My students need an iPod to communicate via the Internet, and an ecology kit, environmental testing kit, microscope slides, and owl pellets to study the food chain.
"Who am I?" and "How can I make a difference?" are two questions that I as a teacher help my students to answer for themselves every day. What started as a small unit of study about Oklahoma ecology has become a year long curriculum focused on service learning and community involvement.
I teach in an urban school that is 97% African-American, with 94% free or reduced breakfast/lunch, with a community that is plagued by gang violence, high unemployment, and high incarceration rates.
In spite of these statics, my students are bright and capable kids who face and survive experiences that many of us will never face in our lifetime. These students are rising above the traditional stereotype that they are "at-risk". Our motto for the classroom is "at-risk" is a lie because "at-promise" is our dream. My students come to school everyday with the expectation that they will leave with learning that will prepare them to be successful citizens.
My Project
We started this journey with a small unit on Oklahoma eco-regions. Out of that unit we created an outside garden in which we are continuing to learn and develop. These resources will help my students continue the learning that we have already began. The iPod will be used to create podcasts to upload to the Internet, so that we can inform the community about our project and to keep them updated on its progress. The ecology resources and testing kits will helps us to continue to learn about the environment and ecology.
Thanks to donors like you, my students will have the opportunity to continue to learn in an hands-on environment that best suites their learning style.
It is a powerful message of empowerment when students understand that they can have an important part in saving the environment and what they do or don't do matters to them, the community, and the world.
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. Whitfield and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.