Past projects 42
Recharge Our Tech While Helping the Environment! Part 2
Funded May 13, 2019Thank you so very much for helping us acquire 10 rechargeable batteries and 5 charging cables! You would not believe the money it's saving us right now. Every class we would use 10 kits which each used 3 batteries for 1.5 hours - 30 batteries every class - talk about damaging the environment! We were going through batteries like how most babies go through diapers.
Over the last few weeks, we've been able to build a robotic snail, a cooling fan, a moving satellite, a spy robot, Milo the Science Robot, and even a rescue helicopter just like the ones Sikorsky builds!!! Each build not only had its building challenges, but programming milestones for my fourth graders to complete! My students were able to complete amazing robotic projects and astonished me with their growth of knowledge with each challenge that was put before them.
Without the help of our amazing donors, our robots would not have lasted through the amount of trials we put them through! Thank you for helping us to soar and helping to save the environment at the same time!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 5 other donors.Recharge Our Tech While Helping the Environment!
Funded Jan 8, 2019Thank you so very much for helping us acquire 10 rechargeable batteries and 5 charging cables! You would not believe the money it's saving us right now. Every class we would use 10 kits which each used 3 batteries for 1.5 hours - 30 batteries every class - talk about damaging the environment! We were going through batteries like how most babies go through diapers.
Over the last few weeks, we've been able to build a robotic snail, a cooling fan, a moving satellite, a spy robot, Milo the Science Robot, and even a rescue helicopter just like the ones Sikorsky builds!!! Each build not only had its building challenges, but programming milestones for my fourth graders to complete! My students were able to complete amazing robotic projects and astonished me with their growth of knowledge with each challenge that was put before them.
Without the help of our amazing donors, our robots would not have lasted through the amount of trials we put them through! Thank you for helping us to soar and helping to save the environment at the same time!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 8 other donors.Lights... Sound... and Engineering Too!
Funded Oct 10, 2018Thank you so much for helping my students unleash their creative abilities in the engineering and design process to figure out how electricity works and how sound and light are connected to it! From the day the HUGE package of Snap Circuits arrived, the lab was buzzing with excitement, not only from the students but from the musical creations designed.
Snap Circuits are a way to introduce the basic properties of electricity and output devices. Students are able to choose which projects they'd like to complete and use a schematic diagram to design it! Using Snap Circuits gives my students the opportunity to not only test out their ideas about electricity, but it allows them to create their own design involving the science concepts of sound and light.
As a teacher, one of the things I love best about watching them explore new technologies, is seeing students of different academic levels work through problem solving methods to reach the end result they desire. Sometimes using the engineering and design process just leads them to more questions and other times they are successful, but the things they discover in between are absolutely amazing. One student was squealing with delight that she was not only able to create a parallel circuit, but it had lights attached to it, so that each time you turned on the different switches the results would change! She couldn't believe this was something she designed on her own. You'll see her and another group of ladies proudly holding up their design with the tower in the group picture!
Thank you for helping push my students to the next level not only with their creativity but with their understanding of sound and light!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
3D Printing to Make Our Learning Visible
Funded Aug 27, 2018My students and I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful gift of a 3D Printer. This piece of technology has been a key feature in the Discovery Lab, since the day the box arrived. The squeals of delight that came from my students as we opened the packages and they saw this amazing piece of machinery were just so joyful! In the past, my students were always limited when it came to their choice of materials, but now a whole new world has opened up for us by creating using a 3D Printer. From the measuring of the items to the design software the students need to use, to finally printing the item, it's been such and amazing learning experience.
We've been able to make our math learning come to life as Materials Engineers. At the Elementary level, a Materials Engineer is someone who tests and explores material properties. To begin our design process, we thought we'd start off small making a model of a Bloxel - A Bloxel is a cube we use in our video game design portion of class. We've CONSTANTLY lost these small pieces, but now, the students created their own Bloxels using measurements they've taken. They've put their design into our design software and created a model.
Students in the 5th grade have also been stumbling their way to creating a Lego they needed for a project. Same thought - we had a missing piece that we need to complete a project. We started by creating the shape of a rectangle. Then we needed to add the top "bumpies" or cylinders that we'd connect to other pieces. What is great about this process is there is always something to learn. In our design we thought about the top, but forgot about the underneath connection pieces. It was tricky to measure, but my students were up to the challenge. We learned about the the design process, especially to look at the bottom to see what is underneath an item. The ability for my students to rotate their design in the software to see all angles just opens up the possibilities for further creation!
Thank you for helping our Materials Engineers have another medium to design with! Our future is only limited to what we can design. Thank you for making my students think and challenge them in EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 2 other donors.Engineering in Your Maker Space!
Funded Sep 1, 2018Your generous support has already made a HUGE difference in what my students are able to accomplish already this year! Having materials that the students can use during design challenges makes materials choice such a huge game changer. They can choose what they'd like to accomplish their design challenge instead of saying you have three materials, they now have a section of materials that they can choose from. It's also great to see students use materials in ways they were not necessarily intended! The creativity is flowing making it so that no two projects are alike!
