My students need a Food Analysis Kit, a Food Digestion & Physiology kit, and Simulated Diabetes Testing equipment to investigate nutrients and the importance of a balanced diet.
Science is awesome! I teach 7th grade life science in a small town in New Mexico. My students come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Native Americans living a traditional lifestyle on a reservation, recent Hispanic immigrants, SE Asian students, and Caucasian students blend into a student body that is brimming with curiosity, but very little opportunity to investigate or study science. We are a high need area and many of my students live in poverty. We try every day to motivate our students to succeed in school.
The 7th grade curriculum is the first exposure many of my students have had to the study of life science. However, obesity and diabetes are rampant in our community as well as sexually transmitted diseases, malnutrition, and heart disease. I have always wanted to use my class as a forum for introducing students to healthy living options, but I have never had much more to work with than my own voice. Telling a teenager a fact is one thing, but letting them investigate and determine the facts on their own is quite another. We need materials and supplies that will help us experiment on what nutrients our bodies need and what the effects will be if we don't take care of ourselves.
I need supplies that will let my students do a number of investigations. First, I need an easy, well-designed introductory kit to investigate the various nutrient molecules and their role in our bodies. Next, I need a way to test various food samples to determine which nutrients are present in my students' favorite foods. This will enable each student to realize that some foods are more nutritious choices than others. Finally, because diabetes is so common in our community, I need a way to connect food choices with diabetes and how to plan healthy food choices if you have diabetes.
Teenagers need the skills to make healthy choices as they grow. Your help with this project will give a wonderful group of kids the tools they need to choose nutritious foods now and in the future.
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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. Barnett Rivas and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.