Mrs. Roberts' Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 13

• Bikes Help Us Work It Out

  Funded Aug 29, 2016

  When the office delivered four boxes with our bikes, the excitement was palpable. I started unpacking the pieces and delegating the process of building the bikes to different kids. They LOVED actually using the wrenches and learning how to follow the complex instructions. Even putting it together was fun!

  We spent the next few days taking turns so that everyone got a chance to test out the process. That first day there was one kid who stood up pedaling through the entire two hour math benchmark. Saving commentary on the testing, what a great way to focus energy in a positive way! Some kids love them, others not so much. It is great to have choices.

  Now they have become a normal piece of furniture that everyone shares. I've had kids get into conflict with one another and go sit and pedal it out. Others are best able to read a book of their choice while sitting on the bikes. And, even though there are 31 of us in one room, the kids share nicely offering turns to one another. What an awesome gift you have given us!

  Thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by Target and one other donor.

• Get Us Outside!

  Funded Oct 5, 2016

  Dear Donors,

  When the boxes arrived, I had to keep them hidden in the office because I knew we would not be able to wait to go outside and get started. And, sure enough, when the TA brought them in the kids squealed, "That's our recess stuff!" We dug through, unwrapped, discussed how to best care for the materials, and headed outside! It was so nice to play kickball with bases that aren't torn into shreds. They actually stayed right where they were supposed to be when the runner came past. And having enough balls - and so many kinds - let everyone have plenty to mess around with and plan games together. The kids get giddy when I say it's time to go outside, and they've been so good about counting materials and hunting down any missing parts before we come back in. This gear should last us a long time. Thanks so much for your support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by Target and 3 other donors.

• Yoga Balls Get to the Core

  Funded Aug 29, 2016

  Ever seen kids open boxes on Christmas morning? That's what it looked like the day we got our yoga ball chairs! The kids were so pumped. I put them in groups on the carpet to put them together. One kid immediately looked at the one I had practiced with and was able to tell his team how to fit it correctly. What a great chance for him to show me his learning style. We pulled off the plastic, pooped in the wheels and adjusted the height, blew up the ball, tightened nuts and bolts with washers using wrenches - all new vocabulary for some of the class!

  Then we got to test it out! The kids discussed usage rules so that the chairs are taken care of and bouncing doesn't distract them from working. Some kids absolutely LOVE them. I've seen kids adjust their bodies to move and sway as they work through complex text and solve complicated math problems. It is really impressive how much the simple change of a soft seat has made in the kids' comfort and concentration levels.

  Others in the building have had to come by to see what the fuss is all about. Kids at dismissal get excited about sitting on something different.

  Thanks so much for your gift to us!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by Target and 4 other donors.

• Exploring Our Cultures and Diversity Through Text

  Funded Nov 26, 2013

  As soon as we got back from winter break, the kids got into groups and started working with these books. They were so excited to be able to read together. They really took control of their learning and set up their own assignments and led discussions with such excitement that it was so fun to teach.

  Each group shared out at the end of each session and deepened their understanding of their texts. My fifth graders were able to make connections between the literary elements and found similarities between characters' traits and plot events. Hearing them choose quotes that illustrated the theme or illustrated a character helped me gain insight into their understandings of the texts. They did such a great job of analyzing this group of books. This group of books has really inspired my class to work hard to comprehend challenging text.

  The most exciting part, though, was that once this literature circle cycle ended, students were so engaged that they've asked if they can read books from the other groups! They have set up groups on their own with the books and are meeting to work on them during their independent work time! What a great gift for a group of students who began the year so far behind grade level!

  Thank you so much for supporting my kids!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

• Kindle a Love of Reading

  Funded Aug 24, 2013

  The class was on the carpet at the Gathering Place when I pulled out the box. I told them people they have never met and probably never will had sent us a gift. They immediately started trying to guess what was in the box. As I opened it and the first kids got a glimpse of the Kindle logo, everybody got excited. See, I've been using donated e-ink e-readers already this year so they had an idea what these were, but when I put one in a kid's hands and he realized that he can not only read, but be read to on it, his eyes lit up!

  Over the past week, the students have figured out all kind of ways to access learning through this tool. One literature circle pulled up the map of MOMA as they were reading The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and figured out that the exhibits change. Another found an audio recording of Louis Armstrong to accompany the Magic Tree House book they were reading. They didn't know it was jazz until they heard it. Their faces were priceless. Time and again students have had instant access to definitions and pronunciations of words that are just out of their reach.

