My 6th grade students are from rural southeast North Carolina and have limited resource access. They want their classroom to expand its resources, make their learning experience more interesting, and my teaching more effective. Additionally, as part of our character development, we have discussed persistence, perseverance, and determination to succeed.
Because of their desire to succeed, I am teaching my sixth graders how to write grant proposals to receive funding for educational materials that would otherwise be inaccessible and to show them that where there is a will, there is a way.
As sixth graders, they do not often see the direct impact of their education. Their successful writing and funding of a Donor Choose proposal will show them that their writing has a direct impact on their education and that their determination to improve their education is supported by the greater community.
My Project
Each student group was given the task to identify a missing classroom item that they felt was vital to their education, write about why they need that specific item, and how they would benefit from it.
The following quotes are directly from my students:
"We would use the desk organizers on the daily because all of our books are always messed on our tables and we need to fix that. We will use them to keep out supplies out of the way when we don't need them. With the supplies out of our way, it will give us more space and it helps us access our supplies faster when we need them."
"What the class needs are backpack and jacket hooks. This way those who bring their backpacks in the class can hang them up rather than having to leave them outside. Having this item will let the class hang their coats and their backpacks so they’re not all around the classroom. The backpack and jacket hooks will help us learn how to be cleaner and neater around the classroom."
"We think the class needs a lava lamp. The class will use it by both teaching us about things like thermal energy and to show how thermal energy works and what makes it work. This item will help us learn by teaching us about heat and thermal energy."
"This pencil sharpener will be better than the current one because the old one is hand cranked and is hard to sharpen. And if you do sharpen it it breaks plus it is OLD."
As you can see, my students know what they need to change about their classroom and want to change their classroom. The changes that they identified to succeed can be achieved with your help.
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 Mr. Neal and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.