My students need a variety of inspiring mentor texts featuring STEM topics and influential people to read not only in class but to share with their families.
My students come to class each day excited to do things that are not available to them outside my little corner of their world. I work hard to bring varied experiences to our socioeconomically disadvantaged rural area, offering my students an opportunity to learn beyond the material and increase their critical thinking skills.
We also have a lot of fun along the way because although it can be hard, learning at its best should be interesting and encouraging.
Even the most challenging learners excel when pushed to see things in a new way. When we do our Makerspace Friday or STEAM experiments, my students comment that they wish that every day was that day. They are eager to learn and experience what is out there for them, finding a sense of pride when they learn something new and can teach others about it. This goes beyond my general classroom to my coding and robotics students, who give up their time after school to learn and experiment with me each week.
My Project
This project will take various mentor texts centered around STEM concepts and influential individuals to help expose my students to their valuable insights. Students in my STEM class will have an opportunity to pick books that interest them and will throughout the course of the year take different books home to read with their families.
By having these books available, they will expand their learning beyond the lessons and into the real world.
This connection may inspire them to look at STEM topics in a different light as well as encourage them to view future career opportunities that they never would have considered before.
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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 Ms. Kuntz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
