This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
Our current Science textbooks were published in 1998. That was 6 years before the average 3rd grader was born. The text is dated: Pluto is still a planet, the pictures don't represent the diversity of my students, and the web links have long since gone dark. We need something new.
I have served nearly 900 Title I elementary students in our nation's 4th largest city since arriving with the Teach for America program in 2006.
I run the Adventure Science Lab where students come to do investigations from making volcanoes erupt to creating fake snow - something they've never seen before in our region of the country. I am also responsible for instructing all students in the lab, and helping to plan Science lessons with all teachers for all classes in grades K-4.
Our public school is a mix of African-American, African, Latino, Pacific and Southeast Asian students; 80% of our students receive free lunch. Our students are normal kids on the surface, who often face tremendous challenges during non-school hours. As teachers, we often have to fight the realities of our students' low-socioeconomic status in tandem with giving them the education they need. In turn, they inspire us with their resilience and enthusiasm for learning.
My Project
Teachers are a creative bunch by nature. Show us a box of junk that you're going to throw away and we'll stop you, being decidedly sure that we can make something magical out of the materials. Yet sometimes, resources desperately needed can't just be charged to my credit card. ScienceSaurus is one of those resources.
As noted above, our Science textbooks are ancient. Our instruction is 60-80% hands-on learning but students still need the experience of researching and reading non-fiction text about Science. I have seen these books in action; they are colorful, easy to read, and exciting to all students. They are everything our textbook should be, and everything my students deserve in a science resource. By helping us, you'll be giving my students a window into all strands of Science, and information about careers that my kids deserve to be exposed to - so they can strive to be everything in life that their suburban counterparts already know they want to be.
The impact you have the power to make for my students, and years of students after them, is real.
A hardcover class set of these books means that they will stand the test of time and can be checked out and used in my lab, and in 14 other classrooms serving upwards of 250 kids per year. As a teacher, and teacher of teachers, this resource would truly be a game-changer on my campus, and if you are able to support my students I know they will flourish from your generosity. Thank you for reading.
Nearly all 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
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. Milianta-Laffin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
