Mrs. Broullire's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 26

• Analyzing Primary Source Documents

  Funded Oct 6, 2009

  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I cannot truly express to you how much the document camera has transformed my classroom. I really wish I could find the proper words to tell you how much my students have enjoyed classroom instruction since we've been using the document camera.

  I wish you could see for yourself how much the document camera has revolutionized my teaching and classroom learning. Some of my students' favorite uses with the document camera have been analyzing primary source documents, sharing their own work with their classmates, presenting projects where they had to bring in artifacts from across the Washington, DC area, and to peer edit papers without having to make copies for everybody. It has increased their motivation and the quality of their work.

  I am so thrilled to have this piece of technology available for my students. I thank you again. May you always be blessed!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

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

• Preparing for College

  Funded Jul 21, 2009

  Thank you so much for the class set of dictionaries. It is such an invaluable resource to have available for students. Whenever they come across a word they are not familiar with, I now can teach them how to look up a word in the dictionary for themselves. This skill of using a dictionary correctly will benefit them both in high school and in college. We use these dictionaries all of the time. In fact, they keep them under their desks. There is not a class that goes by that they do not have to look up something in the dictionary. The most recent example of my students using our dictionaries was when we read The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. There were lots of unfamiliar words throughout his narrative, and the dictionaries were essential.

  In a school where we work to catch up our students from the years of being provided an inadequate education, I cannot thank you enough for this resource. I really appreciate all you have done for me, but also for all teachers across the world. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.

• The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

  Funded Aug 12, 2009

  Thank you so much for donating a class set of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. This has really helped improve classroom instruction. Before your donation, we had to share books, and the students could not do any outside reading or work involving the book without making photocopies for every student. This has been heaven-sent, and it has given them more ownership of their learning since they have their own personal copy.

  They absolutely LOVE reading Douglass's narrative. Many of my students have been so captivated by his first-hand account of slavery that they finished the entire book in one night instead of waiting for our class to read it in chunks! This never happens! Some of my favorite comments have been, "I can't believe I actually enjoy reading this book" and "I've learned so much about slavery by Douglass. This is way better than any textbook." These comments by students let me know that they truly have benefited deeply from your kindness.

  Thank you again, and I hope you will see how much your generosity has influenced so many throughout the 10th grade.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.

• Preserving Oral History in Anacostia

  Funded Dec 28, 2008

  I cannot thank you enough for your gracious donation. I am so anxious to get back to school and tell my kids about our new microcassette recorders and book on oral history in DC! My students last year were so invested in their oral history project, and I could actually see them experiencing history themselves. The only problem was that we didn't have enough to go around. Now, we can stagger which class conducts the interviews, and ALL my students will feel like historians. Thank you for helping my students acquire very necessary skills that will prepare them for college and for helping them see that their city is full of incredibly important historical events that their own families experienced. My students are always amazed when we discuss how much of history is actually lost in our own families, and I think this project really helps them grapple with these issues by doing their part to keep their voices alive. There are not enough words to express how grateful I am”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.

• Washington, DC from A to Z

  Funded Dec 28, 2008

  I cannot express to you how grateful I am for your donation. I am just so excited to go back to school in the new year and prepare a DC History course that is much more engaging and interesting thanks to you. Their textbook is written on a college level and my students read on a 6th grade reading level (on average) when they enter our school as freshmen. The supplemental reading material will provide them with excerpts that are more interesting but still be a challenging read. Their literacy skills will certainly be strengthened--which is something our school really focuses on given the disparities. And the end of semester project! I can't tell you how excited they will be when I tell them about the Washington, DC from A to Z books they are going to create AND how we have the ability to bind them! They will be ecstatic just as I am about the possibilities. Finally, the utility cart is just so essential to keeping me sane when I travel between different classrooms each period. I've been carrying everything in my arms, making multiple trips, sending students to gather more of my resources, etc. Now I can roll this cart around and be incredibly organized for my kids. Words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate you donating these resources to us in the months to come”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.

• Checking The Understanding Of All Students

  Funded Mar 23, 2009

  I wish I could properly find the words to thank you for your gracious donation to my students and our classroom. When I got the email over spring break about our project being funded, I was extremely humbled. I couldn't wait to get back to school to let my students know. While my students in Washington, DC do not have access to educational materials outside of school, their in-school access to materials has grown exponentially thanks to you all.

