Duprey Family Grant: Learning Floats Our Boat!

  • School Year: 2018-2019
  • Applicants: Sharon Zajack, Lead Teacher, Sabrina Santos, Eric Goldberg
  • School: Smith
  • Subjects: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology

This grant will provide funding for Third grade students at Smitih STEM Elementary School to experience an authentic multi-disciplinary learning experience via a mini 5-foot sailboat. The non-profit organization, Educational Passages, will give students the opportunity to learn about ocean and wind patterns as well as improve their skills in the map reading, geography, earth science, oceanography, international relations, meteorology, technology, mathematics and writing. Students will launch a mini boat many miles into the ocean and then track the vessel with GPS. Before launching the mini boat, students will put artifacts and correspondence into the vessel’s compartments with the hope to communicate with students from other countries such as Nova Scotia, Portugal, France and Ireland. In addition, the students will examine the water habitat as they sail the water of Long Island Sound aboard SoundWaters, an 80 foot schooner. This project integrates learning from social studies, mathematics, science, language arts, engineering and technology and promotes curiosity, risk taking, critical thinking and problem solving.

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