Help me give my students basic starter supplies for a take-home life science STEM project, suitable for out-of-classroom learning. This includes soil, rocks, pebbles, activated charcoal, and a safe container to put it all in.
FULLY FUNDED! Dr. Taylor's classroom raised $336
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Project
My students attend a Title 1 elementary school with the mission of providing a focused STEM education within the framework of a rigorous literacy and mathematics curriculum in grades Pre-K through 5. My firm belief is that these children are capable of engaging in authentic scientific experimentation, where each one can aspire to become true investigators, not just make-believe. Engineering, robotics, and computer applications typically receive a lot of attention in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), but life science is also an integral part of a well-rounded STEM education. Biology, ecology, and conservation studies build learners’ appreciation for the earth and their role in protecting it.
My plan is to guide first-graders to explore the requirements for cultivating and sustaining life by building a personal terrarium to take home and study.
A viable terrarium must be made of the proper mix of components: soil, rocks, pebbles, activated charcoal, sheet moss, succulent plants, and a container to hold it all. Acquiring enough resources for each student to create their own is cost-prohibitive, but past experience has shown me that skimping on the appropriate materials results in an inferior product.
My chief goal in this project is to provide the essential components for 17 young children to create miniature living laboratories of their own design. Over the course of our unit on the requirements for life, they will be able to observe and document the results of altering their mini-habitat and hypothesizing about larger effects.
More than half of 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
Craft Medley Craft Mason Jars - 8.5 oz
• Blick Art Materials
$2.29
18
$41.22
Moss Capsules Living Pack 12
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$18.00
2
$36.00
Polytrichum (Hair Cap Moss) Living
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
$12.69
2
$25.38
Altman Plants, Live Succulent Plants (20 Pack) Assorted Potted Succulents Plants Live House Plants in Cacti and Succulent Soil Mix, Cactus Plants Live Indoor Plants Live Houseplants in Planter Pots
• Amazon Business
$21.52
1
$21.52
Horticultural Activated Charcoal for Plants by Olivette | Terrarium Horticulture Moisture Absorbers Supplies USDA Organic Certified Made from Recycled Olive Tree Byproducts 1 Qt Bag
• Amazon Business
$12.85
1
$12.85
Pebbles Waterworn 10 lb
• Carolina Biological Supply Company
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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 Dr. Taylor and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
