Past projects 6
Professional Vibe Projects and Presentations
Funded Dec 15, 2024Your generosity knows no bounds! Thank you so much for contributing classroom supplies to Room 21.
We have used all of the markers, card stock, stamps, and art supplies to create cards that are on their way to you soon! We also get to practice writing for an audience—such a terrific opportunity to hone our writing skills.
We have used the rolling whiteboard to create anchor charts—lists that help us know what we'd like to learn and do—as well as deliver information during presentations. Our second semester has a strong focus on the listening and speaking standards, so this is often utilized.
The students and I are so grateful for your kindness and support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. EL
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 14 other donors.Set Us Up for Success!
Funded Aug 17, 2024Wow! First semester was a whirlwind of learning in Room 21.
The seventh graders read A Long Walk to Water and learned about Salva Dut's journey and life in Southern Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War. We also found out that Salva Dut is an actual person who now builds wells for the people of Sudan. If you'd like to donate to an excellent cause, WaterforSudan.com is the site to check out.
Seventh graders also read the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. In addition to learning some British slang (read: antiquated curse words), students worked on their argument writing skills.
Eighth graders read Inside Out & Back Again and studied the refugee experience during first quarter. They also read The Outsiders and created their own book clubs within the class to talk about the books they decide to read as a team. It's reading, it's fun, and it involves snacks--can we really get any better?
Eighth graders are now reading A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare. Students are tracking the theme of control in the book--analyzing whether characters can successfully control one another. Watching them "unlock the code" of Shakespeare is a special treat for me. It's amazing to hear them laugh at the jokes in the play.
Our Advisory classes are learning about being kind to others and to ourselves. We're doing regular grade checks, organization checks, and planner checks. We spend a few minutes getting grounded in the morning and ready to take on the day. It's sweet.
All of this learning is possible thanks to your generous donations. We have more than 140 students who call Room 21 home each day, and all of them have received your school supplies. Whether it is a binder, a pencil pouch, sticky notes, Post-It Flags, a pencil, an eraser, or a Jolly Rancher, your gift has impacted every single student in this room. It's also impacted me personally--I'm deeply grateful for your generosity.
We have another project on this site. If you feel like setting us up for second semester, we would really appreciate it.”
With gratitude,
Ms. EL
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 20 other donors.Help Us Make the World a Better Place!
Funded Jun 17, 2024I am so deeply grateful that you have chosen to donate to public schools. This is a challenging time for schools and we need the support of our communities to flourish. Your donation will benefit a class of dedicated and hard-working students. I have had all of these students during the 2023-2024 school year and have developed this curricular extension specifically for this group—to build on their areas of strength (optimism and speaking) and target areas for growth (time-management and listening). We are so grateful for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. EL
This classroom project was brought to life by Neukom Family Foundation and 2 other donors.Help Us Explore the Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance!
Funded Nov 16, 2023Did you know that a book makes a special sound only once in its life? We got to hear that special sound as we cracked open these gorgeous copies of One Last Word for the first time. So special!
Thanks to your generosity, we have started our study of the Harlem Renaissance and deep learning is happening in Room 21.
Students have read about the political and social context for this renaissance and studied songs, the musical Shuffle Along, sculptures, oil paintings, short stories, and poetry from this important time period. We have explored thematic connections between these pieces and held collaborative conversations to share our insights.
Students will continue to work with One Last Word by Nikki Grimes to see how she uses a poetic technique called the Golden Shovel method to take the poetry from the Harlem Renaissance and create beautiful pieces that reflect the time period in which we now live.
We are so deeply grateful for your donation of these books to our classroom. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to learn something new and enriching not only our education but also our lives.”
With gratitude,
Ms. EL
We Love Books!
Funded Aug 18, 2023I am so deeply grateful for your generous donation to Room 21 at AJHS. You have provided our classroom library with an enormous array of current, interesting books for students to read.
It's interesting how junior high school students choose books to read independently. We have a massive Padlet that allows students to post book recommendations (sort of like our own class Goodreads) for one another.
Students often check the Padlet for fan favorites, but also it's common for a student to choose a book off the shelf at random, like it, and then tell a friend or classmate about it.
You know how this goes: the friend reads it, then tells someone else about it, and the cycle continues. It's funny how a book can become "hot" on a classroom library shelf.
Our current hot list includes a great deal of mystery like "Pretend She's Here" (it is still spooky season after all) and some nonfiction like "Ghost Boys" as well. The students are really enjoying the variety you've provided. We are all so grateful for fostering an engaging reading environment in Room 21.”
With gratitude,
Ms. EL
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 32 other donors.Help Us Develop Empathy and Learn about Resilience!
Funded Aug 16, 2019Thank you so much for contributing two important books to our 8th-grade Accelerated Language Arts class this year. We studied, and enjoyed, "A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School" by Carlotta Walls LaNier and "Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration" by Shelly Marie Tougas. With your donation, we were able to purchase a copy of each book for each student.
These books work together to tell the story of the Little Rock Nine, a brave group of teenagers who integrated an all-white high school in Arkansas in the 1950s. Carlotta Walls was one of the Little Rock Nine, so the story of her high school experience was deeply compelling for our 8th graders. In reading the story of her life during this time, we were able to build empathy for students who are denied an education based on the color of their skin.
"Little Rock Girl 1957" helped students to understand the role the media played in our nation's perceptions of the integration of Central High School. Given the prevalence of the media (especially social media) in our 8th graders' lives, it is useful to be able to think critically about our sources of information: How are those sources providing accurate information? How are those sources providing inaccurate or incomplete information?
Your donations have helped not only to build the students' empathy, but also their critical thinking skills. We are all so grateful for your kindness and generosity. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. EL
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.