Chevron: Third Grade Scientists Need Help with Critter Reports
My students need 24 terrific books about animals including National Geographic Readers: Sea Otters and shelving for storage and organization.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. H.'s classroom raised $1,341
This project is fully funded
My Students
Immanuel Kant said, "Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life". It is also true that an organized library can facilitate the research for science reports. My third graders need an organized, well-stocked library so they can compete their critter reports.
We are located near two military bases and many of my students are the children of deployed military personnel.
My students are racially and ethnically diverse - 39% are Anglo, 14% are African American/Black, 16% are Alaskan Native and American Indian, 7% are Asian, 6% are Hispanic, 3% are Filipino, 15% are multiracial. Ten percent of our students are in bilingual/bi-cultural programs or ELL. Over 60% of my students qualify for free and reduced price breakfast/lunch but we are not a Title I school.
We have all the needs but none of the resources of other economically depressed schools. My students love coming to the library. I am trying to address two problems. First, revitalize science materials in the library to serve a population that has a significant number of at-risk and bilingual students. Secondly, replace rickety shelves and organize the shelves so students can find materials. Our school has no funds for new materials or shelves.
My Project
I plan to use this grant to begin to revitalize the library shelving. The library is over 40 years old and needs many things but we are going to start with shelving which is essential to organize and house the new science books.
These new book shelves will help overcome some very real barriers my students face. They cannot find anything because I have to put books on top of shelves. The books are out of order and frankly, the library looks messy and uninviting. New shelves would highlight the new science books in our library and in turn create interest and excitement in doing research and reading.
My students are trying to become readers, researchers and writers but are handicapped because they do not have a library that is organized and inviting. My third graders will use the books to do their first scientific reports on animals. They need new critter books on their reading level to be successful.
The report School Libraries At Work (Scholastic, 2006) stated that the school library is critical to every student's learning experience.
Libraries must provide equal learning opportunities to all students, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the community. This grant will help level the learning field by making new science books accessible.
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
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