My students need more access to enriching STEAM materials including kinetic sand, games like BLOKUS, and engineering materials like the magnetic blocks.
My students live in a semi-rural community on the Washington-Idaho border. Our school has approximately 85% of the students receiving free or reduced lunch. They come from a variety of backgrounds and many struggle daily to overcome high ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) scores. Despite these challenges they come to school excited and eager to see their teacher and friends and to learn something new. They respond especially well to hands on experiences. They love science and art and need more open-ended activities to challenge their thinking.
My Project
I am developing bi-weekly STEAM centers specifically focused on improving vital math skills, such as spatial reasoning, problem solving, and fluency, as well as develop creative thinking, and meet Common Core and NGSS standards.
These centers will provide enrichment opportunities enrichment, both for students that need a challenge and for those that lack opportunity.
Because many of my students from poverty, they are not given the chance to experience the activities found in museums, science centers, or even playing board games with their family. These centers will help to close the gap.
Specifically, the materials I am requesting will be used to develop three separate centers. First, the game Blokus is exceptional for developing spatial reasoning and cooperative play. The kinetic sand will be used for design tasks, as well as creative free play. The magnetic blocks will be used for engineering tasks and free exploration.
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