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
“I...think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician, he is also a child placed before natural phenomena, which impress him like a fairy tale.” These words from Marie Curie describe our science studio to a T.
The students in my five sections of chemistry are excited to learn--they are curious about the elements and what the world around us is made of, and they know chemistry will help them as they follow a path to higher education.
Many of my students have not had the advantage of a good basic science education early on, and so are in need of the basic tools with which to learn chemistry, and I am in need of the basic tools with which to teach chemistry well.
Our school is an urban, public charter school, located in the heart of Detroit. It attracts students from all over, and our community is strong and growing, due to our focus on restorative practices, team building, and integration, through the visual and creative arts, of STEM and engineering design into the curriculum.
My Project
Many students have asked when we are going to begin learning about the Periodic Table and the different elements. As soon as we are able to put our new giant Periodic Table up on the studio wall, front and center, we will begin. Throughout the year in chemistry we will need to frequently refer to the many elements, groups and families in the Periodic Table, and it helps immensely to have a large visual aid that everyone can see at the same time. My students and I will use a laser pointer to facilitate many of our interactions with the table.
The other materials requested, including a periodic table simulator and a kit for reconstructing atomic theory, will be used in small group collaboration, to aid in the students' discovery of Mendeleev's Periodic Table and its organization. This will lead into atomic structure and stoichiometry naturally, so students will really grasp what happens when atoms of elements combine into compounds and chemical reactions occur.
The students in my five sections of chemistry are excited to learn about the elements and to delve deeply into the subject of chemistry.
Your donation to my project will contribute my students' accomplishing a challenging task: learning and understanding chemistry. My studio will begin to truly resemble a chemistry classroom with the addition of these materials, and students will take ownership of their learning as the process of discovering chemistry unfolds.
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. M. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
