My class consists of 20 4-year-old students. Not just any 4-year-olds, but those that qualify for South Carolina's Child Development Education Program. All of my students and their families are eligible for the free or reduced-price Federal lunch program and/or are on Medicaid. Our school is a Title I school but the 4K program is not included in the Title I funding.
Some of my 4-year-olds come to my classroom at the beginning of the school year with nothing...no language, no socialization, no knowledge of what it means to be at school, in a classroom, or have a teacher. My goals for my students are to develop their language skills, teach them conflict resolution skills, and to open their eyes to the great big world around them beyond the small town in which we live.
My Project
My 4-year-old students learn best through hands-on activities and personal experience. We will be learning about how things grow in a spring unit of our ELA curriculum. The books that we read in that unit are about how plants, animals, and people grow. Every year, I also incorporate books about butterflies and frogs to teach them about metamorphosis. However, books aren't enough. Interaction with the real thing would be the ultimate learning tool!
Many of my students do not realize that butterflies go through other stages in order to become their adult form.
Butterflies are butterflies, right? A butterfly kit would be enlightening to those students, allowing them to watch up close as a caterpillar forms a chrysalis and emerges as a beautiful butterfly!
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 Mrs. Clanton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
