Maker Space: A Place to Dream, Invent, and Build...
My students need a STEM Maker Space Cart with cardboard storage rack, tape dispenser rack, pegboard with hooks, and storage tubs in order to store all of our essential maker materials in one secure place.
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
My bright, enthusiastic second graders love to participate in challenging, hands-on activities and are encouraged to succeed by their loving supportive families.
Our K-8 school is an important focal point of our community and is designated a high poverty school.
Budget cutbacks have made it impossible to purchase the materials that our children need and deserve. The days of sitting silently in rows and completing worksheets are over, thankfully. Today's students need to be actively engaged, to converse with one another, and to use hands-on materials. Though our second graders do not lack curiosity or energy, they do lack the materials that would enhance our curriculum and make learning come alive.
My Project
A Maker Space provides "hands-on, creative ways for students to design, experiment, and invent as they engage in science, engineering, and tinkering.” (edutopia) At the core of the making philosophy is the idea that all children have the capacity to create. They are natural inventors, builders, artists, and scientists. "Making" encourages them to plan, design, and assess- whether they are building a car made of pasta or using paper circuits to fabricate a greeting card that lights up.
In our culture of high-stakes testing, many students focus exclusively on finding the right answers.
According to Claude Levi-Strauss, however, "the scientific mind does not so much provide the right answers as ask the right questions." A Maker Space in the classroom will inspire students to ask questions and develop solutions.
Key to having an effective Maker Space is organizing materials and making them accessible to students. The STEM Maker Space Cart will be able to manage the storage of a broad range of tools, materials and tech devices in an attractive and child-friendly manner.
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. Bershad and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
