Past projects 7
Lego Block Multiplication Arrays
Funded Feb 26, 2020Thank you so much for the Lego Plates. This will allow the students to have a fun way to prove their fact family knowledge. Engaging young students is one of the hardest parts of this job. This is especially true with multiplication facts. This project will really let them build their understanding. Your donation is extremely generous. I want you to know this will definitely help struggling learners.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields
Place Value Solutions
Funded Aug 2, 2019Thank you so much for the place value disks which allow my students the hands-on practice they require. We are using them for concepts such as adding, subtracting, expanded notation, and number sense.
The students are now given the opportunity to understand place value concepts in a concrete way. There have been several moments where the students have stated that they now understand the concept they have been trying to do on paper. The actual act of borrowing has become real. One student literally blurted out, "Oh, that's why you do that!" It was what they call the 'ah ha' moment. They are also more engaged. This fact alone ensures they will retain more of the information.
The next unit of study for the class is multiplication and then division. The place value disks will surely help the students understand the algorithms. I also am enthused. Anything that gives students support for these difficult concepts is a win-win. Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields
Light up our STEM knowledge!
Funded Apr 13, 2019Thank you so much for the interactive electricity materials. The students loved the SnapCircuit kits! We started out by reading about the various ways electricity is created. We then learned about how it is used. The students ultimately used the Snap Circuit kits to create circuits, fans, alarms, flashing lights and a drive chain. The best learning came when the students were able to use the electricity to power a small KNEX vehicle of their own design. They were much more engaged by this activity which you provided them. They were so excited when they began. There were almost as many different designs as there are students in my room. It definitely made them learn how to cooperate as a team. Some individuals even wanted to do a second project of their own design, which I feel will be an excellent extension activity.
As with any true design activity, they quickly realized it was going to be tougher than they originally thought. The teams had to come up with a design, build it, and finally test it. We also had a design activity where the children had to build an alarm for their desk. It tied into a book we read titled, "Dear Mr. Henshaw". The storyline involves a new boy to a fictional school who keeps having his lunch dessert stolen. He decides to build a lunchbox alarm. Having my students build a desk alarm seemed to be a great concept, until I realized I was going to have 10 alarms constantly going off during the next few days. "My nerves were shot, but the kids learned a lot!"
Some teams struggled less than others, but everyone was involved. This made them grasp the essential understandings in a concrete manner. These activities could not have been possible without the support of donors. This allowed my students to learn in a way that was actually meaningful. Perhaps one day you may be riding in a vehicle designed by someone you supported, or protected by a new type of alarm system. Again, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields
Full STEAM Ahead!
Funded Aug 14, 2019Thank you so much for supporting our project. The students love to work with these hands-on kits. The fraction tiles definitely help them grasp the very difficult concept of comparing fractions. The Magnetic Levitating train kit will inspire the engineers of the future. The class will soon be constructing their own versions when school commences.
Your generosity will continue to help students for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.The Shape of Things to Come!
Funded Oct 26, 2018Thank you so much for the interactive materials. The students loved the electricity and KNEX kits. They loved using both kits together even more! We started out by reading about the various ways electricity is created. We then learned about how it is used. The students ultimately used the Snap Circuit kits to create circuits, fans, alarms, flashing lights and a drive chain. The best learning came when the students were able to use the electricity to power a small KNEX vehicle of their own design. They were much more engaged by this activity which you provided them. They were so excited when they began. There were almost as many different designs as there are students in my room. It definitely made them learn how to cooperate as a team. Some individuals even wanted to do a second project of their own design, which I feel will be an excellent extension activity.
As with any true design activity, they quickly realized it was going to be tougher than they originally thought. It took several sessions of trial and error. This led to great discussions and real active involvement by each student. The class as a whole remained engaged. They wanted to see their car propelled down the track by their electric circuits. Their greatest difficulty arose when trying to get the drive chain to rotate and spin the axle. It is amazing how many unique variations occurred. Eventually, they learned from each other and we were ready to test the results. We will be posting video of the KNEX Grand Prix Challenge on our class website.
Some struggled less than others, but everyone was involved. This made them grasp the essential understandings in a concrete manner. These activities could not have been possible without the support of my donors. This allowed my students to learn in a way that was actually meaningful. Perhaps one day you may be riding in a vehicle designed by someone you supported. Again, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields
Rock and Roll is Here to Stay!
Funded Dec 19, 2016Thank you so much for the gifts. The students are loving being part of Rock Club. They voted for their band name, and chose "The Rock Eyed Peas". (We almost had one of those infamous band break-ups over this contentious issue). The good news is that we are back together and rocking away. Our play list now includes, "Proud Mary" by CCR, "Cheap Thrills" by Sia, and "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys. We are currently looking for our next song.
When we first received the new instruments, the kids were ready to pick them up and start jamming. Unfortunately, they had to learn the lesson that new instruments require some tuning before they can be played. This actually proved to be an excellent teachable moment. We worked together, and prepared them for our next session. Now most of our strings know how to tune their own guitars by themselves. By the next week's practice, we were ready. When they picked up their shiny new instruments, you would have thought they just got inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We also just received a generous donation of a brand new drum set as well. This allowed us to send the old set home with our drummer so he can practice at home. (He is thrilled, not sure the parents are as enthused.) Actually, they are happy for the outlet for his energy. All of our parents are grateful for this club which allows their children to showcase their musical intelligence.
Because of your generosity, parents, students, and the entire community benefit from these gifts. And not only do your gifts inspire these students, but the students and families of future Rock Club members. You have ensured our anthem comes true; "Long Live Rock"!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields
Building Bridges to Math Mastery
Funded Nov 3, 2015Thank you so much for the KNEX Geometry sets. The students absolutely love working with them. Sharing the entire experience from start to finish engaged the students more than just having the materials. They were eager each day to see if anyone had 'donated' to our cause. I eventually made it part of my morning routine with them, just so they would stop asking me. We also got some good experience subtracting from our total money requested each time a donor funded the project. This was a great incidental learning experience. The down-side was that when they finally arrived, the students wanted to start using them right away. We had to finish the math unit I was currently teaching for another week. You would have thought it was the longest week of their lives.
But finally, we were able to begin. Being a teacher who firmly believes in tactile learning, the daily construction of what we learned on paper really ingrained the concepts in the students. It also engaged the students in the daily geometry lessons. Even the at-risk learners and the daydreamers were 100% involved. You can see this from the pictures. More importantly, look at the smiles. When you have them smiling during math, you have succeeded. We also enjoyed looking at PowerPoints I made of various bridges around the world. We studied the symmetry and creativity in the newest bridges. We investigated the rich source of old bridges in our hometown, Cleveland. It made it real. This was the core understanding of my geometry unit; that we learn about shapes in school because we then use them to build. The students learned they are early engineers. We then studied famous architecture and the geometric shapes used to build them. I will then have the students do a 'geometry report' on a famous structure, furthering their understanding, while allowing for creative reports. (Usually the daydreamers come up with the best!)
The last project for the school year will be to make our own iBook with the iAuthor app. The students will construct their geometric shapes, photograph them, and finally add a text box describing and defining their constructions. They will load their creations to iBooks where everyone can download our student-made textbook. Again, I can not stress how much we appreciate your support. You have brought the fundamentals of engineering to our class. The students were able to grasp geometry through the way kids learn it best, by simply playing with shapes.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shields