Community Support Activity

Activity: Using your environmental survey from Methods I, determine one piece of equipment that you wish your school had but does not. Now write a letter to someone/business that might be able to get this piece of equipment for you and donate it to the school. The letter needs to be professional and include a REAL person and a REAL address. As an example, when I was a teacher I needed restriction enzymes and they were too expensive. I developed a relationship with Monsanto Corp. and they ended up donating tens of thousands of dollars of materials to my school. Yes... tens of thousands! An important teacher skill is scrounging. You will need to get over any shyness you have and learn how to ask for things. If you want a piece of equipment and can't get it donated, then send out a letter to your parents explaining what it is, why the classroom needs it and ask them to either donate or set up an activity like a carwash etc. to get the money to purchase it. I did this for biological samples. One of my student's parent was a surgeon so we got free human samples. Again... if you don't ask... you can't expect to get it!!

To repeat: 

1.  Identify a need.
2.  Identify a person or business that can donate it OR write a letter to the parents of your students asking for help to get it.
3.  The letter needs to be professional, explain the why, the how much and the what for.

This is due May 5, 2008.