Children are awed by tales of exploration and adventure. Unfortunately, my students don't have the books necessary to fill their minds with these great stories.
The students in my 4th grade class come from different countries, different socioeconomic backgrounds, speak several different languages, and have a variety of interests and talents.
The boys and girls in my class love learning about each other and the world around them. They are especially fascinated to learn about far away places, remarkable people, and events from the past. Teaching Social Studies is a wonderful opportunity to tap into their natural curiosity about the world
My Project
I encourage students to learn by pursuing their individual interests and incorporating the arts into our curriculum. One Social Studies units is about explorers. While the students are learning about larger concepts such as the challenges explorers faced, I would like them to conduct individual research projects on an individual explorer of their choice. This will help them tap into their personal interests, learn research skills, and synthesize the information they learn in school and as a result of that research. At the end of the unit, students will use their knowledge to present independent projects. Projects can range from a short play about the explorer's life to a detailed model of a ship. Unfortunately, the books currently in my classroom are insufficient to support the needs of my students. There are few books on explorers. The few that exist offer little choice (only Huson or Columbus). We are asking for a selection of books on different explorers to help my students pursue this project.
Students learn best when they have choice and can pursue a topic that speaks to them personally.
Unfortunately, because of limited funding, choice is not possible. With this set of books, students will be able to perform independent research on an explorer that is of personal interest to him or her. When students use resources to create something from a place of personal interest, fun and long-lasting learning is the result.
Half 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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