I have virtually no equipment to introduce physics concepts. My students need to see and explore gyroscopes, a ballistics car, and pendulums before they do the math!
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Evans's classroom raised $896
This project is fully funded
My Students
I am teaching Physics in an urban high school. My equipment was purchased in the 1960s. (My Geiger counter has a tag that says it needs to be re-calibrated in 1964!) We are trying to upgrade the equipment, but need demonstration items to introduce topics and spark inquisitiveness.
I teach in an inner city school.
My students are predominately African-American. Whites, Hispanics, and Asian students account for about 45% of the student population. Nearly 70% qualify for free lunch. My school is the home of the city's Performing Arts Academy, and the students do a stellar job. However, we struggle for funding, and we are struggling to meet state standards in so-called core subjects.
I see my students as being capable and enterprising, but I also see them as products of our community. They are not typically surrounded by family, friends, or neighbors who thrived in a rigorous academic environment. I see my job as an educator to inspire them and expose them to the habits of mind (critical thinking, inquiry, analysis, communication, etc.) that will allow them to pursue additional learning opportunities so that they might acquire the skills needed to live happy, productive lives. I want their children to have more opportunities than they do!
My Project
I have requested that donors support my students by helping us acquire a variety of items intended to introduce Physics topics. As such, I have requested items that I can use for demonstration in order to pique students' curiosity about the topic that we will be studying. But, these items were also selected because they are items that students can put in their own hands and conduct their own explorations. My students need to see and explore gyroscopes, a ballistics car, and pendulums before they do the math!
For instance, no matter how many times they've seen the video of the feather and hammer drop on the moon, they will invariably tell you that the heavier item will hit the ground first. The free-fall apparatus would allow them to investigate that fallacy themselves! Similarly, it is one thing to talk about gyroscopes in navigation, but another to explore gyroscopes by using them to control the direction of a "ship." The items I have selected, whether pendulums or projectile launchers will help them explore physical phenomena. They will not be watching a video, they will be doing!
The donation of ANY of these items will improve my ability to engage students and encourage them to conduct their own inquiries, generate their own "what if" questions, and hone their skills of observation.
I am often amazed at what my students haven't experienced. ("What's a kite? How does this tape measure thing work?") I believe that anything that I can do to make Physics experiential, instead of just another math class, will help my students become more prepared to engage the world.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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