My students need a solar oven, water filter straw, conducting tape, batteries, LEDs, soil sensors, fresnel lenses and books for environmental science engineering.
Middle school science is a great place for students to engage in the engineering design process. Environmental science is the perfect context, providing real world application and relevant problems to solve!
My school is "stuck in the middle." Being a moderate poverty school we do not receive the funding and resources provided to poorer schools, yet do not have the parent donor base of affluent schools.
As a magnet school we serve students from throughout the district, encompassing a wide range of home languages, academic proficiency and socio-economic levels. We are a full-inclusion school so I teach all students including those with special needs, gifted and English learners. My colleagues and I have developed a rigorous STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum constructed on a foundation of hands-on learning and real-world application. I employ a program of varied activities and instructional strategies to both motivate and teach my students. We use traditional and modern lab equipment and I assign projects using household materials.
My Project
In this project students can use a real solar oven and lenses then plan, build and evaluate their own small solar ovens using common materials were already have plus the requested black paper and tape. They will compare our traditional battery-powered light circuits to modern solar and LED technology. They will add temperature and humidity sensors to arduino boards to model conditions leading to soil dehydration and desertification. They will learn about water quality and current technology such as a filtration straw used to treat it to make it safe for human use. The requested books will pique student interest in pursuing their own engineering projects to address challenges in environmental science.
The depth of understanding achieved through hands-on investigation is crucial for my students' future success in high school, college and the workplace.
This is especially true with the unfamiliar engineering design process. This is a vital skill for solving 21st century environmental science problems such as carbon emissions in cooking, energy use for lighting, desertification and unhealthy water.
Sunflair Portable Solar Oven Deluxe with Complete Cookware, Dehydrating Racks, and Thermometer
• Amazon Business
$154.99
1
$154.99
1/8 inch x 55 yds Copper Foil Tape - (3mm x 50m) - EMI Shielding Conductive Adhesive
• Amazon Business
$10.95
8
$87.60
LoveS 6 Pieces Anti-static ESD Tweezers with Non-magnetic Tips for Electronics, Jewelry-making
• Amazon Business
$7.88
4
$31.52
Quill Brand Masking Tape 3/4" Wide
• Quill.com
$2.37
12
$28.44
Best Water Filter for Camping, Hiking, Hunting - Ultra Lightweight Survival Filter - 50% More Filtration Capacity Than LifeStraw - No Added Taste - Removes Heavy Metals & 99.9% of Waterborne Bacteria
• Amazon Business
$24.97
1
$24.97
Getting Started with Sensors: Measure the World with Electronics, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi
• Amazon Business
$17.08
1
$17.08
An Outdoor Kitchen Full of Sunshine
• Amazon Business
$14.95
1
$14.95
Solar Cooking for Home & Camp: How to Make and Use a Solar Cooker
• Amazon Business
$12.55
1
$12.55
SainSmart DHT22/AM2302 Digital Temperature Humidity Measurement Sensor Module for Arduino
• Amazon Business
$11.99
1
$11.99
CJRSLRB® Soil Moisture Meter Testing Module, Soil Humidity Sensor, Robot/Intelligent Car Interface Board for Arduino
• Amazon Business
$5.99
1
$5.99
Riverside Construction Paper Black, 12x18", 50 Sheets
• Quill.com
$2.97
4
$11.88
Sunflair Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI)
• Amazon Business
$8.49
1
$8.49
3x Wallet Magnifier • Credit Card Size Fresnel Lenses by Cz Garden Supply
• Amazon Business
$6.99
1
$6.99
Materials cost
$802.82
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$73.46
3rd party payment processing fee
$12.04
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$918.32
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$162.06
Total project goal
$1,080.38
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$1,080.38
6 Donors
-$494.41
Donations toward project cost
-$494.41
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$0.00
match offer
-$498.72
Match offer toward project cost
-$423.91
Match offer 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. Horne and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
