What do YOU remember about Science in elementary school: READING about a topic, or conducting HANDS-ON experiments? I teach Science to 70 fifth graders who have a love of learning. We use our Science book as a reference tool, as it should be, and gain most knowledge from DOING. I teach in a small community, and our town has been growing in recent years, bringing in a higher number of disadvantaged students. Many have not had life experiences that would help them to understand the scientific concepts I teach. Therefore, I do everything I can to bring it alive for them!
I have been given a wonderful opportunity to teach Science, which will be state tested this year, to the entire fifth grade. I have even been given a room to be my Science Lab! Sounds great, but the problem is I do not have the supplies and equipment needed to fully create the learning environment I desire for my students. Parents and community members have donated what they could, and I am very grateful for the assistance. However, I know my students could learn, and remember, so much more if we had more equipment. We recently conducted an experiment on the greenhouse effect, but our results did not turn out as they should. The problem? The thermometers we used (salvaged from an old Science Kit)were not correct! The students were disappointed, and I vowed to find a way to get better equipment for them.
What I would like is a set of 25 thermometers. Since I teach 3 different classes and the largest class has 25 students, that would be enough for each student. Also, erosion is a big topic that is difficult for many students to fully understand, so I would love to have a Stream Table, with sand and potting soil, to give them a true understanding of the topic. The sand and potting soil would also be used in many other experiments, such as uneven heating of Earth's surfaces, animal habitats, and others.
My students would truly appreciate any help you could give us in our goal to make learning meaningful. Your help could make the difference in the lives of my students. Who knows; the next great scientist could be sitting in my classroom right now! As I tell my students: They ARE the future; what they learn in Science and choose to do on Earth will impact the rest of history for the entire human race.
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