In our 21st century, I want it now, visually stimulating, don't bore me society, much is competing for children's attention. As a teacher, I must convince children to be just as interested in my science curriculum as they are with MTV, video games and Facebook.
I teach middle school students in an urban California school district.
My students cross the spectrum from those who barley leave their city to those who possess passports and go to a different country every summer. I have students from almost every racial and ethnic background one can think of. My students are very curious, extremely insightful children who simply want to be engaged academically. The majority of them are very visual and tactile learners who would much rather see and do science than simply read about it.
My Project
I am requesting a rock cycle board game and optics laser. These extra resources in the classroom will greatly aid in the teaching of my geology and optics units. When teaching geology, the understanding of the rock cycle is crucial. There are many nuances to the overall comprehension of the rock cycle. The board game format will create a fun and interactive reinforcement of these concepts. My students love competing. This educational game will force students to learn rock cycle concepts if they want to be successful at this game. The optics laser that I am requesting is a very cool visual for students in learning about optics. Optics is the science of light and vision. The primary difficulty for students with optic concepts is comprehending how light refracts off lenses. The laser along with lenses (which I already have) will allow me to visually represent these concepts with mind blowing clarity that the students will be amazed with.
Overall I think that these projects will aid in giving my students a greater appreciation for becoming life long lovers of science.
The future success of the United States rests on new scientific technologies and endeavors. If students are motivated in these formative years of middle school to have an interest in topics such as earth geology and optics, this could pave the way for future geological or optical discoveries in science.
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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 Mr. Curry and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.