(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Inoculation Project 10/6/2024: Science Books and STEM Labs [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-10-06 This week, we’re helping a North Carolina middle school science class get books, and a Milwaukee third grade get some STEM activities. We hope that readers who support quality public school education will help by sharing or supporting our featured projects. The Inoculation Project is an ongoing, volunteer effort to crowdfund science, math, and literacy projects for public schools in low-income neighborhoods. As always, our conduit is DonorsChoose, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that facilitates tax-deductible donations to specific, vetted projects in public schools. We have a new project today, from a never-before-funded teacher! Dr. Brown teaches middle-school science in Durham, in eastern North Carolina. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a well-regarded book we’ve encountered before, requested here in English and Spanish. We have help today from matching funds from SONIC Foundation: SONIC Foundation is proud to support students as they read, learn, and explore the world! Let’s #FillEveryShelf in America’s classrooms. PROJECT #1 Project: Empowering Innovation-The Science of Human Resilience and Climate Change Resources: Help me give my students a classroom set of this awesome STEM-inspiring book, including the Spanish version to learn how they can affect climate change. Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households. Location: Neal Magnet Middle School, Durham, North Carolina Total: $567.00 (2x matching funds from SONIC Foundation) Still Needed: $ 283.00 $167.71 ($84 from us) Project description by Dr. Brown: My students will benefit from this book being added to the literature within our science classroom. We have a unit on energy and natural resources that will be further enhanced with the discussions of this book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. I would like a classroom set of this book in English and Spanish to help my students understand that they too can make a difference and be good global stewards of our planet. Infusing the reading of this note-worthy text into science helps to connect my student's real-world experiences to all their academic subjects and that is an important goal of learning. My students are culturally diverse and will find this book relatable; understanding all too well, the throes of poverty. My students need to be affirmed on the possibilities that an existence that others deem as small, can actually become momentous! I plan to use this book to ignite passion for climate change that many of my students are already deeply concerned about. This book will be used in conjunction with my curriculum to involve my students in project-based labs, creative podcasts, research, written considerations, artistic creations, and community service projects. I also plan to create a culminating activity with this book and allow students to apply to be youth ambassadors and work with UNICEF and/or The Smithsonian Institute on climate change projects. My students need to see people their age, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic status, shaking things up for the good of all mankind. DONATE HERE Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference! The book being requested is The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Here’s the trailer from the Netflix film based on the book. x x YouTube Video We made excellent progress last week on this ambitious project! Mr. Oni teaches third grade in Milwaukee, and he’s seeking some cool STEM activities for his students. PROJECT #2 Project: STEM Project: Solar Cars, Solar Bugs, Electrical Circuit Models Building Resources: Help me give my students Solar Cars, Solar Bugs, and Electrical Circuit Models, because it will Foster Hands-On Learning, Critical Thinking, and Understanding of Renewable Energy, Electricity, and Engineering Principles, Making Complex STEM Concepts Accessible to them. Economic need: An Equity Focus School; nearly all students from low‑income households. Location: Westside Academy I, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Total: $566.41 Still Needed: $ 343.18 $282.88 Project description by Mr. Oni: This STEM project for 3rd graders, including activities like the Wooden Solar Car, Solar Bug, and building electrical circuits, aims to make complex concepts tangible and foster critical skills. Impact on Learning: 1. Wooden Solar Car: Students learn about renewable energy by building cars powered by sunlight. They experiment with variables like sunlight angle, enhancing their understanding of energy conversion and encouraging scientific inquiry. 2. Solar Bug: This project introduces energy transformation in an engaging way. The bug's movement, powered by solar energy, stimulates curiosity and allows students to integrate art by personalizing their bugs. 3. Electrical Circuits: Through designing and troubleshooting circuits, students grasp basic electrical concepts, develop problem-solving skills, and collaborate with peers, laying the foundation for teamwork. Project Goals: The goals are to inspire a love for STEM by making learning interactive and enjoyable, develop critical thinking through hands-on activities, promote teamwork, and introduce foundational concepts in renewable energy and electricity. Special Characteristics of Students: my 3rd graders are diverse, bringing varied perspectives that enrich learning. Their natural curiosity and creativity make them eager participants in exploratory learning. Developmentally, they are ready to engage with both abstract and concrete concepts, making these hands-on projects particularly effective. DONATE HERE Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference! This Snap Circuits set is among the items requested. x x YouTube Video Our main project from last week was completed, with our readers responsible for the great majority of that accomplishment over a number of weeks. Thank you! Project #1, Learning Physics by Performing Engineering Skills: Mrs. Poremba wanted her Buffalo, NY high school students to get some hands-on lab kits to help them grasp physics more easily. She writes: I am so grateful you chose my project to further the education of my students. Sometimes they feel forgotten when they see what suburban schools accomplish. My students will be overwhelmed with your generosity. I can’t wait to share focus when they work on the projects. Thank you so much. ​ ​ DonorsChoose has developed the designation Equity Focus Schools to describe some schools that submit projects. They meet two criteria: at least 50% of students are Black, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, or multiracial, and at least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, the standard measure for school economic need. You can read more at the link about their efforts to address the longstanding inequity in education. Founded in 2009, The Inoculation Project seeks to fund science, math, and literacy projects in public school classrooms and libraries. Our conduit is DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding charity founded in 2000 and highly rated by both Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau. Every Sunday, we focus on helping to fund projects in neighborhood public schools where the overwhelming majority of students come from low-income households. We welcome everyone who supports public school education — no money is required! Finally, here’s our list of successfully funded projects — our series total is 1129! The success-list diary also contains links and additional information about DonorsChoose. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/10/6/2274909/-The-Inoculation-Project-10-6-2024-Science-Books-and-STEM-Labs?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/