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
I have hard-working students with dreams. I teach physics and astronomy. For a lot of my students, the things that I show them are new and surprising. It's the first time they've seen it. I pride myself on the fact that the type of equipment they learn to use and the skills that I teach them are things they are able to share.
Our school is a Title I school, which means that a majority of the families in our area fall within the poverty guidelines.
Some of my students are holding down jobs and going to school. This situation can make it difficult for my students to picture a future. They are often too busy dealing with every-day life so there is little energy left over to plan for their future. I try to expose my students to as many STEM activities as possible and tie them into different careers. All it takes is one spark of interest to fuel a life-long love of learning and a possible career.
My Project
A lot of students have lost their enthusiasm for science by the time they get to my classroom. I often hear the words 'boring' or 'not fun'. I also hear them say that what they learn doesn't apply to the real world.
My goal this year is to demonstrate how science applies to real life and show them how much fun science can be.
I was fortunate to be in an audience where the presenter demonstrated the effects of liquid nitrogen. They were able to demonstrate its effects on organic matter and model the effects of cold temperatures as seen in space and on other planets. Balloons were also used to show how extreme temperatures affect air temperature, which models laws taught in physics.
The audience, and I, were amazed. I saw the faces of adults, teenagers and children light up at every demo. They listened to the explanations and there were great discussions. I want this for my students. I want them to get excited and ask questions. I want to encourage those great discussions.
My ultimate goal is to train interested students on the proper ways to handle liquid nitrogen so we can eventually have small shows for elementary schools in our district. They could create posters, plan performances and teach smaller children. They would get to see and feel the same things I did when I was in that audience. I feel that it would be a great experience for all involved.
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. Talamantez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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