Scroll down for this week's project. On tap this week: Louisiana Math!
Reminder: Look for "The Inoculation Project" every Friday afternoon!
The Inoculation Project: Math & Science in Red State Schools
Solid science education is the best inoculation against ignorance.
The objective of this weekly project is to combat the anti-science push in conservative America by providing direct funding each week to math and science projects in red state classrooms.
Fortunately, a conduit organization for achieving this direct funding already exists: DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose.org allows you to make direct contributions to specific classroom projects (all vetted), resulting in tremendous and immediate impacts from small dollar donations.
Each week we focus on funding a single small-dollar project in a traditionally red state classroom. These are projects whose funding requests are expiring within the next week. If the projects are not funded by their expiration date, they die.
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This Week's Project
Project: What Can I Do When I'm Through?
Resources Needed: a set of Elementary Math Instant Learning Centers
School Poverty Level: High
State: Louisiana
Total Cost: $273.34
Still Needed: $88.34 FULLY FUNDED! (see bonus project in comments)
Expires: Apr 22, 2011
Click to Donate
Teacher's Comments:
My Students
Don't we all want our children/students to be able to work and learn independently?
I am a second grade teacher at a public school in Louisiana. We are a Title I school with several low-income families and a large population of ESL students. Because of the variance in our students' math abilities, our school district has experienced difficulty tailoring the Math Curriculum to all students. Some of my students' math grades are below my expectations, and I am trying new avenues to help each one succeed.
My Project
I have noticed that when students engage in hands-on learning, they are more excited about the material and have more fun. Providing my students with various hands-on math activities will not only improve their knowledge of math and their grades, but also increase their enjoyment of the material.
My students love to work together in small, cooperative learning groups, so I am asking for materials that will allow them to do this more often. The materials requested, however, also allow for students to work independently, if they prefer. This will also give me more opportunity to work with other students in Small Reading and Math groups. I am asking for various games that my students will use in Math Learning Centers/Stations. This is usually accomplished after class work is fully completed.
Your help will ensure that my students get the extra help they need with Math skills, and that they are able to have fun while learning. This will also help me to differentiate the learning styles in my classroom more effectively.
Please consider rescuing this project by making a small donation to it. Small dollars make a big difference.
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Good News
Last week was kind of rough, but we did manage to give the featured project, I Want to See it!, enough of a boost to get it into "Urgent" territory (Donor's Choose calculates "urgency" by finding projects near expiration that already have enough donations to push them near their goal). As a result, the project attracted some extra donors and received its funding!
Here's a note from the teacher:
WOW! I am so excited that these DVDs on the rock cycle have been funded. A HUGE thank you goes to you!
Teaching the rock cycle has been a challenge as my school lacks hands on resources and it is difficult to see changes that occur over millions of years. These DVDs will help bring more reality to this concept for my students. My students will take advantage of this learning opportunity as they just soak up everything they learn. They will be so exited when I tell them tomorrow!
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Projects Funded So Far
Can we grow this list of successes?
The Viking Shark Project
Weight Our Learning
Complications - Reading to Learn About the Human Body
The Colorful World of Science
Fill Our Display Case!
Magnetic Learning
Caught By A Kiss
Add, Subtract, Write, and Save the Trees!
Math Mania!
AVID Style Interactive Notebooks
Human Body Study for my Science Class
Physics Visuals
Rocks Rock at Knox
Owl Pellet Fun!
To the Front of the Class
Help A Fishy Cause
Microscopes for Illumination
What Day is it? I Forgot!
Absent Scientists
Math Centers Full of Learning!
Time For Kids?
Extend Our Learning
We've Got the Power to Learn Math (Help Us Get Charged Up)
We Are "Mac-ing!"
Help CreateNew Experiences & LearningThrough Nonfiction Text
Projecting Success!
Help Us See. Help Us Learn
Save The World ... Make It A Better Place!
Feathered Friends
Write and Stick Learning
Leading Through Learning
Hands on ESL Scientists
Electricity Shock!
Up and Atom...A Chemistry and Math Experience!
Sun Power!
Erupting With Excitement!
I Believe I Can Fly!
Art and Science Team Up!
Bringing the Earth Up Close and Personal
Fixing the Ditch
Creepy, Crawly, Critters!
Macro Micro Nano: The Minuscule World Revealed
VaVaVaVoom Vibrant Math in Art
Ant-icipating Results!
Exploring Force and Motion
Calculating our Potential in Physics and Chemistry
Let Me See It: Representing Mathematical Models
He Ate WHAT?!?
Chemistry is a Piece of Cake!!!!!
Current Events in Science
"Prints, Bones And Stones," Oh My!!
6th Grade Science Fair Here We Come!
Super Science Centers Grade 1
Math Maniacs Need More Games
123 Count With Me!
Have Rockets...Will Travel!
Lab Notebooks (Just Like a Real Scientist)!!
Reading and Math is AWESOME!!! WE LOVE IT!!!!
Elements You Can See
Truth of Fertilizer: Investigative Research
The Pendulum Swings
Young Scientists: Investigating and Recording Data
Hands on Physics
Getting to The Roots of Our Plants!
Help Me Protect My Students
Have Fun With Math And Science!!!
Hands on Heredity
Happy Hypermedia Creates Happy Homeroom
Science Technology - Time to Interact
Watch it Grow
Interactive Math for 4th Graders
Math Manipulative Mania!
Help Us Get Wired for Our Robot Competition!
Scientific Learning with ScienceSaurus
Our 4th Annual Science Fair!
I see. I think. I can
Math Is Everywhere in 3rd Grade!
Keeping It Real with Non-Fiction Reading!
Science Students Need Hands-on Research Capability
Creating Science Solvers and Critical Thinkers
Picture-Inspired Writing
HP for AP Chemistry
Creating Science
The Quest for Math
Video by Van
Environmental Science DVDs
Motivate to Cultivate
Saving a Life at Mc Nair
CSI: Classroom Science Investigation
Math Monster Mania
Makin' Math Fun!
The Great Science Film Makers
Sink or Swim Time in Aquatic Science
Science Fair Projects
Experiencing Life Cycles in Preschool
Making Math Physical!
I Want to See it!
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Helpful Links
DonorsChoose.org
DonorsChoose.org Blog
DonorsChoose.org Donor FAQ
All DonorsChoose.org Math & Science Projects
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with DonorsChoose.org, or any of the classroom projects presented for funding. I'm just volunteering my time and pixels to make a difference.