What Hands-on Supplies Do Science Teachers Need to Help Students Visualize and Understand Concepts?
By Jake Thornton
Category Information:
Statistics:
|
Introduction The supplies category seemed pretty sharply divided at first between content-related supplies and other, more general classroom supplies. Teachers asking for content-specific supplies sought to utilize funding from DonorsChoose.org to help make the science become more real and hands on, rather than teaching abstract concepts.
Findings Out of the 209 fully-funded science projects in Forsyth County, 171, just over 80%, were for content-specific supplies. These supplies ranged from microscopes and slides to mini-archaeology kits to specimens and tools for dissection to full replicas of a human eye. Most of the classroom supplies that were requested were in the elementary levels, but not exclusively, with a few high schools asking for lab tables and even notebooks, paper, and pencils. The content-related projects were spread throughout all grade levels, though the difficulty of the material did appear to increase as the students went higher in school.
The content-related projects were almost all related to hands-on tools and materials to engage students. In elementary grades, there was digging for toy “dinosaur bones,” and several projects relating to animals and ecology, to get the students up and moving and interacting with animals and other interests. Middle and high school classrooms dealt with bringing the more abstract concepts to students in a more visual and tactile medium, including projects focusing on genetics, atoms and cells, wind and solar energy, and anatomy. ImplicationsWhile some teachers and school districts need help getting basic classroom supplies, the far greater need appears to be the additional resources to make science classes come alive and have application for a real-world assessment beyond a mere test. Regardless of what field of science, be it biology, chemistry, physics, or even genetics, donors have appeared willing to help students and teachers gain access to the hands-on projects they need to understand their material and better utilize those resources to impact their world. Even teachers asking for classroom supplies may improve their chances of being funded by connecting their requests to specific content area objectives.
Supplemental Statistics |