  Thanks so much for supporting my class and our learning. I'm very grateful for your gifts and in just this one week have seen the excitement about reading catch fire in my room.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

• The Key to Success

  Funded Sep 12, 2012

  Dear Donors,

  When our box of books arrived, you would've thought it was Christmas in a box for kids that never got anything for Christmas. We pulled them all out as we sat at the Gathering Place in a circle and looked at them and passed them around.

  It was so cool to hear them telling each other about books they have read in the past and how these are like them. One kid turned to another and said, "Let's read this together during our Read to Someone time. I love that they gave us two copies!" Another kid was excited to see a book about sharks and began spouting off some facts he'd learned somewhere else. Since then, he's been poring over the book every day and is becoming a shark expert!

  There were enough books in this shipment that all of us were able to choose two each and still leave some on our New Books shelf for future trade ins and reading.

  This donation has reignited my students' excitement and engagement with reading. Thank you SO much!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 5 other donors.

• See The World As I Do

  Funded Oct 14, 2012

  Dear Donors,

  So, the iPods came last week and I got them charged up and loaded with some cool aps over the weekend. Yesterday I passed them off to the kids and told them to take turns and "mess around with them." That's when the magic happened.

  My students generously shared, which still amazes me about this group of kids and taught each other how to do things on them. (Only a couple have one at home.) By midday, they had recorded themselves explaining how to plant kale and a reader's theater on the Three Little Pigs. Several kids got a chance to practice with a reading fluency ap or a multiplication fact ap. We got pictures of all kinds of things (with verbal commentary). And, as we researched the solar system, the kids were able to access websites and share information in a portable way while others worked on the desktops. What an amazing addition to our class! The kids were so funny telling each other yesterday, "Our donors ROCK!" and such.

  Thank you so much for your donation. You have definitely made a difference in our class.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 11 other donors.

• Keep Us Hydrated!

  Funded Sep 1, 2011

  I got the box after the kids had all left for the day, and teachers along the way kept asking what it was, so the excitement started building immediately. When the kids arrived the next morning, the huge box was sitting in the floor. They kept asking me what was in it. So, we played twenty questions and they got it! The boy who made the final guess was so proud of himself and when he opened the box you would've thought it was Christmas morning!

  He passed out the bottles and we looked at how neat it was that there are carrying trays for them, and brainstormed all the uses we'd have for them. Several kids thought that the chance to squirt the water out of the bottle should be a great way to cool off! I agreed since it was such a sweltering day that afternoon for recess.

  Since we've opened the box, we talked about using our renewable resources wisely and the value of reusable bottles. Kids have started talking to each other about their drinks at lunch, and several kids have started carrying their bottles with them instead of bringing Kool-Aids and such from home.

  Thanks so much for this spark of learning about nutrition and using our resources.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by FEED USA and 5 other donors.

• Flipping Out Over Books! C2i

  Funded Jun 21, 2011

  What a great day when my class got to open the box with our video cameras! The kids got so excited they wanted to put them right to use. We were on our way out to recess, but they couldn't wait! So, off we went with all of the pieces.

  Next thing I knew, kids had the cameras and were talking about books! One of them was telling his friend about this book he'd been reading about how cars are made and suggesting that his friend read it. A girl was taping her friend retelling the story I read to the class that morning!

  Without the support of organizations and individuals like you, my students' creative excitement wouldn't be sparked. Thank you so very much for offering my students these resources!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts

  This classroom project was brought to life by NEA Foundation.

• Will the Worms Eat It?

  Funded Apr 27, 2011

  Worms were everywhere in the science lab yesterday! Our class got the worm bin last week and immediately started working to figure out how to get started. I used the document camera to project images on the screen so that we could decide on the steps we needed to include to get this right! We studied reasons for composting and the needs of the worms to stay alive in our bin! Every night the kids are checking out the books from me so that they can read MORE at home!

  The kids couldn't wait for the worms to arrive, so I brought some from my home vermicomposting system. As they dug through the dirt, they figured out that there were eggshells and peach pits and all kinds of other food scraps in there. It was a great exploration.

  Now that our worms are here, we are gathering food scraps from our lunch trays and weighing it before feeding the worms. It has been awesome!

  Thanks so much for giving my students exposure to composting in such a fun, hands-on way!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Roberts