My Kindergarten through sixth grade, Title I, elementary school serves a large culturally diverse local trailer park along with one of the oldest city neighborhoods; it was rated as one of the most culturally diverse elementary schools in the country in a recent study. In a single classroom areas of the globe from the Alaskan Arctic, China, Korea, Vietnam, The Philippines, Samoa, The Dominican Republic, and Mexico can be represented. It is not unusual to hear multiple languages spoken on the playground, with the most common being the Hmong language.
The students at my school come from all over the world, but they have one thing in common: they love coding.
Growing up in low income families (over 80% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) does not allow for a lot of opportunities to explore and build with materials. These materials cost money and access to them is limited when priorities like "food on the table" and "clothes on your back" take all a family's resources. The students come to school eager to learn and explore, but without the hands-on experiences and learning that can only come from doing and playing with real materials.
My Project
The materials I have chosen will be used in an evolved and modern school library program. The library of today is not a storage room for books, but an open space to seek information and do! This includes building with LEGO bricks and coding with mini robots.
Both LEGO bricks and Ozobots are great materials for early computer coding lessons.
With the LEGO idea books, loose LEGO bricks, and LEGO building kits, the students practice breaking steps down into individual actions. With the Ozobots the students practice writing the code or direction in a simplified color based system.
To many the idea of coding can be overwhelming. With these materials the students will be able to develop foundational skills that they can build on with more advanced digital program. The younger students are training their brains to think like a coder when they plan and follow simple visual directions, like in the LEGO building kits. They are learning to see the individual steps needed to complete a task.
Ozobot Evo App-Connected Coding Robot (Black)
• Amazon Business
$99.00
2
$198.00
Overwrite Sticker Codes (Codes Pack) for use with Ozobot
• Amazon Business
$12.99
10
$129.90
Creative QT Peel-and-Stick Baseplates - Self Adhesive Building Brick Plates - Compatible with All Major Brands - 2 Pack - Grey - 10 inch x 10 inch - By
• Amazon Business
$15.95
8
$127.60
Washable Color Code Markers, For Evo and Bit (Multi-Color)
• Amazon Business
$6.90
10
$69.00
LEGO Classic Quad Pack 66554 Building Kit
• Amazon Business
$19.97
2
$39.94
365 Things to Do with LEGO Bricks
• Amazon Business
$17.38
1
$17.38
LEGO Awesome Ideas
• Amazon Business
$14.69
1
$14.69
The Lego Ideas Book: Unlock Your Imagination
• Amazon Business
$14.61
1
$14.61
Cool Creations in 35 Pieces: Lego Models You Can Build with Just 35 Bricks
• Amazon Business
$9.98
1
$9.98
Materials cost
$999.50
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$14.99
3rd party payment processing fee
$14.99
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$1,059.48
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$186.97
Total project goal
$1,246.45
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$1,246.45
1 Donor
-$1,246.45
Donations toward project cost
-$1,059.48
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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. Hannam and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
