Remember the triumph and satisfaction of building a model or sewing an outfit that actually worked? My students are ready to move up to the challenge of building a real underwater robot to carry out a scientific mission in our urban lake. This project could inspire future engineers and scientists.
My inner-city 10th grade science students are eager to succeed in school and build a better future for themselves and their families.
Our school struggles to meet the academic goals of the ESEA, and scarce resources are focused on improving basic academic skills. Seventy percent of my students qualify for federal reduced and free lunch programs and other services. Most would be the first in their families to attend college. They have chosen to participate in a rigorous school-within-a-school environmental science academy program. Yet they rarely get outdoors to see the natural world they study, nor do they often get the chance to design and see through a technical project. Their perspectives for career choices are thus limited and they have difficulty imagining themselves in high tech science jobs. Many lack motivation to pursue difficult science and mathematics courses. An authentic ROV project with professional mentors could change that!
My Project
Video footage of the ROV will spark my students' interest and ambition to build and operate such a vehicle in our own local wetland. They will brainstorm questions that could be answered using the ROV, whether simple exploration or a focused inquiry. I will ask them what we need to know to accomplish such a goal, and guide them to build background knowledge about the uses, physics and design of an ROV. Guest mentors will allow them to critique and develop their ideas. They will cooperate to determine feasibility and decide upon a basic mission.
The assembly of the ROV will be a learning process. My students will learn to integrate practical knowledge with a scientific goal for which the answer is not known. Persistence, creativity and flexibility will develop as they work to accomplish the mission. The ROV will provide opportunities to make accurate observations, think critically, and write clearly. It will build confidence in tackling science and math challenges.
Donations to this project will allow my inner-city students access to science and technology activities that are commonplace in some communities, but which my students would not otherwise have.
They will motivate students to take on challenging math and science coursework by providing an exciting authentic engineering and science experience.
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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 Mrs. N. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.