Do you want to see a high school social studies classroom go from bored clockwatching students slouching in silent complacency with their eyes glazing over to a room energized with active discussion and excitement where the bell rings and everyone is surprised the period is over? Dump a tub full of LEGOs on a table in the center of the room and tell kids to build what they have learned. It can happen! I’ve seen it!
The struggle of every teacher for any age group is to get their students to engage in topics and concepts that aren’t the most exciting.
High School social studies courses are filled with concepts that can make any student, even a high-achieving student, tune out until the bell rings. Concepts like “the general will”, “sovereignty”, or “ salutary neglect” lend themselves to glazed eyes and clockwatching. It has been long understood that using manipulatives in math classes helps students to visualize the math processes and science labs are the best way for students to apply their textbook learning. I am a big believer that true learning is connected to doing, creating, and students using their own creativity to make connections. I want to take the ideas of manipulative activities and active labs and embed them in my social studies classes.
The boxes of LEGOs I am requesting will engage students in their learning by encouraging them to step outside of a memorized definition or jeopardy answer and get them from passive learning to active learning by using their innate sense of play and creativity to not only learn concepts but be able to apply them to events and people they are introduced to while also honing their critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills.
More than half of 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 Mrs. Osowski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
