Did you know that Expo markers could be used for more than just writing on dry-erase boards? My students are currently using hand-made conductivity testers to learn about physical characteristics of elements, chemical properties, and other "goals" set forth in our benchmarks.
Our school in FL is a prospering and rapidly growing middle school with much need for science supplies.
With having at least three 8th grade classrooms running the same lab on a given day, equipment is difficult to come by. Each day our students are faced with a new exploration in science, playing and hand- manipulating their new goals that teachers have set forth. Students are excited to go home and discuss these new concepts they have learned and are willing to strive to their highest potential when their interests have been met.
My Project
Though manipulating a "MacGyver" hand-made, conductivity tester is pretty cool to most middle school students, the practicality of using this tool with more than 130 middle school students on a daily basis isn't too realistic. Furthermore, sharing seven electronic balances between 9 different science classrooms isn't too practical nor innovating either. As in most classrooms, we have a set of goals that we desire to meet over a given amount of time. Our "goals," or in our case, our GOLD, is something that we explore for, then pan, and finally, apply our "goal" to a higher-level/critical thinking process. Utilizing this hands-on approach keeps our students interested and they desire to come back to science, or as they put it, "I actually like science now!!!" These balances and conductivity testers will be used throughout our physical science unit in multiple labs and would be an amazing benefit. Having reliability, versus, hoping that equipment will "please, please work today!"
Your donations would be an ever-present force within the classroom.
Not only would the supplies be used with one lab, but many. Students are met with day-to-day "goal" searching and application where the critical thinking and processing skills that are necessary for preparation to high school sciences. Your donation would be worth its weight in GOLD, so that students would have all the supplies necessary to be successful everyday, instead of most. Thanks!
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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. Kennedy and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.