This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Did you hate math? Or maybe you loved it? I have many students who feel both ways, but when they come to geometry class, everyone is on even ground. Geometry is so different from other math classes. My students are trying to learn geometric constructions with sub-par tools.
My students come from a variety of backgrounds.
We are a low-income school, but we also serve many military families, as our school is located just feet from the Air Force Base. My kids come into geometry either liking math because they have been good at it or hating math because of bad experiences. Geometry is a unique situation in which all students enter on the same level. It is very different from other math classes because we get to experiment with shapes and explore to find patterns. My students like constructing shapes and finding measurements to discover patterns and develop geometric theorems.
My Project
The key to geometry is being able to construct accurate illustrations to measure and explore to find patterns. Currently, my students are learning constructions using low-quality sliding compasses that often won't keep the same setting. This is vital to constructing accurate illustrations to measure and represent real situations. I'd like to get compasses that lock into place as well as quality rulers and pencils for them to use. I'll put all of the tools needed for any class in the vinyl pouches and store them in the baskets under each student's desk. This way, they can explore geometry daily and always have the tools necessary at hand for any problem they may encounter! My students have taken pride in their work so far, but they are getting frustrated with imperfect arcs and circles due to a faulty compass. A construction can only be as good as the tools used to create it, and I would like my students to produce excellent constructions!
Being able to understand geometry is important for spacial understanding as well as logic and critical thinking.
Allowing students to explore accurate geometric constructions and discover patterns to develop rules will give them the highest level of critical thinking skills. Your donation will give my students the tools to become great thinkers and succeed in this 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 Ms. Parker and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.