challenges rather than taking the easy way out of learning.
My Project
The field trip I am trying to raise money for would take us to an IB (International Baccalaureate) chemistry class at the high school that the majority of our students will attend. The high school students in these classes will prepare exciting chemistry demonstrations to dazzle and excite my eighth grade students. Demonstrations that involve fire, small explosions, chemical color changes, and other cool chemical phenomenons that are otherwise too dangerous in the middle school classroom are always a source of excitement to my students. This is also an opportunity for my students to learn about the different science classes offered at the high school level. Finally, the high school students are given the opportunity to lead a question and answer session, which gives the eighth graders a chance to have their inevitable anxiety about starting high school eased while giving them realistic expectations about the rigor of high school.
The purpose of taking these students to this presentation is to get them motivated and excited to pursue upper-level science classes in high school and perhaps even a degree and career in the field of science, engineering, or technology.
This will also give the students a chance to learn more about how they can apply the inquiry skills they have acquired in middle school science and hopefully inspire them to study science beyond.
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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. Morrison and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
