Seeing the Stars in NYC - Developing a Passion for Science
My students need two quality telescopes.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Sandler's classroom raised $627
This project is fully funded
My Students
As an elementary school teacher, I am always looking for sources of student engagement. In this respect, I teach in a classroom with no chairs. There is room for questioning, for debate, and, most importantly, for failure. The students are expected to connect with information rather than retell it.
I am very lucky to work in the school that I do.
We have a mixed bag of cultural ethnicities, each with their unique take on education and life. The students at our school are some of the most respectful I have ever been around and are eager to learn at every juncture.
The school is a strong proponent of active education, looking at student engagement as a focal point for critical learning. The administration has been proactive in getting the latest technology for our teachers to use for various methods of instruction. This technology is also present in my science program as students are able to use such tools as electric microscopes and bluetooth data loggers to complete assignments.
Every class is an exciting investigation where students are given the freedom to succeed or fail through collaboration and questioning. We also run a science club specifically for girls to better engage our young female students in the sciences and help prepare them for lucrative careers.
My Project
I am requesting two quality telescopes.
Several grades in our school carry a unit on Astronomy in the Next Generation Science Standards. It is difficult to find an engaging way to create excitement in the cosmos without proper equipment, even though it is a passion for many children. The telescopes will be used high on our enclosed roof and will allow both students and parents (we would create a community event out of it) to view the night sky at different points of the year and create a full picture of how the universe came to be and what part we play in it. We hope that students will take initiative to do their own star spotting and be able to identify the position of interstellar objects based on the season. The telescopes could also be used during the day to see the New York City skyline, a view that many in this community have not yet to see.
We hope it will be another way to inspire passion in the sciences and create a greater sense of community around a subject not taught enough in our primary schools.
The telescopes will give our school yet another avenue for discovery and help answer questions that curious students have in their head about the universe. Developing this curiosity and giving children the means of pursuing answers to it will help our students create a lifelong love for science and its many possibilities.
More than three‑quarters 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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