Walton Education Foundation

Project Goals: The goal of this grant request is to secure funding for the purchase of materials that will allow students to deep dive fourth grade standards with a hands-on approach. This will include topics such as Earth's rotation and revolution, moon phases, rocks and minerals, matter, energy and energy transfer, plant and animals, and ecosystems. By conducting experiments and engaging in practical activities, students will develop a strong understanding of these scientific principles. Providing these materials will enhance students' understanding and engagement in science, fostering a love for learning and critical thinking skills, plus it’s fun!
Project Objectives:
1. Enhance the learning experiences of 4th-grade students by giving them the opportunity to explore scientific topics in a more in-depth, tangible way.
2. Engage students in collaborative and inquiry-based learning experiences, encouraging them to ask questions, observe phenomena, and analyze data while exposing my students to various careers.
3. Foster a positive and inclusive classroom environment that promotes student participation and encourages academic achievement in science.

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Engineering Engagement

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School:
Dune Lakes Elementary School 
Subject:
STEM Education 
Teacher:
BreeAnn O’Donnell 
Students Impacted:
40 
Grade:
Date:
October 8, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

 

The St. Joe Community Foundation - $932.00

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Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 40

The district's  science test showed 32% of my students scored proficient (70% or higher) in August. After all of our hands-on-labs, 88% of my students scored 70% or higher on the district Science test we just took. These labs allowed me to enrich and engage students unlike any year before. My Science grades were much higher than years past as well. I did not have a single student fail Science this year-- even my newcomer who does not speak English. The students could retain what they were learning by having the information exposed to them first-hand and not just through a textbook.

This grant allowed me to conduct experiments and engage in practical activities in which my students developed a stronger understanding of my Science concepts. Providing these materials enhanced students' understanding and engagement in science, fostered a love for learning and critical thinking skills, plus it was so much fun!

 

Thank you so much for funding my grant-- from the bottom of my heart! My students and I TRULY enjoyed making Science come to life. We learned and retained much more this year with the materials I purchased from this grant.

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flower model

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magnetism labs

 

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properties of matter

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Rocks and mineral identification lab

 

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snap circuits

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sun model

 

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Original Grant Overview

Goal

Project Goals: The goal of this grant request is to secure funding for the purchase of materials that will allow students to deep dive fourth grade standards with a hands-on approach. This will include topics such as Earth's rotation and revolution, moon phases, rocks and minerals, matter, energy and energy transfer, plant and animals, and ecosystems. By conducting experiments and engaging in practical activities, students will develop a strong understanding of these scientific principles. Providing these materials will enhance students' understanding and engagement in science, fostering a love for learning and critical thinking skills, plus it’s fun!
Project Objectives:
1. Enhance the learning experiences of 4th-grade students by giving them the opportunity to explore scientific topics in a more in-depth, tangible way.
2. Engage students in collaborative and inquiry-based learning experiences, encouraging them to ask questions, observe phenomena, and analyze data while exposing my students to various careers.
3. Foster a positive and inclusive classroom environment that promotes student participation and encourages academic achievement in science.
 

 

What will be done with my students

I plan to create moments in which students can draw a supported conclusion collaboratively. With each item listed below, I plan to facilitate instructions and monitor the students along the way, but I want to leave the true learning and experimentation for the students to discover. Studies prove that this is how genuine learning takes place. These labs/experiments will be conducted each month, aligning with our curriculum. The quantity of kits allow me to keep my lab groups small enough to ensure more participation from each student.

To evaluate the success of this grant, we will utilize various assessment methods, including our districts end of year Science test, grades, performance assessments, and survey results. By tracking students' progress in terms of knowledge gain, behavior changes, skill improvement, and scores, we will be able to measure the effectiveness of the project. Additionally, I will conduct surveys to gather feedback from students regarding their enjoyment, engagement, and perception of science education. These evaluation methods will provide tangible evidence of the project's impact and ensure continuous improvement in future implementations. 

 

Benefits to my students

1. Creating Zoologists! Life Cycle Kit: Life cycle models, guides & concepts- Students will visually see steps in both complete and incomplete metamorphosis. Includes 25 animals, 31 guide cards + animal facts and discussion starters. ( Qty. 2)
2. Creating Botanists! Flower Model: 8x enlarged flower allows students to see what they could normally not see. This flower model allows students to easily study the floral components and the functions of flowers along with the process of pollination. (Qty. 1)
3. Creating Geologists! Moh’s Hardness Kits: Rocks and Minerals. 9 rocks and Minerals + black and white streak plates to test the hardness, luster, & streak. (Qty. 8)
Mineral ID Kit: Items in kit include glass streak plate, magnet, nail to test if harder or softer than steel, copper square, dropper bottle for vinegar, and hand lens to further test the properties of rocks and minerals. (Qty. 4)
4. 10 pack of 2.7 Qt. stackable containers. These containers are needed to neatly organize the entire Rocks and Minerals kits listed above in one container. My students will be transformed into true geologists during this unit of exploration. (Qty. 1)
5. Creating Engineers! Snap Circuits for Beginners kit is safe with no tools required. Students will create real electronic circuits. Components combine to create working circuit boards just like the ones found inside televisions, radios, and other electronic devices. This kit contains more than 20 projects and teaches the “how” behind how switches and circuits work. (Qty. 10)
6. Creating Astronomers! Sun, Earth, & Moon Orbital Model:
This 3-D model allows students to study the motion of the Earth & Moon around the sun, and demonstrates the science behind phenomena such as seasons, phases of the moon, eclipses and more. This concept is truly hard to spatially see for 9/10-year-olds. They need this visual to fully understand Earth’s rotation/ revolution, along with the moon’s revolution. (Qty. 1)
7. Creating Physicists! Magnetism Kits: Junior Science Magnetism Kit allows students the ability to learn about magnets firsthand. Do opposites attract? Why do certain ends repel? Students will intuitively feel the real existence and change of the magnetic field. (Qty. 7)
8. Corn Starch 1 gallon: Students will mix cornstarch, water and food coloring to make a mixture called Oobleck that behaves like a liquid and a solid. Students will learn all about matter and why it matters!

The cost listed below will be a combined total of each requested item in the quantity amount.
 

 

Budget Narrative

To achieve these goals and objectives, I estimate a funding requirement of $950.00. (allowing some room for taxes/shipping/cost change) This amount will allow me to purchase the necessary science materials, including lab equipment, models, and specific kits designed to foster inquiry. By investing in this project, you will be supporting the education and development of my 40 fourth grade students this school year; however, in the future, as the materials are reused, this same project will impact every child that enters my classroom, ensuring sustained benefits for years to come. Through this project, I aim to create a generation of scientifically literate individuals who are well-prepared for future academic and career opportunities. 

 

Items

# Item Cost
1 Life Cycle Kit (Qty. 2) $72.00
2 Flower Model (Qty. 1) $73.00
3 Moh’s Hardness Kit (Qty. 4) $100.00
4 Minerals ID Kit (Qty. 8) $144.00
5 10 pack of 2.7 Qt. containers (Qty. 1) $30.00
6 Snap Circuits (Qty. 10) $250.00
7 Sun, Earth, & Moon Orbital Model (Qty. 1) $129.00
8 Magnetism Kit (Qty. 7) $84.00
9 Corn Starch (Qty. 2) $50.00
  Total: $932.00

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Special Thanks to Our Presenting Partners

CHELCO

The Alys Foundation

St. Joe Community Foundation

Florida Power & Light

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