My students need scientific calculators in order to solve quantitative problems. I need two sets of non-graphing scientific calculators for students to use in class and during the Chemistry Olympiad Exam.
We are a small school district with five elementary schools feeding into one middle school and one high school. The high school is a bastion of diversity where approximately 2300 students of all backgrounds find comfort, safety, and acceptance. Our school has been recognized for the open access all students have to AP and honors classes regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic background.
I am privileged to teach approximately 150 students each year from 9th to 12th grade in chemistry honors and AP chemistry.
These students are highly motivated and love to learn, which inspires me to do my best as their teacher.
My Project
Chemistry is a quantitative science which requires the use of scientific calculators to solve problems with exponential functions and logarithms. While most students have their own calculators, they vary widely in their functionality and creates a disparity among students.
Having a standard set of non-graphing, non-programmable calculators will allow me to teach all students equally and provide a standard tool to use for assessments so that no student will have an unfair advantage.
In addition, the calculators will be used during standardized exams such as the Chemistry Olympiad which require specific types of calculators.
The calculators will be housed in the two hanging storage charts, and each calculator will have its own numbered pouch. Students will be assigned a number and will be responsible to return their calculator to the pouch after each class. I will use the call bells to indicate when the calculators should be returned. This way every calculator is accounted for and no loss of equipment should occur.
One set of calculators will remain in my classroom, and the second set will be circulated among the other chemistry and physics teachers at my school site. The calculators will be used by a total of 900 students taking chemistry and physics.
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