This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
3-D Figures are everywhere in our lives. However, my students struggle to make the connection between the objects they see everyday and their mathematical properties. Pictures in a textbook are not enough. My students need physical examples they can work with to make the figures come to life.
My students live in a struggling urban neighborhood and face harsh realities outside of our school walls.
They are forced to deal with gangs, violence, poverty and many other problems that are often found in inner city areas. That is why I work to provide a safe haven in my classroom where learning is fun. It is important for them to feel successful which is why manipulatives and physical examples help them to connect with the content. Plus, hands on learning is always much more engaging and memorable than drill in a textbook. My students love math and are eager to succeed and improve.
My Project
I have taught this topic for many years at a different school where these materials were available. Now that I'm at a new school I don't have these materials, and realize how crucial they were when my students struggled all year without them! With the 3-Dimensional learning tools, we will be able to make these figures take their true form! Students will have a chance to physically manipulate the nets to create the solid figures, explore the edges and vertices by building 3-D shapes themselves, and much more. With these materials we will be able to extend the learning to area, perimeter, surface area, and volume and provide concrete examples as to why these formulas and concepts work. With so many of my students performing below grade level, real-life examples and hands-on learning is crucial in their learning.
I already have big plans for how these materials will be used in our room.
From small groups to large class projects, these materials will be used all year round! You will make our learning come to life, provide students with fun class activities, and help students to truly connect with the math behind 3-Dimensional figures.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Pultz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
