I am writing my grant for a class set of snap circuits. This will allow my students to work collaboratively for hands-on exposure to electrical circuits, providing the opportunity for them to learn and understand HOW circuits work and WHY they are important in our everyday lives.
I have been a teacher at CES for 6 years, and one common thing I have heard in the science world is that 5th graders really struggle to understand circuits. In the state of Texas from Spring 2023- Spring 2024, there was a 5% drop in the masters category on the science STAAR, an 8% drop in 5th grade science scores in the meets category, and a 7% drop in the approaches category. So, what can we do to help change this? As educators, part of our job is to provide a fun learning environment to help meet key learning objectives. These circuit kits will allow CES 5th graders a hands-on experience. There is nothing happening visually in a circuit, meaning students can only see the result of the energy flow and not the energy flow itself. By having to build the circuit, students will begin to have a better understanding of currents, power sources, and outputs. These kits will allow everyone to understand circuits because I will be able to cater to each learning style: discussion, visual aids, written instructions, and group work will lead to both successes and failures, and with failure comes the opportunity for troubleshooting and problem-solving. Students need hands-on learning, not online learning. We need to promote problem-solving and critical thinking. By working with these circuit kits (and other experiments), students will be making observations. They will be hypothesizing and drawing conclusions. They will be investigating and asking questions. By sparking students' curiosity, they are able to make important connections to the real-world, leading to better understanding of science concepts and vocabulary and the opportunity to work as a team.
We spend too much time using technological devices, such as iPads, in our classrooms. Students need more hands-on opportunities for learning. As a science teacher, I am given many chances to provide this hands-on learning for our students. This year, I am writing my grant for class sets of snap circuit kits, allowing students to work collaboratively in partners, collaboratively small group, or individually to explore and discover various components of electrical circuits.
These kits include workbooks, with clear instructions and visual aids, switches, meters, wires, resistors, motors, fan blades, lamps, and battery holders. Students can use the step-by-step workbook or simply have the chance for free exploration. Whichever way we choose to learn, students will be actively engaged due to the variety of circuit components and modifications they can make. These kits will cater to each learning style found in the classroom: discussion, visual aids, written instructions, and group work will lead to successes and failures. Those failures are an important part of the learning process because they are then given the chance to further develop their problem-solving skills. This then leads to improved academic performance, independence, and self-confidence. Student curiosity will be sparked as we begin to use our circuit kits in the classroom, boosting student understanding of electricity in a more abstract sense. They will also begin to develop foundation engineering skills, which can then provide firm footing in other areas of STEM, wiring them for success!
I have been a teacher at CES for 6 years, and one common thing I have heard in the science world is that 5th graders really struggle to understand circuits. In the state of Texas from Spring 2023- Spring 2024, there was a 5% drop in the masters category on the science STAAR, an 8% drop in 5th grade science scores in the meets category, and a 7% drop in the approaches category. So, what can we do to help change this? As educators, part of our job is to provide a fun learning environment to help meet key learning objectives. These circuit kits will allow CES 5th graders a hands-on experience. There is nothing happening visually in a circuit, meaning students can only see the result of the energy flow and not the energy flow itself. By having to build the circuit, students will begin to have a better understanding of currents, power sources, and outputs. These kits will allow everyone to understand circuits because I will be able to cater to each learning style: discussion, visual aids, written instructions, and group work will lead to both successes and failures, and with failure comes the opportunity for troubleshooting and problem-solving. Students need hands-on learning, not online learning. We need to promote problem-solving and critical thinking. By working with these circuit kits (and other experiments), students will be making observations. They will be hypothesizing and drawing conclusions. They will be investigating and asking questions. By sparking students' curiosity, they are able to make important connections to the real-world, leading to better understanding of science concepts and vocabulary and the opportunity to work as a team.
We spend too much time using technological devices, such as iPads, in our classrooms. Students need more hands-on opportunities for learning. As a science teacher, I am given many chances to provide this hands-on learning for our students. This year, I am writing my grant for class sets of snap circuit kits, allowing students to work collaboratively in partners, collaboratively small group, or individually to explore and discover various components of electrical circuits.
These kits include workbooks, with clear instructions and visual aids, switches, meters, wires, resistors, motors, fan blades, lamps, and battery holders. Students can use the step-by-step workbook or simply have the chance for free exploration. Whichever way we choose to learn, students will be actively engaged due to the variety of circuit components and modifications they can make. These kits will cater to each learning style found in the classroom: discussion, visual aids, written instructions, and group work will lead to successes and failures. Those failures are an important part of the learning process because they are then given the chance to further develop their problem-solving skills. This then leads to improved academic performance, independence, and self-confidence. Student curiosity will be sparked as we begin to use our circuit kits in the classroom, boosting student understanding of electricity in a more abstract sense. They will also begin to develop foundation engineering skills, which can then provide firm footing in other areas of STEM, wiring them for success!
$800
Sold Out!Value:
priceless