Past projects 27
Have You Ever Watched a Chick Hatch?
Funded May 16, 2017Your thoughtfulness has already impacted my classroom! My students are beyond excited that this project was funded! It means so much to know that people care about the activities that occur in classrooms everyday. My students feel special knowing that you have chosen their classroom to help! Educators and students alike enjoy hands-on projects, lessons, and activities. Bringing these into the classroom is often more than a teacher can afford, so your help is invaluable! We will be sure to share pics of the last chicks we hatched. They are still in our classroom now, and we are enjoying them immensely. I'm so glad we will have a better incubator to ensure this project continues each year! Thank you again from all of us!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 7 other donors.My Students Are Begging For This Project! Can You Help?
Funded Feb 23, 2015The owl pellet activity is definitely a sure-fire way to engage students in a science lesson! This year was especially neat because one of the pellets that was dissected had a bird skeleton and feathers inside. Most pellets contain rodents, so the bird was a really nice surprise.
This lesson impacts my students because they are required to understand terms such as "predator," "prey," "consumer," "food chain," & "food web." Activities such as the owl pellets provide a hands-on approach to acquiring the vocabulary in a way that will remain with the student for a lifetime!
We learned so very much...but we had a wonderful time, too! That means so much in education! Also, some of my students had never written a thank you note until now, so writing a note of thanks was the second lesson we took from this opportunity. Thank you so much for caring about education...and for my classroom in particular. Your encouragement and support is food for this teacher's soul!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
4th Grade Chickaroos!
Funded Apr 5, 2012Thank you so very much for the mini incubator you provided for my classroom! We hatched chicks last year and are getting ready to hatch more this year! We will start our new batch after our fall break. It is absolutely amazing to see the fascination and awe on the face of a child who has watched an egg develop from day one. We "candle" the eggs with a bright light and can easily see the chicks grow. When they hatch, it is love at first sight! It's a little sad when the chicks leave, but they learn so much! This project wouldn't be possible without your help.
Our school was named a "Reward School" by the State of Tennessee this year. This feat is amazing because only 36 schools in the entire state earned this honor! That puts our school among the very best. I truly believe that because we have teachers who make activities like our chick project available to our students, we are able to make a difference! I know in my heart this is what defines our school, so please know that YOU have made a difference! Thanks so very much for caring about education and my students (and me!)
PS I am now teaching 4th and 5th grade science and language arts...this means that TWO classes will enjoy the chicks this year! YEAH!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 6 other donors.Get Focused On Literacy: Bluford Series & More!
Funded Jun 10, 2011Thank you so very much for the fabulous literacy resources you placed in the hands of my excited students! The literacy games have been especially beneficial in directly teaching reading skills. My students really anticipate coming to our "teacher table" to play a game--they don't realize that this is my way of teaching a skill! It's so much better than using a worksheet!
I have found that students who have the opportunity to work together cooperatively are more likely to understand and retain the concepts and skills that I teach. Sometimes it takes a little more effort to prepare a lesson, but it's worth it in the end. I couldn't provide these games and activities without your help, so please know that YOU have made a difference in my classroom, my students, and in ME! Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and one other donor.King Series & Literacy Intervention to the Rescue!
Funded Jun 10, 2011Thank you so very much for the materials you provided for my classroom! We have especially enjoyed using the literacy bingo games and the explorers resource box. It is amazing how much these resources make a difference in our classroom.
I have found that students who have the opportunity to work together in cooperative groups are more likely to retain the skills and concepts that are being introduced or taught. This is why I teach using games and game-like activities. It really does make a difference.
Again, I appreciate the interest you have shown in my classroom! It makes a difference in me, too!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and one other donor.Owl What?!?
Funded Mar 7, 2011Thank you soooooo much for our owl pellets! We just finished dissecting them this morning, and I can honestly say that this experience was my best so far with any class I've had. I think the activity was much better this year because I had the instructional DVD that explained about owls and what to expect during the activity. It really was wonderful, and I know that my students will always remember this experience. They will also be very likely to retain everything we learned today.
I will have enough owl pellets for next year, so the resources you provided for us will really go a long way. Thank you so very much for your help. I appreciate your willingness in helping me do a great job for my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by The Horace Mann Companies and 2 other donors.Get a "Life!"
Funded Dec 29, 2010Thanks so much for our "Life" and "Planet Earth" videos. My class truly enjoys watching the episodes during our lunch breaks. (We eat lunch in our classroom almost everyday.) Most kids watch tons of cartoons at home--but rarely enjoy a "tour" of our Earth as these videos show. Now that we have watched many of the episodes at school, several of my students have mentioned that they have watched them with their families at home! I think that is wonderful! Another great aspect of the videos is that I share them with other teachers in our school. Not only is my class enjoying them--others are as well!
These videos were expensive; our school simply could not have provided them for our students. Thank you so very much for making them available to our classroom and school. We will treasure them for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 6 other donors.Hands-On Learning at the Science Fair!
Funded Apr 7, 2011Our science fair was an absolute success! Thank you so much for helping our school make it a day to remember. Some cool aspects of our science fair were:
All project&experiments were rewarded with ribbons. Healthy refreshments were provided for students and their families. A "museum to go" presentation took place before the viewing of projects. The presenter brought all sorts of animals which the students were able to look at and even touch. Many questions were asked! This was the best part! Your donation made the "museum to go" available for this event. Thank you so much for this wonderful resource that the ENTIRE school had the opportunity to enjoy. We had the best attendance in our school's history!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 2 other donors.Our Engaging Environment
Funded Oct 25, 2010Thank you so much for our bugs! We ordered the mantis egg case and the ant farm....and did we ever have our hands full! Now we will order some of the other resources such as the painted lady butterflies and beetles. These bug kits were perfect for our classroom because we could request the egg cases, food, or other items when we wanted to use them. We were also able to work at our own pace. There's no way that our school could have provided us with these resources, but thanks to you, my 4th graders experienced real-life nature unfold in our classroom.
We haven't used our stream kits yet; we are waiting for warmer weather so we can use them outside. I'm excited to get to use them for the first time.
Thank you again for your support of education. On a personal note, thank you for helping make my job more enjoyable. I absolutely love it when my students get excited about learning! It just makes my day!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 3 other donors.Let's Get "Board" with Math!
Funded May 1, 2010We absolutely love our math boards! I purchased small dry-erase markers that have the neat little erasers on the end for my students to use, and using the boards is really a great change-of-pace from the typical worksheets that are often used to practice math skills like division and place value. My students enjoy using the boards--they think they're fun! In a few weeks we will begin learning more about fractions, and I will use another set of the boards! I really like that they are constructed well and will last for years to come.
DonorsChoose.org has made a tremendous impact on my classroom! This is my fourth year of teaching, and I can't even imagine what my first years of teaching would have been like without the resources that wonderful people like you have provided to my students. Our rural school is tiny--we have very little "extras" that are provided by the school because the funds don't exist for them. However, I'm happy to say that even though our student population is over 70% economically disadvantaged, they have the opportunity to use materials and technologies that otherwise wouldn't be available to them. Our teachers are hard-working and spend much time obtaining grants for the "cool stuff" that makes learning fun! Thank you for working with me to make a difference in my classroom! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bencic