Past projects 18
Human Rights Violations: Through the Eyes of a Character
Funded Aug 21, 2015Thank you so much for your contributions to our unit! In our Latin America literature circles unit, we focused on how literature reveals various human rights violations throughout Latin America. We used literary elements like Characterization, Theme, Conflict, Setting, and Imagery as lenses for students to examine how human rights were being violated for particular characters or within particular events throughout the story. In addition to reading every day, students kept reading logs where they would pull quotes that related to a particular literary element and analyze how it was used in that particular section. We also incorporated protocols that allowed students to discuss their thoughts with each other in structured ways.
During the unit, students read every day. They were organized into groups, and they could either read as a group or individually. We encouraged reading as group because it allowed students to connect with each other as they were reading. About 20 minutes of most class periods were devoted to reading, sometimes with supplementary materials created by the teacher to foster understanding.
Ultimately, most students enjoyed the books. They were able to have rich discussions about human rights violations and literature, successfully making the ELA and Global connections to create a true humanities experience. Some students are making connections to our current unit on human trafficking through the idea of "surviving" various human rights violations. Thank you again for all your help in making this unit successful!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
Books for Borrowing!
Funded Dec 28, 2013Thank you all so much for your generous donation to this recent Donors Choose project. My students are thrilled with the arrival of new and engaging books to our classroom library. These high-interest and recent publications are just what my students need to continue to be engaged in reading. And now, thanks to your generosity, these texts are available for my students to read, borrow, and enjoy.
My students are preparing for college and we know that students who read, both in and out of school, do better in college and are better prepared for college coursework. Having resources such as entertaining and engaging adolescent fiction helps students to find relevance in the challenge of reading.
Your support of public education, schools, and my students is of the utmost importance and I am so grateful that you are willing to donate to projects like this. Your continued support of teachers' projects further supports student success, achievement, and college readiness.
Thank you again for your donation and for bringing enriching literature to my classroom. My students and I are very grateful for your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
Teaching Injustice Through To Kill a Mockingbird
Funded Dec 1, 2013Thank you all so much for donating to this project. My students are so thrilled that we have received so many copies of To Kill a Mockingbird. Now students not only have a copy of the text to read during class but they are able to take these copies home with them to ensure they are able to complete reading the text, having a richer experience with this novel.
The unit of study that used these texts engaged students in making connections between the time of To Kill a Mockingbird and today. Students read the text, discussing such themes as prejudice, outcasts, stereotypes, racism, and discrimination and also read articles from the present day around similar issues & themes. Through their reading, writing, and in-class discussion, students were able to determine & make a claim evaluating how much US society has progressed in many of these areas since the 1930s. They used evidence from the text and the present to support this claim in a final writing piece, which not only demonstrated their understanding of the novel's plot but also of the larger themes & issues.
Thank you for your support of this project and of public education through your donations on Donors Choose. As a teacher, it is important to provide students with the resources and materials they need to be successful in college and in society. I am very grateful that students were provided with copies of To Kill a Mockingbird to allow for a strong, engaging unit that helped students find connections between literature and society today.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
Planners for Organized Students
Funded May 2, 2011Thank you so much for your contributions to this grant! My students will be thrilled to receive these planners for use in the coming school year. When preparing students for college, it is so important to help students learn time management skills and how to best utilize their time. These planners will help students to become organized, thoughtful learners who plan and record their assignments.
It is very important that people like you continue to support the efforts of public school teachers and public education. Thank you so much for contributing to my school and my classroom. My students will be very grateful that you have taken the opportunity to donate to support our efforts.
Thank you again for your support and for your continued support of education.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T and one other donor.Words, Words, Words. Books for Better Vocab!
Funded Nov 13, 2010Thank you so much for funding this grant which allowed for my students to receive the wonderful Wordly Wise 3000 books. This has helped to enhance vocabulary instruction within my 11th grade class and has definitely supported my students in preparing for the upcoming SAT exams.
Not only are students learning new words to increase their vocabulary, they are also better able to understand higher level texts with more complex vocabulary. Thus, their worlds are open to a variety of texts that help them to move towards reading at the college level.
