The cost of sending 55 students to Carolina Beach in Beaufort, NC is $1615, including <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
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.
We are taking our 4th grade students on a trip to the Coastal Plains. Students will board a cruise boat and discover the wonder of the Carolina coast. Students will have the opportunity to study ocean and marine life through hands-on activities. They will fish, sort through nets, tour historical lighthouses, and observe animals in their natural habitats.
Approximately 55 fourth-grade students will be involved in this project. We are a Title I school, consisting of predominately African-American students. All of our students receive free or reduced lunch. Most of our 4th graders have not traveled outside of our town. According to a class poll, the majority of our students had never seen the ocean before.
Our primary goals are for our students to further their studies through non-traditional teaching practices. The NC Social Studies curriculum focuses entirely on the three land regions of NC. However, it is difficult for students to learn about a region they have never experienced firsthand. Through this project, our students will compare and contrast geography, landforms, natural resources, culture, and economy between the Coastal Plain region and their own. They will also learn to appreciate and value the environment and its natural resources.
This project will also meet Science, Langauge Arts, and Math objectives. Students will study animals, natural habitats, wildlife, rocks, and minerals on this trip. They will also classify animals and relate structural characteristics and behavior of a variety of animals to the environment in which they are found. These topics are heavily covered in the NC Science curriculum. To meet Language Arts learning goals, students will read a variety of texts related to the Coastal Plain region, react to experiences through written prose, and compose a narrative essay. To meet Math goals, students will practice measurement in a real-life context (distance, time, and weight).
We have already received a generous grant to cover the cost of transportation. The next major material needed for our project are admission tickets for the cruise boat. Other expenses include meals throughout the day.
It is our hope that this project will instill in our students an appreciation of the natural beauty of our state. This project will enrich their minds, as well as provide some much-needed culture in their lives. In order to become active and productive citizens, children much be exposed to different cultures, regions, and lifestyles. Trips like this one help educators like myself close the achievement gap between underprivileged students and their more privileged counterparts in wealthier regions.
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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. Shin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.