My students need 16 packs of craft sticks, 4 rolls of wax paper, 48 packs of glue, and 1 Balsa wood cutter in order to construct bridges for our unit on structures.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Mangus's classroom raised $308
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
A typical day in my classroom includes studying engineering content followed by a hands-on challenge to develop critical thinking and deeper understanding of engineering design.
By the end of the year, I want my students to be problem solvers. Response to students seeking answers: "Figure it out."
My students come from mostly Hispanic and Jamaican immigrant families.
Our school is located in a large Northeastern city. The theme of our school is Engineering and Green Technology. Our students live in a poverty zone and 100% of the students are on free and reduced lunches. Many of our students are English Language Learners and have a difficult time grasping knowledge and concepts without a visual or hands-on activity. Student engagement and understanding increases dramatically when I am able to give the students a hands-on activity to reinforce engineering concepts.
My Project
I am requesting 16 packs of craft sticks, 4 rolls of wax paper, 48 packs of glue, and 1 Balsa wood cutter in order to construct bridges for our unit on structures. Students will explore bridge designs via the Internet and through classroom demonstrations. Students with then design, build, and test their truss design. I have done this activity for over 5 years now and I noticed that students become very engaged in the building of bridges. Students watch videos on good and bad bridge designs and they can model their design using simulation software. Students will understand first hand the forces of tension and compression.
Unfortunately, with budgets being so tight this year, it is difficult to afford the materials needed to adequately teach my students about engineering.
One of my former students is now a Civil Engineer and another of my students is studying Civil Engineering at a major university. Activities like this plant the seed for the future careers of our students especially in engineering. Students become intrigued, then engaged, and then thirsty to learn more.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Mr. Mangus and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.