Past projects 4
Colonial Times Call For Colonial Measures
Funded Mar 13, 2013Thanks to your support, I am happy to report a huge success with the donations we received!
We celebrated Colonial Day in exquisite fashion. This was a day spent exploring life in the past to better understand what Colonists experienced leading up to the American Revolution. Thanks to the donated supplies, students made artifacts representative of Colonial America. This hands-on approach allowed them to better make connections with important concepts. Activities included candle-making, quill and ink writing, spinning wool, making butter, and dining in true Colonial style.
Two classes combined to make beeswax candles. Students carefully aligned the wick and rolled the wax so as not to crack it. Then they decorated their creations.
Our class also used actual chicken and turkey feathers to write with quill and ink. As students practiced writing a quote commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, we discussed the impact of the written word on the political atmosphere as well as Franklin's role as a Founding Father.
Other materials donated supported understanding in other subject areas, such as mathematics. Students explored the concept of volume by making models of rectangular prisms using 1" wooden cubes. From there, students were able to derive the algorithm to calculate the volume of any rectangular prism. These materials provided students with the tools to construct their own understanding of important mathematical standards.
Overall, these donations have greatly impacted our classroom exploration and studies this year. Thank you, again, for caring enough to reach out!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Henderson
Operation Organization
Funded Aug 6, 2012Our year has truly started out more organized thanks to your generous donations. The colorful plastic folders were a big hit. Students categorize their class work by subject area using the eight pockets within. The best part to me as the teacher? They're so durable! Paper folders get torn and discarded by this point in the year. Thankfully this year is a different story because of you and these folders.
The graph paper has been well used in our math class. Students used this paper to model multiplication problems, visually represent area and perimeter, create and analyze various graphs, and to align digits in multi-digit division problems.
Magnets are always a necessity for hanging important information and charts. Using magnets, students can also manipulate the position of items on the board when explaining their thinking.
Without your donations, these learning activities would not be possible in our classroom. Thank you for helping us get organized, use time wisely, and deepen our understanding of important concepts!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Henderson
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Funded Feb 7, 2012We are so excited to have these new resources in our classroom! More students were engaged in reading, math, writing, science and social studies because of these supplies.
Struggling readers used the headphones and junction box to listen to books on CD, modeling fluency and strengthening their comprehension. Because they read the book together, they were able to have more meaningful conversations about it afterward.
We used the white boards and erasers in many subject areas. In math especially, these motivated students to take risks and take pride in showing off their work.
In behalf of my delighted 5th graders, thank you again for your generosity and support. Without you, so many of these fun activities would not be possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Henderson
Mightier than the Sword
Funded Nov 30, 2011I was astonished when I initially found out that this project was funded. We are in a school without much of a budget. With a hopeful heart, I listed the most direly needed materials that we would use daily. Imagine my surprise when I found that in a matter of weeks, I was informed that complete strangers from across the country banned together to make sure that these items arrived in our classroom!
I kept the students informed every step of the way -- from the posting of the needed materials to each day a new donation was made. Believe me, these kids truly appreciate you! When we got the call that a package arrived, there was a communal cheer. A runner picked it up from the office and we immediately opened it. Of course the pencil sharpener was put straight to use. (We had been sharing one with a neighboring classroom up until then.) The scissors and dry-erase markers were soon to follow in math, writing, and spelling activities. It's funny how something so basic can be taken for granted... until you don't have one. Then you really cherish the ease and momentum it grants you.
Thank you again for your generosity and concern. Yes, learning in the face of so many financial and linguistic challenges is tough for my students. However, with these supplies, that learning is now more of a reality.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Henderson