"Are we collaborating today?" This is a common question as students enter the classroom and check out the board to see what they will be working on. In this social studies class, we learn by keeping interactive notebooks and working together to study primary and secondary sources from the unit's time period.
Our district is suburb of St Louis on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River with students of varying socioeconomic backgrounds, about 1/3 of which are low income.
Scott Air Force Base is just a few miles away so many of our students come from military families. We are a small but growing community as families are drawn here for our school district.
Recently our 8th grade students participated in a Help For the Holidays drive collecting and donating $3,595 to help low income families in our district celebrate the holiday season. They are typical teens in their daily lives but pull together to support one another when one of their school family members is hurting.
My Project
My students often work in collaborative groups and spread out around the room with some groups sitting on the floor. These groups are beneficial to both advanced learners and learners needing more support. Not only are they learning history, they are also learning how to work together with each group member contributing to the best of their ability.
Using floor pillows will make students more comfortable while working on the floor.
It is easier for the groups to work if they can spread their materials out and desks don't always provide adequate space.
This project will allow students to focus more on their assigned activity rather than finding a way to comfortably work together.
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 Mrs. DeNap and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.