Thank you so much for your continued support of public schools and education. Without donors like you, my students would not be afforded the opportunity to successfully compete with students from other, better funded schools. Please continue to support education and thank you again for your efforts in supporting my classroom. My students are ever grateful!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
This classroom project was brought to life by Townsend Press and 2 other donors.Cameras for Student Journalists
Funded Sep 23, 2010Thank you so much for your generous support of my students and my classroom. My students were thrilled to receive the new cameras for our Journalism class and have already been using them to take pictures at school events! Your support of this project will enable students to not only learn how to take newspaper-appropriate pictures but also to help them report on and publish photos of school events.
Currently my students are working on developing our school newspaper and this new equipment will allow us to publish pictures of school events, community happenings, and student successes. They are very excited that we have new digital cameras that will facilitate the photojournalism aspect of our Journalism class and school newspaper.
Thank you again so much for your kind donations and continued support of my classroom, my students, and education. Without your support, my students would not have access to up-to-date technology and resources with which they can publish a school newspaper. Thank you for your continued efforts to improve education and support teachers. As a teacher in a high-needs school, funding from individuals like yourselves is essential to support urban public schools and I truly appreciate all of your assistance. Thank you again and please know that your donation is making a difference.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
This classroom project was brought to life by FreeCreditReport.com and 7 other donors.Toolboxes for Student Reporters!
Funded Oct 29, 2010Thank you so much for your generous support of my students and my classroom. My students are thrilled that we will be receiving the toner for our printer, cases for our reporting equipment and most of all, awesome digital audio recorders.
Currently my students are working on developing our school newspaper and this new equipment will allow us to report on school events, community happenings, and student successes. They are very excited that we have new digital recorders that will allow us to experiment with podcasts and other voice-over reporting techniques. In addition, these recorders will help students focus on accuracy as they ask interview questions and report on events.
Thank you again so much for your kind donations and continued support of my classroom, my students, and education. Without your support, my students would not have access to up-to-date technology and resources with which they can publish a school newspaper and report on school news. Thank you for your continued efforts to improve education and support teachers. As a teacher in a high-needs school, funding from individuals like yourselves is essential to support urban public schools and I truly appreciate all of your assistance. Thank you again and please know that your donation is making a difference.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
New Laptops for Newspaper!
Funded Mar 19, 2010Thank you so much for your generous donation to this project and my classroom. My students are thrilled with the new technology and laptops in our journalism class. It is now extremely convenient for our class to work on our online school newspaper with these laptops.
Students are writing articles, designing an online website, editing each others work and developing sophisticated journalism skills as a result of these new laptops. We really appreciate your donation to our classroom and are thankful that you were able to assist us with this.
Thank you again for the new laptops. Due to your kind support, my students are now engaged in the newspaper creation process. This is helping them to understand the fundamental skills necessary for journalism and engaging them in our school community.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
This classroom project was brought to life by HP and National Lab Day and 10 other donors.More Books Please! Because We Love Reading!
Funded Dec 7, 2009Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom library. My students were absolutely thrilled to receive these new and updated books. They are eagerly reading the new books, finding that our collection is now up-to-date with current and interesting adolescent literature.
Your contribution has helped to increase the quantity and quality of books in our classroom library, engaging students in reading and helping to sustain a high interest in reading. Students are thrilled to read the new books and are excited as the prospect of reading not only in class but also at home.
Thank you again for your contribution to my project. By donating to this project, you are helping my students to access relevant literature and engage in reading, assisting them to develop the skills necessary to become better readers and succeed in both high school and college.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Wanted: Books to Sustain Voracious Readers!
Funded Dec 7, 2009Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom library. My students were absolutely thrilled to receive these new books and are thoroughly enjoying reading these new texts. The new books have increased the availability of interesting and exciting books in our library.
The books are engaging students and they are reading more than ever during our independent reading time as well as at home. This means that students are developing essential reading skills and strategies that are helping them become better readers. The variety of new texts is key in keeping students interested and engaged in reading as well as exploring different genres.
Thank you again for your meaningful contribution to our classroom. Without your donation, we would not have access to current and meaningful adolescent literature necessary for helping students develop the skills necessary for college.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schaefer
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.