My ELA students are imaginative and fun-loving kids. They are hard-working students who are held to high expectations. They want to succeed and try their best every day. They come from low-income households and have not had much experience with the world outside their small community. All are emerging readers, and many are ESL learners.
Many of my students face numerous challenges in their lives including hunger, safety, and unstable living situations.
Despite the hardships they are facing at home, they show up at school excited and ready to learn! The desire to learn and love to have fun while they do in a safe and exciting place-that is my classroom.
My Project
From the depths of the ocean to the top of the highest mountain, habitats are places where plants and animals live. Though students learn about habitats in science, it’s important for students to explore these in reading class as well! My project series “Read and Explore” will allow students to discover these unique regions of our planet through a collection of books. In this part, students will be able to submerge themselves in and explore the daunting desert.
The books for this journey cover a wide range of desert animals and their unique adaptations, as well as in books that provide an in-depth look at the geography of the desert.
The STEM model, which may be used as a puzzle or as a hands-on teaching tool, will challenge students, to explore a desert habitat independently or in small group reading groups! This model also illustrates the major factors that affect its biome and introduces several typical inhabitants. It is a perfect tool for STEM engagement! Additionally, I've added a stuffed fennec fox as a "reading buddy" for my special and high need students
These books will create a panoramic view of the daunting desert habitat that will be explored for an entire quarter! With each new, quarter, a different habitat will be featured! These habitats will include the arctic, desert, rain forest, and the ocean.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Downing and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
