My students need 5 different sets of books about plants and the environment; 2 indoor garden kits with seeds and planting materials, and scopes with slides.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. H.'s classroom raised $2,522
This project is fully funded
My Students
This project was inspired by Ms. Vansickle's Planting Detroit Solutions for Pollution. Fools Crow, Ceremonial Chief of the Teton Sioux, said that the survival of the world depends upon our sharing what we have and working together... if we don't, the whole world will die. My first grade students need to learn about the environment and what they can do if they work together.
My school is close to two military bases and a significant number of my students are dependents of deployed military personnel.
Our student population is racially and ethnically diverse. One out of every ten children is in a bilingual program, and as a group, we are 39% Anglo; 14% African American/Black; 16% Alaskan Native and American Indian; 7% Asian; 6% Hispanic; 3% Filipino; 15% multiracial. We are all learning how to work together to achieve a common goal.
Our small, K-6, public school is over forty years old. Our service area is 1/3 below the per capita income of the rest the city. Many of my wonderful students are deemed at-risk. Many of my students do not have the funds for necessary school supplies. Over 60% of them qualify for free and reduced breakfast and lunch, but we are not a Title I school. We have all the needs and none of the resources of other schools. We certainly do not have money for special science projects.
My Project
There will be twice as many students in this Teach for the Planet project, and we need books about plants and the environment; 2 indoor garden kits with seeds and planting materials; test strips and scopes with slides and presentation boards. Although they are only first graders, my students are incredibly interested in the world around them. They also want to do something to help their community. They want to learn about different plants and how the environment impacts them. We plan read and talk about the books, research the plant cycle, and then participate in a three month experiment on environmental effects on plants. They will have a sponge garden, then plant 4 groups of plants (control group and 3 treatment) in the library. They will study, document effects of pollution and present their findings at our Science Fair in April. They will invite the school board and city officials.
My sixty first graders do not have many opportunities to actually learn about science and the environment.
With this project, they will learn about science while growing and observing the effects of different kinds of pollution on plants. They will document their findings and present them at a Science Fair. Just imagine these young, ecological research writers using scopes and pH strips learning about the environment. You can help make a difference in their lives by donating to this project .
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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