Project: Supplies for Our Scientists
Resources Needed: 20 gallon aquarium, aquarium supplies, stopwatches, pencil sharpeners, heat resistant gloves and a compact refrigerator.
School Poverty Level: Highest
Location: Natha Howell Elementary School, Fort Worth, Texas
Total Cost: $495.92
Still Needed: $145.92 COMPLETED! Please see long-term project.
Expires: May 25, 2015
Teacher's Comments from Ms. Camacho:
My Students: Students enter fifth grade with an innate curiosity about the natural world around them. My goal is to provide educational experiences that continue to foster a hunger and interest in science.
Many of my lower income students have never spent time with their families exploring nature outdoors, observing a garden, visiting a zoo or science museum. Establishing an aquarium helps me bridge the gap between students' prior knowledge with animals and provide a common context for teaching and learning. Despite the wide range of learners in my classroom, all of my students look forward to the exciting hands-on science activities that the animals provide.
My Project: Including live animals as a resource in lessons instead of relying only on photographs, textbooks, models, and instructional DVDs encourages students to work and learn as real scientists do. By observing the diverse aquarium and terrarium animal habitats in the classroom, and what each animal species needs in order to survive, my students are encouraged to use scientific evidence gathered from their hands-on explorations to defend their explanations about adaptation and variations.
A large number of science experiments require the use of a refrigerator. Therefore, we will keep all of the observable materials like fruits, vegetables, leaves, flowers, silk worm eggs, and even containers to demonstrate the process of condensation. Ice is needed to simulate how glaciers change the Earth's surface, to teach students about the three states of matter, to demonstrate that liquids expand as they freeze and to measure and compare the temperature of ice cold water and tap water.
The possibilities of using these science materials are endless. The requested materials will be used by all of my students for years to come. This will give my students a jump start toward our science standards and prepare them to become our next generation of great scientists. Texas is well-known for its technology industry. Help develop that industry by supporting our students.
COMPLETED!
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!