My students need eclipse glasses and a Sunspotter solar viewing apparatus to safely view the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. The UV beads will help younger students understand that some light cannot be seen.
My sixth grade class is active, exciting, and exploratory. Students are constantly exploring new ideas in science, and are encouraged to extend their curiosity through outside research projects. We love reading and learning new things by engaging in project based learning that often comes out of the discussions we have in class.
"That's so amazing!" said one student, when the realization of how an eclipse occurs finally clicked after days of modeling and role playing.
For these tough to grasp concepts, modeling and role playing is key to help students gain an understanding. Projects and active learning opportunities make these concepts more real.
In our K-8 school, my 40 students are continually challenged. It is fun to have students come into my room who are excited about doing a particular project that they've seen my students do before. Our students are high achievers, meet the high expectations set for them, and work hard to be an active part of our community.
My Project
On August 21, 2017, we have the unique opportunity to kick off the school year with an awesome natural phenomena... a solar eclipse! To make this event accessible for all of our K-8 students, we are setting up stations to teach safe viewing techniques, model the mechanics of a solar eclipse, and teach more about light, shadows, and the scale of the solar system.
The Sunspotter solar viewing device will be used to allow students to indirectly view the sun safely and sketch the eclipse as it occurs.
The UV beads will allow students to understand that there is light from the sun that is invisible to our eyes, but still can be detected. Each student will receive a pair of eclipse glasses so that they can safely view the solar eclipse directly.
The solar eclipse connects to every grade level's curriculum, from kindergarten through eighth grade, so this is an exciting opportunity to begin the school year with an event that we can refer to throughout the year. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students and faculty, so we look forward to this exciting event together!
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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 Mrs. McFalls and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
