My students need basic laboratory and safety equipment. I have purchased all I can out of my pocket but we are still in need of basic exploration supplies.
In Lexington, the population is very diverse in terms of ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic status. Approximately 95% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch in our Title I middle school. Our district is also very small, with only one middle school and one high school.
My students have many challenges, but can achieve incredible things if given the tools and support they need.
The school house is sometimes the only safe place for these children. Many of our families have been in Lexington for generations and some have told me of their concerns that their children are not able to have the same opportunities as others in surrounding areas.
I believe that my students have enormous potential to achieve and that they deserve every opportunity to do so. Engaging my students in science now can put them on the path to colleges and careers that may have seemed impossible to them before.
My Project
Being such a small and low-funded district, I am doing what I can to ensure that my students are engaged and learning every day. I strive to have hands-on labs at least one or two times every week. I believe that it is especially important for the struggling student to be able to not just learn about the scientific process, but to actually be involved in it as well.
Science without hands-on experience is no way to prepare our children for life in the 21st century.
Without proper science equipment, I am restricted on the types of activities I can perform with my students. As of now, they have to take turns and share safety goggles since we have less than a dozen pairs for all 100 students on our team. They spend their family's hard-earned money on clothes for school that also need protection for all the fun, messy things we do in science class.
Beyond the basics, my wish is to have a set of light exploration tools, which is why I am requesting the Laser Exploration Kit. What better way to explore the properties of light, such as reflection and refraction, with results they can clearly see?
These tools do not have to stay exclusively in my classroom. There are two other teachers in my grade level that would benefit from these tools as well. All of the science teachers in the school have pooled together what resources we have to share among each other, but it is not enough. My contribution will help the 100 students on my team, but it will actually go so much farther.
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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 Ms. Thomas and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
