The students that I work with attend a high poverty school that serves children with disabilities in New York. I teach a self-contained 6:1:1 (6 students: 1 teacher: 1 paraprofessional) 2-3rd grade class. My students have different diagnosis, such as Autism and intellectual disabilities. I work in one of the highest need areas in NY and all my students rely on our free breakfast and lunch program. My students vary in academic levels, interests, behaviors and learning styles. All of my students have very unique needs and learn very differently. I am constantly searching for ways to engage them in learning and help each and every child achieve their best.
My students are the most special bunch of energetic, kind, and loving children who come to school with a beautiful smile every day.
My Project
My special needs students are supposed to learn science concepts that are way too challenging for them. As their teacher, I am always struggling on how to make science easier for them. How can I make learning about energy, light, sounds, and electricity fun and easier for my special group of students? The light and sound touch circuit is a hands-on way to teach my students early electricity concepts. My students will be excited to grab hold of the handles to let the energy flow, setting off colorful LED lights and fun sounds, and seeing firsthand how a circuit works. By using the mystery sound capsules my students will explore their sense of hearing by shaking the capsules, guessing what’s making the sound, then twisting the capsule and looking through the window to reveal the mystery objects hidden inside! Reading interesting science books will also assist my students grasp important concepts. When learning about nutrition, my students can use the nutrition center materials to learn all about healthy eating as they sort food pieces onto MyPlate sorting mats!
My students love engaging in hands on experiments, using hands on activities and reading interesting and attractive books.
Unfortunately, we don't have science books and materials in our school to support our science lessons. I am constantly trying to find resources I can use to make science fun and to engage students in learning grade level science concepts. The materials we hope to get from this project will have such a huge impact on my students engagement and and progress in science.
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