This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Play is the most important work of childhood. What kids don't always realize, though, is that they are learning as they play. I want my students to have access to toys (such as Lego bricks) that will help them learn through their play.
In our multicultural classroom students represent over 10 unique language and cultural groups.
Over 50% of my students are English Language Learners, and 80% qualify for free and reduced price lunch. My classroom is a cognitively busy place, with students who work hard to learn and care for each other. My students enter the classroom with a wealth of experiences and knowledge, but in many cases they are already below academic entry expectations for kindergarten. With work and practice they are more than capable of reaching grade level expectations by the end of the year. My students want to be successful; they just need a little help.
My Project
Each day all of the kindergarten students come together for unstructured exploratory choice time. This is an opportunity to to engage with materials we don't use at other times of the day. One of the choices is building toys, where students can use building blocks and other materials to design and create. This is an opportunity for students to engage in design, construction, and engineering. The skills kids develop in play can translate into real world applications later in life. I want to encourage my students in creative play that utilizes basic STEM skills. Unfortunately our building center is currently lacking materials. The Lego bricks I am asking for encourage building play and creativity in a way that none of the other materials we currently have do. I am asking for several Lego sets, a Lego idea book, and an organizer to keep all the bricks straight. Many of my students don't have access to these toys at home and I want to provide this enriching play activity for all my students.
These Lego materials will let my students experiment with various STEM skills.
Many STEM professionals report that their childhood experiences with Lego and other building toys inspired them to pursue their career of choice. You could be helping provide the play that inspires future architects, engineers, and urban designers of America!
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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. S. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.