Science In My Community Book Project

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

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

"I'm going to write a science book." This isn't something many students strive for. My newcomer students are engaged by the study of science and enjoy telling their stories. Their knowledge of English is emerging; by writing a science book, their knowledge of science and English will improve.

My students are second language learners attending school in California.

They come from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, and Nepal. They speak Spanish, Mayan dialects, Karen, Karenni, Nepalese, and Vietnamese. They come to my school with as much curiosity about science as the American-born student but with the disadvantage of not knowing the language. But they are thirsting to learn. My school is located in the inner-city and my students experience all of the issues so prevalent in cities--poverty, hunger, racism, classism. They likely experienced gaps in their education before coming here, significant traumas and loss, food insecurity, and violence, among other things, that could still be impacting their learning. Yet they are resilient. They come to school ready to learn. They come to school with a willingness to try whatever is asked of them. They master English, math, science, and history, despite the numerous distractions.

My Project

The resources I am requesting will allow my students to document the science they learn in one semester. They will learn about the food chain by dissecting owl pellets. They will take water samples throughout the city to measure water qualities in various locations tagged by a GPS unit. They will perform community service by participating in a recycling program at school. Using a digital camera, they will photograph each step of their journey. These photographs, along with written descriptions of the activities, will be printed in color and compiled in a hard-cover book. The learning that will take place is phenomenal. They will learn about the skeletal system of animals, about pollutants in water, and about the limited resources on earth. They will use current technology as they write a book in English about what they have done. And most of all, they will learn to appreciate science and to appreciate the English language as a communication tool.

My students, new to the country, unsure of their English, often fleeing tyrannical regimes, come to the United States for an opportunity to succeed.

They are willing to meet any challenge we provide. But they must always play catch up. If we challenge them with a meaningful curriculum, they will have a better chance at success. They will see how science integrates in their environment. The impact of donor programs (ex DonorsChoose, Chevron Classroom Challenge) can really make a difference.