We need 2 Lecia Microscopes and a set of prepared slides so that we can experience cellular life in a tangible way, and practice drawing what we see first-hand.
I am excited that my students took the initiative to problem-solve and find a way for our school to participate in more STEM events. Jada, Ja'Mya, Enrique, Logan, and Marco all brainstormed and thought that creating a project through DonorsChoose.org would be the best option for our class.
Our school does not have technology, or materials for STEM projects. Specifically, we lack materials to learn to code and engineer. Recently we were discussing the fact that we did not have these resources, and how badly students want to learn to program and code. As a class, we were brainstorming about how to solve this problem. One of my students asked, "Well, could we get donations?" After some class-wide discussion, they decided to research ways to fund raise and get the materials. One of them quickly came across DonorsChoose.org, and they decided collectively that a student-led project would be the best option.
My students will develop both academic and social-skills through this project. Academically, they will learn about the parts of the cell, mitosis, and other science concepts, in addition to the technical skill of using a microscope. They will also learn how to draw, as our goal is to incorporate art into the science classroom by having students to draw what they see as they complete their microscopic explorations. This is an important part of connecting scientific concepts to the concrete and tangible world around us, which is essential for student engagement and overall mastery of learning. Allowing students opportunity to engage in artistic activities in the classroom also aids in increased student joy, overall learning, and general well-being.
In Their Own Words
We are trying to get microscopes and slides for our classroom so that we can more effectively learn about science. We also want to have the chance to draw in class, as we will be able to draw everything that we observe using the microscope. This project is important, because we do not have any of these resources, and our school does not have the money to buy them. Once we have these supplies, we will be able to do more activities and learn science on the same level as students who go to more wealthy schools. This will help us to be more competitive academically when we get to college and will help us to be more successful in our lives.
We will work together to use the microscope to look at different slides. We will also decide what samples to take from real life, and then work as teams to prepare and view those samples on slides. This will require us to work together as lab teams, both to complete these projects and to make decisions together about what to investigate. This will help us to develop our leadership skills as we carry out the project, with our teacher only guiding us through the process. We want to learn more, and this will help us do that.
This project is important to our class and to our school community, because it will provide us with materials that we need to learn about science first-hand. Our school faces the problem of a lack of funding and a lack of resources. We are willing to work hard to be successful but need the resources to do so. Funding this project will provide us with the materials we need. That will mean that we can learn on a higher level by doing more activities, which will help us to get ready for college.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
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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. Kilgallen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
