I am fortunate to teach science to three fifth grade classes each day! I get to share the excitement of our world with 90 students! My students learn best when they can relate our subject matter to their lives. When they play an active role in their learning with hands-on tasks, they are able to think critically and apply what they are learning to make more sense of their world and understand their importance in it. This type of learning engages all learners and fosters a love of learning, inquiring minds and provides lasting memories!
My Project
I want to bring ecosystems into our classroom by having students create ecocolumns! Ecocolumns are aquariums and terrariums together, that the students will work collaboratively to make in our classroom using soda bottles! (Recycling-always a plus!) For this project the aquariums will need to be filled with live plants: elodea, duckweed, and algae which will supply food for the mosquito fish and pond snails. Terrariums will have four kinds of seeds planted that will provide food for crickets and isopods.
By having these ecocolumns, students will have a hands-on learning experience observing the relationships between organisms and their environment, without leaving our classroom!.
They will see how abiotic and biotic factors are necessary for an ecosystem to thrive and everything has its own niche. Students will begin to think of the human impact; how we can have a positive effect or a negative effect on an ecosystem and what it means to our future on Earth.
This project will influence the minds of these young ecologists deepening their understanding and appreciation of our natural world!
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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. Regelman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.