  Since this email, we have used the voting system a ton! It is by far their favorite thing to do. We use the voting system in class to check for understanding of class content, take quizzes over the material, and even to raise your hand to ask a question. The students are so much more engaged with the content, and I see a huge increase in their ownership over their learning because of the voting system. It keeps them on their toes. Even the shy ones (especially those with special education needs) who would normally never feel comfortable answering a question to avoid embarrassment participate every time. They feel completely comfortable with the anonymous aspect (although I know which answer each student selects). This has allowed me to more fully differentiate instruction for my students.

  After all the votes are taken, the program allows us to pull up a class graph to reflect on which answers the class selected and why. We have some of the most fruitful discussions based on this collected data. This would not have been possible if we did not have your support.

  Thank you again from the very bottom of my heart. I only wish you could see us use the voting system in the classroom. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.

• History Through Music: The Great Depression

  Funded Mar 1, 2009

  I am so grateful for your donation to our classroom. I wish I could properly express how very much your supplemental reading material on the Great Depression, audio resources, and especially the listening center have enhanced learning in the classroom.

  My students are extremely kinesthetic learners and learn best when they are able to do activities using a variety of multi-media outlets. We have never been able to do station activities using audio aids before because we've never had the equipment. This all changed because of your kind heart. During our unit on the Great Depression, we listened to songs during this era and gained historical insight through music. This was a very powerful experience for them. We also used the reading materials to boost my advanced learners and provide remediation for my lower-level learners. I can't tell you how much this has improved my effectiveness in the classroom. Most recently, my students used the listening center to listen to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. After analyzing the speech, they then created their own "I Have a Dream" speech for 2009. This was all made possible because of the resources you've given to our classroom.

  Your kindness will never be forgotten, as these resources will be able to serve hundreds of children. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

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

• The Power of Memoirs: Warriors Don't Cry

  Funded Feb 2, 2009

  Thank you so much for donating copies of Warriors Don't Cry to our U.S. History class. I wish I could properly express to you just how much they enjoyed reading the memoir written by Melba Pattillo Beals. The response I got from my students was overwhelming.

  One student in particular asked me if she could keep a copy of the book because she enjoyed it so much and wanted to re-read the novel. She told me she had never learned about the civil rights movement in school and how her people were truly impacted. She had seen the images and watched movies, but until she read Warriors Don't Cry, it didn't seem that real to her. This is just one of the many stories students told me after we completed the novel. Social studies is so much more powerful when students get to experience history from a survivor's point-of-view. Their textbook or a movie could never have done the Little Rock 9 and school segregation justice like Ms. Beals's words.

  Thank you again for donating these books to our classroom. My students really appreciate your gracious spirit and kind heart, and I know we will continue using these novels in the classroom for many more years to come!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.

• Making History Come Alive Through National History Day

  Funded Dec 10, 2008

  Thank you so much for your gracious donation. I cannot tell you how much this means to me and, more importantly, my students. They have been working so hard on developing a college-level research paper. Since the first week of school, they have been learning the often-tedious aspects of research (developing a topic, gaining background knowledge on their individual in history, creating research questions, writing a thesis statement, and preparing for research). These are important steps the students have never been expected to do, but they are doing a phenomenal job. This funding of a die-cut machine, die-cut letters, and construction paper will ensure that my students can focus the rest of their National History Day project on the writing process and not how they are going to raise money for such resources. They are especially looking forward to when they can show off their creative side, so I cannot wait to tell them tomorrow about our new resources. Thank you from the bottom of my heart”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

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

• Making National History Day Possible

  Funded Jan 16, 2009

  Words cannot express how truly grateful I am for your donation. Tears came to my eyes every time I found out a new person contributed to our class project. This means so much to me, and it means even more to my students. Thank you for making National History Day possible in our classroom. My students are so excited and engaged in the research process. Right now, we are revising the research papers, and next comes their favorite part: display boards! You have made it possible for my students to showcase their knowledge of history by providing them with tri-fold boards and construction paper. Thank you again for your gracious donation”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Broullire

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.