My students come to first grade eager to learn about the world around them. They love to sit down with a friend to read, and they love to talk! Our school is an urban elementary school in St. Paul with many bilingual students who are learning English. Some of our students have recently arrived in the United States and did not have an opportunity to attend school before.
Every day I see children working together, playing together, and engaged in learning about math, reading, writing, and science.
They are a community of learners that cares about each other.
My Project
My students love to read and learn about animals. They are asking for sets of books about some of their favorite arctic animals: musk ox, reindeer, snowshoe hares, and wolverines. They want to learn about each animal's diet, appearance, life cycle, behavior, and habitat. The new books will give us an opportunity to compare these arctic animals with other arctic animals we already know about such as polar bears, puffins, and arctic foxes.
Learning about how different species of arctic animals are similar and different and about their habitat will provide my students with many opportunities to talk and think critically.
They will have to use details from the text and the pictures to explain their thinking. They will also learn to listen to each other and add on to each other’s ideas. They will begin to understand how important it is to keep the Arctic safe for these special animals.
Some of my students are reluctant readers, but I know that these books will engage theme and get them excited about animals and the environment. Thank you for helping my students with their learning. With your support, they are becoming readers and and thinkers. Today's children will be our next generation of scientists!
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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 Ms. Leiter and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.