My classroom is not quiet. It is not always clean, and it can seem chaotic. This is because my classroom is collaborative and student-based. It is not quiet because we are talking about our learning. It is not clean, because we learn through hands-on experiences. We work hard, but also have fun!
My students are 5- and 6-years-old, and they absolutely love getting involved in all aspects of our kindergarten curriculum.
They come to school every day excited and ready to learn. My students attend a public school in a district that receives Title I funding. Many of my students benefit from free or reduced-price lunch. A multitude of races and cultures are represented in every classroom. My students are encouraged to be hands-on in their learning. My hope is that they leave my classroom as curious, capable, and confident learners!
My Project
Kindergarten today is not how it used to be. My students are expected to leave me for first grade knowing how to read, write, add, and subtract. The academic requirements for 5-year-olds are staggering! This is why it is so important that they receive multiple opportunities to engage in learning outside of the "typical" curriculum. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities give my students the chance to construct anything their heart desires, with no parameters, rules or restrictions. They will use Legos, magnetic blocks, large cardboard blocks, Lincoln Logs and more to make anything from skyscrapers, tunnels, Christmas trees, and fences. They can build a playground or a NASCAR track. They are simply building; but in doing so, they are hypothesizing, making predictions, collecting data, testing experiments, and drawing conclusions. In their fun, they are creating something special from these construction materials, but they are continually learning too!
This project is so much more than playing for my kindergartners, it's providing valuable experiences for a future generation of scientists, mathematicians, architects, and engineers, for years to come!
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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. Moellering and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