I can not thank you enough for helping our students Maker Space dreams come true!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and one other donor.Kinder Programming With Botley!
Funded Aug 15, 2018Thank you so very much in helping us purchase the Botley Coding Robots. Coding has been officially brought to life for our Kindergarten and first grade students! We started out by first moving our bodies like how the robots would move and made connections to the directions and types of turns we would be making. Then the students had the awesome opportunity to move their bodies at the same time their robot was carrying out their program. It was truly like a dance that everyone enjoyed!
Thank you for helping to bring a future skill to life for our students. They've always watched students in grades 3 - 5 use very complex robots. Now our little ones are loving the attention showing off how they can program and debug a robot just like the big kids! Thanks for making their dreams come true and help push them into their future careers in STEM!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and 5 other donors.iPads For All Things STEM
Funded Apr 16, 2018The ability to have a full classroom set of iPads with cases has made all of the difference in the world. When you have a full class size of 27 students, each one NEEDS to have a device to complete work. A day in the life of a student at our inner city school always involves technology! We love designing video games with Bloxels (video game design program), building and programming robots with Lego WeDo Robotics 2.0, advanced robotics with Lego EV3 Robots, coding with Ozobots, programming with Dash and Dot robots, and documenting all parts of the process of engineering and design process using apps such as Slow Pro, our Go Pro, and the camera. When the iPads are not being used in the lab, other teachers borrow them to use for apps such as Reflex Math(a place to practice math fact), Dreambox Math (math challenges that are more like games, but have grade level curriculum tied to each one), Gizmos Math & Science simulations (a way to practice hands on science without having all of the materials needed to do the experiment), just to name a few!
For all of this exciting curriculum to happen in the lab, we needed access to more iPads. Thank you so much for helping us have enough materials to support the amazing learning that goes on in our classrooms on a daily basis!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and one other donor.Changing With the Times: STEM to STEAM 4 of 5
Funded Mar 27, 2018Lego Robotics has become one of the highlights in our schools Discovery Lab. Students get a chance, not only to build and create, but to program their creations to come to life. We've been able to connect robotics to just about any curricular area, so students in grades 1 - 5 have an amazing opportunity to showcase the fabulous learning they are doing in the classroom through an utterly amazing technology!
Since we first started this project back in September, we've now had the opportunity to have over 250 students use the kids for various needs. Adding an additional 4 kits, means that we are able to have students work in smaller groups, which means more time in the STEM fields of programming and building robotics!
Your generous donations have helped open doors for our students to see what a STEM career could be like in terms of programming and coding! Thank you so very much for making their STEM dreams come true through your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 3 other donors.Building Knowledge Through Video Games: 1 Block At A Time-Pt 2
Funded Mar 13, 2018Using Bloxels in my classroom has truly been a revolutionary experience! Students have had the ability to work from start to finish on designing their own video games. They done everything from coming up with a connection to their curriculum, to designing each section - the land (where characters can walk or fly), the water (where characters can swim), the lava (hazards), the coins, powerups (special powers for characters), enemies and their brains (which give the enemies power), talking blocks to tell the story and just overall appearance! They've had a chance to story board out each section of their game and showcase what they've learned in our science classroom. They've had a chance to play test their games and give feedback to others too! This has changed the way the students interact with one another. They now have such a great way of not only explaining their thinking, but a way to gently give feedback so it doesn't hurt one another's feelings. It's truly amazing that a program such as Bloxels can make a HUGE difference in the classroom.
The class set of 5 Bloxels has now given us the ability to make it so even my full classrooms of 27 students can now each have their very own board to use! The challenge cards make it so we have a quick way of starting each class with a 5 minute building challenge from anything to a character, object, design and whatever their brain can come up with!
Being able to also receive the latest version of Bloxels - the Star Wars Edition, has only pushed their desire to learn video game design and programming further! Thank you so very much for helping push my students into what can be their future STEM career!
I thank you for your generosity and kindness!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 8 other donors.Changing With the Times - STEM to STEAM Part 2
Funded Nov 25, 2017Excitement has been buzzing in the lab for the last three weeks. This set of kits is our third set to arrive. The students were ready to tear open the box, the second it was brought through the door. While we were waiting on our final set to arrive, we decided to jump on into the kits and share them between the classes. Students have learned about how all of the pieces fit together and how they are used! As with anything new, there is a learning curve, but my fourth graders are head and shoulders above where I thought they would have been at this point. They've learned the value in documenting a project through to completion and using the information to work on their next assignment.
The best part of all of this is the smiles on the students faces. Some of my lower level learners have thrived in working with Lego's and programming. They have been given the chance in the lab to be experts and help out other groups, when in the classroom, they are the ones receiving the help. Having the tables turn like this has been such a WONDERFUL confidence boost for these students, some who I think may have found a future career!
It is due to thoughtful donors such as yourselves, that my students are having a true 21st century learning experience that may open doors for their future careers. I thank you from the bottom of my heart! None of this would be possible without your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. W.
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 5 other donors.