This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
Have you ever wondered how mountains or lakes were formed, or how electricity makes a light bulb light up, or even how we get the energy we need to live? My students wonder these things, but our school budget does not allow the purchase of hands-on science supplies!
I teach science to 99 diverse 4th grade students at a charter school where our mission is "Every child has a support team".
We work together to teach students at their level, provide interventions and enrichment activities where students below get to grade level, and students above push to the next year's standards. In the upper grades, teachers run a "middle school model" where teachers specialize in certain areas of expertise. I am the science and social studies teacher. I integrate language arts and English Language Development (ELD) activities to my curriculum. I teach Project-Based Learning (PBL) in which my students learn 21st Century Skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking with technology to come up with projects about a topic, and present it to the class. 85% of my students are learning English as their second language, and 95% of them are on free or reduced lunch (we are a Title-1 school).
My Project
Our 1st unit of the year is called "Electricity and Magnetism Inventions". Students learn about famous inventors of electricity. Students research, build, and present an invention using electricity and/or magnetism. Our 2nd unit is called "Ecosystems in Danger". Students learn what ecosystems are, including plants and animals in food chains, and the impact humans have on the environment. Students research a food chain in an ecosystem of their choice, create a PowerPoint presentation, and teach community members of our city how to stop harming our ecosystem. Our third project is called "Earth's Landforms". Students learn how landforms are created, study rocks and minerals, learn about erosion, and research a landform on Earth. The class writes a report at a 2nd grade level, and we publish it in a children's book to share with 2nd graders (who also are learning about geology). Without hands-on science supplies, students won't fully understand these science concepts!
This donation will impact the lives of my students, possibly for a lifetime.
Many children come to me unmotivated about school, unable to read on grade level, and at a low English acquisition level. By teaching English language arts during science class, students become better readers, writers, and English speakers. They are motivated by the fun projects, the teamwork, and the real-world aspect of these projects. Science is NOT the same without hands-on materials!
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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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. Veveiros and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
