My students need a color printer to provide vivid images and graphics that capture multiple representations of complex biological topics.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Garner's classroom raised $766
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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
Mastering biology requires students to learn over 600 new vocabulary words while simultaneously relating those words to each other and connecting them to complex scientific concepts.
Many of my 9th grade biology students are teenagers who have learned the art of "laying low" and staying off teacher radar.
They are quiet, bring materials, and are well behaved. They have manage to creep by doing just enough to get by. This attitude is endemic to our school culture where high performing students are labeled "school boys" and "school girls" and picked on. My students are part of a low-income (91% of my students qualify for free or reduced lunch), predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and school. We have historically been a low performing school but are working diligently to change our reputation and have now become a "school of choice." My students need to the opportunity to work with the content in a low-risk environment so they are willing to try a task without being publicly humiliated for making a mistake. They need experiences in success so that they can get the confidence they need to take their learning and education to a higher level.
My Project
barrier are objects (made of paper in my case) designed so that learners can absorb biological concepts through manipulating them, hence the name. The use of manipulatives (including diagrams and labels, sequencing activities, and matching and vocabulary games) provide students the opportunity to interact and internalize content through visual, kinesthetic, and collaborative experiences. I frequently include answers on the back of my manipulative pieces to lower the ÂÂrisk barrierÂÂ that prevents many of my students from attempting challenging tasks. Because students know that they can check themselves without having to consult the teacher, they are more willing to try their hand at whatever task the manipulative demands. Thus manipulatives provide a high impact experience for students in which they can self assess and receive immediate feedback. Because manipulatives are often quick activities, they can be repeated and easily modified into extension activities, providing students multiple and novel ways to interact with content. Using a color printer and cardstock (provided by my school) will allow me to create more visually attractive and interesting manipulatives, inviting students to further investigate and work with them. I currently use manipulatives with almost every standard I teach. It is during these class moments that students are 100% engaged and actively working with the content.
While it is not essential that students remember the exact content they learn in my class ten years from now, it is important for them as human and citizens to internalize our content's big ideas.
Manipulatives are effective in helping students make connections between complex topics like:what does it mean to be living, how is my environment part of my biology? how are we all interconnected? Repeated and diverse interaction with the content through manipulatives makes these ideas concrete.
Nearly all 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 Ms. Garner and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
