If you don't know that something exists, you won't miss it when it's gone. My students have grown up without learning or caring much about nature. To most of them, all birds are the same--and don't even talk about the snakes! It often only takes one great closeup look to change that attitude.
My biology students are urban public high school students.
Like all teenagers, they are social animals. Nature is not something they normally think about. When we go exploring outside in small groups, however, as part of a science assignment, they get interested and enthusiastic about what they find. Discoveries made outside will outlast almost anything they might learn in the classroom.
My Project
Just as a good hand lens is essential for observing many beautiful details of a flower, a good pair of binoculars is critical for appreciating birds and other wildlife. We already have a few pairs of binoculars, and use them as part of a birding project that gives each bio student a chance to learn how to make observations and collect data about birds and their behavior. We would like to use a camera with a long distance zoom to document the birds we see, so kids can share their discoveries.
Having a few more pairs of good binoculars will give more students the chance to see amazing things that often go unnoticed.
By funding this project, you'll help teachers at our school show our students some of the diversity and beauty of the natural world around them.
You'll also support a way for students to share with others what they have discovered.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Valdez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.