September Update #3 - Science MakerSpace Appeal

8th Grade Earth Science MakerSpace Appeal!

Greetings,

Over the past summer Jennifer Nichols and I have participated in workshops centered around integrating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) and Inquiry into the classroom. Gone are the days of a teacher-centered classroom and we are entering an exciting phase where your children are learning Earth Science but through the lens of creation, brainstorming, planners, problem solvers, collaborators, and presenters. Our role has changed from the teacher being the center of instruction to being a facilitator. Students are the innovators and through collaboration and model design learn the essentials of Earth Science while better preparing them to be the creators and problem solvers needed for 21st century work.

Our class has shifted this way for the children. We want them to be less concerned with memorizing information and not being able to see real world application to what they learn in the classroom. We are doing this by creating a MakerSpace in our classroom where students have the resources to build, create, innovate and idea that defines a problem related to Earth Science. Through a collaborative journey through this design process they use the materials to build a solution, “go public” and share their idea with the class, and redesign their model based on feedback.

We have gathered some materials we have already had in our classrooms as well as some materials in our own homes that our kids either play with or played with. However we are hoping to add more materials to our Makerspace so that we can accommodate 200+ students and the materials that are required for them to innovate.

We are putting out an appeal for help if possible! If you have any of the materials in the table below and are willing to donate them to our classrooms to build up our Makerspace we would be tremendously grateful and excited! We know it is a lot to ask but are hoping that some of these materials may be tucked away and not used as we would certainly put them to good use to develop our students into the innovators we so desperately want them to be. The kids have been so excited, engaged, and enthusiastic with this approach we have taken that they are thirsty to do more of this learning. We have not been more excited about what we are seeing in the classroom in all our years of teaching than what is occurring right now with your children!!

Legos	Magnatiles	Erector sets, gear sets	Misc tools (screwdrivers, allen keys, wrenches, pliers, wire cutters)
Knex	Zoobs	Building blocks (like Keva)	Misc building toys (things with gears, materials that connect with each other)
Tinkertoys	Modelling Clay, playdoh	Cardboard tubes (paper towel tubes, toilet paper tubes, etc.)	Other things you can think of or may have that are not on this list also - we are open to suggestions!

We would be appreciative of any materials you may be able to donate for our Makerspace. Donations can be brought in through your child to us or at parent night this Thursday when you come to science class for the night.

Thanks

Rich Battaglia

Allison King

Jennifer Nichols

8th Grade Science Teachers