Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

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.

I am a fifth grade teacher in a prek-8th grade school. Most of my students come from very low economic family status. Many of these children face poverty, violence and obscenities of life on a daily basis, that are well beyond what most of us could imagine. Yet my students do their best to learn. I try my best to give them a good education and an introduction to the American way of life, but with limited resources there are many things that others consider basic parts of education that I cannot provide without assistance. Many of them never get the opportunity to leave not only the city of Bridgeport they live in, but also the state of Connecticut. Having the chance to let them explore and learn about our solar system and the U.S. space program, will give them the opportunity to understand so much more about the world we live in. My students are the future leaders of today's world. Being able to explore the solar system and today's space program will give my students the opportunity to stretch their minds. They will get the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to be an astronaut. Their inquisitive minds will one day help our world. There may be a future astronaut among them. The solar system model I have requested will give my students the opportunity to see up close, how the planets are set up from the sun. The book, "Out of this World Astronomy 50 Amazing Activities and Projects," will allow my students to collaborate together and create a project for our school science fair. Space exploration will give my students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge. Using the Career Dress-up Costumes requested will give my students the opportunity to not only write responses to what they have read and seen, but also to share personal opinions with their fellow classmates, dressed up as an astronaut. They will be able to have the hands-on materials they need to see up close what they cannot see in space. The Bill Nye Astronomy DVD will present my students with pictures and information to enhance their curiosity of space exploration. The solar system bulletin board set will give us the chance to display and share what the students have learned with other students and staff in our school. The video " For All Mankind", has scenes of our space program and footage of many of the journeys the US space program has made. This video includes the footage of Neil Armstrong's monumental trip to the moon. Being able to share this video with my students, will give my them the opportunity to interact with one another, using accountable talk and cooperative group work, to bring the study of space exploration to life. With your assistance, we can bring an expansion of knowledge and appreciation of all that is available to my students, to the young people, our future explorers. A supportive donation to fund the items I have chosen, could fund special programs in areas of Science and Arts, where students can include planetarium research, or a science program where they would learn more about our planets, our solar system and space exploration. Can you imagine the fun they would have while learning too?! And it could happen with your help and assistance