Science cannot just be learned in the classroom, but requires real-world lessons in order to be applied to students' lives. Hands-on activities activate the lessons students learn in the classroom. Real-world project-based experiences answer the question, "How does this matter to my life?"
My middle school students are inquisitive 21st century students who daily ask how the science we are learning applies to their lives.
They aren't interested in facts, but experiences. And these experiences cement the facts they learn in the classroom.
I have 80 students who have science class in a classroom that is not a lab. They do labs without lab benches or sinks. They don't mind, they just want to learn. But, we also have a wonderful environment that surrounds our school. We have a mountain, fields, woods, and a stream that can act as an outside classroom full of experiences for my students. Please help me get these kids outside for some real-world science.
My Project
Water testing supplies will allow us to monitor the water quality of the stream that runs along the property line of our school. This small stream originates at the top of the mountain behind our school and runs into the large river our town sits along.
While our stream is small, it passes through a number of environments and is bordered by an animal shelter, a bus garage, a school, a 911 center, our county offices and a residential neighborhood. These materials will allow us to monitor the chemistry of the stream at multiple sampling locations for a number of years. Thank you for supporting our project!
I want to give my students every opportunity to experience science and see that as they move out into our 21st century world, science is applicable to their lives and is a viable career path.
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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. Klose and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.