I have a class that is full of mathematicians and scientists. The students in my class have abilities that will make them the "Einsteins" of our future. They come from diverse backgrounds and have varying abilities, but they all have the potential to make their mark on this great planet! My students and I live in a rural area in northwest Florida where farming and flying go hand in hand because we have both military bases and farms located within our community.
We are a Title I school, in rural Florida, and just like our hometown heroes, the Navy's Blue Angels, we work hard and "fly" fast in our classroom.
Although we are a small town, we have an extraordinary amount of pride and patriotism and it shows each and every day. I want my students to use collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity throughout our day and to take ownership of their education!
My Project
My goal is to integrate the 4 Cs: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking, and provide experiences that will spark a love of science and math in my students using Estes Rocket Models.
Fifty years ago, when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, many memories where made when astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped out of his rocket and said, “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Like Neil Armstrong, my students' most memorable classroom experiences have come from hands-on experiences, not sitting at a desk reading from a textbook or working in a workbook. Kids take ownership of their learning when they are actively involved.
Utilizing the Estes Rockets we will learn about variables, Newton's Laws, energy, and motion. We will also be looking back in history to learn about the launch of the Apollo 11 rocket that took men to the moon. These are concepts that would be extremely difficult for students to understand if they were just reading about them, but through the process of building background knowledge of rocketry, construction, and successfully launching, the students will learn about topics in a meaningful way while making real-world connections. Launching these rockets will set the stage to show my students that they can "soar" through any obstacles they face and be the next person to make a giant leap!
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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. Wheelus and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
