Mrs. King's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 19

• Books to Read, Sing and Dance

  Funded Oct 22, 2020

  Thank you so much for your kindness in partnering with my music classroom. Students have LOVED the new books added to our music library. It is important that students know that reading is important in all content areas and you have made that a reality.

  We have read several of the books as a class. Books that rhyme and tell stories about musicians have been favorites. The books that you helped provide also brought more stories of unique musicians into our classroom. Stories of people of color like Selena and Ray Charles help students learn about a world that is larger than our small town.

  With the book "Dance of the Violin" we were able to explore the writer's intent and compare it to a piece of music that we have analyzed for similar reasons. Students practiced higher order thinking skills and enjoyed flexing their imaginations.

  Thank you again for your donations to our classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 15 other donors.

• Setting the Bar: The Bass Bar

  Funded Dec 3, 2019

  Thank you so much for your donation to my music classroom. The bass bar has made a big impact in the sound of our classroom ensembles! When the bass bar first arrived, students couldn't believe the size of it and when they got to make music with it their eyes were wide in surprise.

  For learners with physical disabilities, this has been an easy but impressive way to perform as part of the ensemble. While focusing on just one note they are able to play more competently. Because the sound is deeper than the other instruments, they can easily hear their part over the rest of the group.

  Thank you for making this possible and for providing music making experiences for years to come.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 11 other donors.

• Read More, Sing More, Learn More

  Funded Mar 2, 2020

  You have really helped my classes turn a page (literally) in understanding the life and music of many new musicians and genres. The smiles on their faces when they saw the new books were pure joy!

  The books that you purchased for my students represented styles of music that are not prevalent in our community. This offered opportunities for discussions about not only the new genres, but about the musical styles we hear most often in our community.

  One book told the story of a boy who took ballet lessons. This brought about a great discussion about gender equality!

  Thank you again for partnering with me to bring new worlds to my students through reading. The impact of this project will go on for years thanks to your kindness.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

  This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 5 other donors.

• Sing a Story, Read a Song

  Funded May 13, 2019

  Thank you so much for partnering with our classroom to add so many new books to our reading center! Students noticed the new books right away and couldn't wait to dive right in. In addition to reading the books, students have been telling others to check them out when they are in the music room.

  We have used "Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay" as part of a STEAM project. After reading the story, students planned their own instrument construction project asking questions like "What can I recycle to create a shaking sound?" "How big of a size difference will it take before I can hear a difference in my homemade drums?"

  During reading time, students have really connected with the musician biographies. Learning how musicians like Drake and Lady Gaga started out has been quite inspiring. Thank you for making this possible!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and one other donor.

• Drumming With the Colors of the Rainbow

  Funded Mar 10, 2019

  My students LOVE their new drums! We have already used them for many activities. One of those activities is a game called Poison Rhythm where students drum many rhythms except one rhythm that has been labelled "poison". Students had so much fun drumming that they didn't mind drilling through these rhythm patterns over and over!

  Another activity included composing rhythms for each of the different sizes of drums and playing them as an ensemble. Students determined that the size of the drums made them higher or lower and arranged them accordingly in their group. Then they played their compositions utilizing the pitches of their drums to add variety to their rhythm compositions. High level thinking and joyful play made for quite an impactful lesson.

  Thank you for your generosity. We appreciate your partnership with our classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

• Drumming Up Community

  Funded Jan 6, 2019

  Thank you for partnering with our classroom. You would not believe the excitement these instruments have caused in the music room!

  Students were excited to learn about the agogo gongs and cajones. They learned how they were made and how to perform with them. Being able to sit on a drum and play it was quite a novelty and it was fun to watch them explore and discover ways to create unique sounds. The cowbells and bongos helped expand the sound of our drum circle and gave students an opportunity to explore different timbres.

  We have used the instruments in drum circles and to accompany some of the songs we are singing in class. Next, we'll use them to create ostinatos and layer them in small groups for performance. This is possible because of your generosity!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

• Mallets Matter

  Funded Aug 23, 2018

  WOW! I wish that I had been recording the moment each class saw the new mallets. Gasps of delight, applause and a buzz of conversation burst from each class. We are incredibly thankful for your contributions to this project and for partnering with our classroom.

  Students have used the mallets every week since they arrived. We have used them for rhythm reading drills which require concentration and coordination. Our favorite activity with the mallets is performing as a drum circle. Students choose drums, mallets, shakers and together we build layers of rhythm. Students must cooperate and work together to create the best sounds. This activity builds community. I've heard students become great teachers and encourages during drum circles.

  Our goal is to continue to build our supply of drums and percussion instruments so that we can incorporate more diverse sounds into our performances. Eventually we would like to be able to invite parents to come in and join our drum circles. These mallets are a great addition. Thank you so much for your support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 3 other donors.

• Don't Let the Rhythm Fade

  Funded Mar 29, 2017

  Thank you so much for investing in our classroom! The new instruments have really brought about a great deal of excitement and music making. I think that we have used them every single day since they arrived!

  Students are using them for daily work like rhythm practice, but have already used them to create sound stories and add sound effects to books and have created original compositions too. In one class we used them to create an accompaniment to a traditional folk song. The students were so creative and were able to perform a beautiful accompaniment thanks to your donation.

  One student came to me last week and said "I'm so glad we got new instruments. I have never played some of them and I'm in 5th grade!" Thank you for partnering with our classroom to give my students new experiences and more vivid learning experiences!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

  This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 6 other donors.

• Melody Makers: It's Instrumental

  Funded Feb 3, 2017

  Thank you again for your generous contribution to my classroom. My students were delighted to see the new instruments. One of my students said "Mrs. King! How did we get so lucky?" I agree with their sentiment. We are so lucky to be able to partner with you!

  Already students have used the instruments to explore mallet technique and to play simple ostinato patterns. We have composed simple melodies and have added accompaniments to familiar stories.

  In fourth grade students have learned the song "My Paddle (Canoe Song)". After reviewing the melody and the pitch names we learned to play it on the glockenspiels. Finally, it clicked. When students realized that what they were playing was the song they already knew, their faces lit up and the room was filled with happy giggles. This strong connection of taking the music they have been reading and performing it on the instruments has added a great deal of excitement to each music class.

  In fifth grade classes students are working hard to learn a four part canon played entirely on the classroom instruments. Four parts can be pretty tricky, but the instruments are so motivational that the students continue to strive to do more. They are making beautiful music and learning skills that will help them make music for the rest of their lives.

  Thank you so much for donating to this project and pouring your kindness into the lives of my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King

• Let it Ring!

  Funded Mar 13, 2013

  Thank you for your generous donation to my classroom. My students LOVE the hand bells and have used them several times already. I am thrilled with the activities we've completed and that students have been engaged and using critical reasoning skills to decipher melodies and compose simple accompaniments. The bells are a special design that allows students to ring them or to set them on the floor or table and tap them like a desk bell. Even my special learners are finding high levels of success.

  Thank you for partnering with Donors Choose and my classroom. You are making a difference in the lives of students with each donation.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. King