Past projects 11
Transform the Lab for Pre-K!
Funded Nov 8, 2016The transformation is a success! As you can see in the photos, my room is usually filled with lab tables and stools, but not for Pre-K! The Pre-K version of my room, with the help of your generous donations, has a full foam floor, student sized tables, and lots of age appropriate materials and activities. The students love it:)
The transformation is a group effort! Fifth grade students move all the tables and stools and lay down the flooring. I prepare stations using the mini-tables and other materials. At the end of class, a small team of eighth grade students disassemble the floor and return the tables and stools and other materials back to their original locations...all in about 5 minutes! It is impressive and extremely helpful!
Your generosity has helped create a safe, educational, and exciting environment for Pre-K students to learn science! Thank you! Thank You! You rock!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Sexual Health Book Support!
Funded Mar 30, 2016Dear Amazing Donors,
Thank you so much for your generous donations to my grant, Sexual Health Book Support! This was the first year that our school has taught sexual health to Kindergarten through 8th grade students. It was a wonderful, challenging and rewarding experience! Your support made the unit much easier and more successful! Thank you!
The grant, with your assistance, allowed me to purchase books for a variety of grade levels. Students in the younger grades were read aloud, 'My Body Belongs to Me' and 'I Said No!' They were excited to make red and green flags (see picture) and respond to the reading by waving flags, role playing, and sharing stories. Students in 3rd grade were inspired by portions of the book, 'It's Not the Stork', and made posters about gender equality, "Gender doesn't limit us!" (see pictures). Students in grades 6th and up read excerpts from, 'Where did I come from?', 'What's Happening to Me?', 'It's Perfectly Normal' (see picture) and 'It's so Amazing!' There were plenty of giggles, but they were eager to read independently, share with their friends, and learn more about their changing bodies.
During classes for grades 5th through 8th, students were able to write their own questions or comments (anonymously) and place them in a question box for me to answer. My favorite question was from a fourth grade boy, who, after I explained that they were entering puberty and they might start liking girls, asked, "Do they like us?" So sweet! My favorite comment (see picture) was from one of the upper grade girls who wrote, "Thanks for teaching me this stuff. I feel ready to take on the world!"
Thank you for helping my students "feel ready to take on the world!" This topic is so important for healthy lives and relationships. We want to arm our students with scientific knowledge that lead them to make healthy choices now and in the future.
Thank you for investing in their futures!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Let the Games Begin! Healthy Games for All!
Funded Sep 11, 2015Thank you all for your support! Let The Games Begin has been (and continues to be) a success! My students love the games! There was quite a buzz in each class when they saw the games, and applause when they realized it was a health game day. All grade levels (K-8) have had an opportunity to learn about health issues with their peers through the variety of games you helped purchase!
The games are a hit! I have been told by numerous students that Healthopoly is more fun than regular Monopoly! Lunch Box is another favorite game. In Lunch Box students move around the board answering health questions and popping out of their seats to do exercises! They love it! Another favorite game is SomeBody. In this game, students "stick" organs onto a human body outline. This is a great activity for all grade levels to learn human body parts and their location! It was great to overhear a first grade student helping another, "The liver goes here under the heart and lungs" or "That's the gall bladder." The games have definitely made health class fun and educational!
Thank you again for supporting my grant, Let the Games Begin! Healthy Games for All! Your donation has made a positive impact on my students. I greatly appreciate your generosity and your willingness to support science education. Thank you all!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Minds on Coal: Digging into Rocks!
Funded Jan 9, 2013Thank you very much for supporting my grant, Minds on Coal: Digging into Rocks! With the funds you all so generously gave, I was able to purchase an abundance of large and small pieces of anthracite and bituminous coal for students to hold and investigate. The coal was used in numerous ways!
The coal was used to add authenticity to our coal mine. The classroom was transformed from the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era, to a current day (Cenozoic Era) coal mine. Our "coal seam" was almost 8 feet high, with loose pieces of real coal spread all throughout the room. Students were able to "mine" real coal with their picks while wearing safety helmets. Students learned how coal was mined, the equipment needed and the safety procedures that must be followed. A coal train outside the room carried our mined coal away to be used to create electricity, or manufacturing steel, or a variety of other applications.
The bituminous and anthracite coal, evidence of our long ago Carboniferous Period, was investigated! Students used magnifying glasses and microscopes to examine the coal and the inclusions found therein. Upper grade students calculated the densities of the different types of coal and compared them to each other and other types of rocks. Students compared luster, hardness, and other characteristics in order to identify anthracite, bituminous and lignite coal. Students were surrounded by coal!
The coal, small and large, engaged students interest and imaginations. Students learned about how each type of coal formed and created a book to show it. Students held rocks that formed 320 million years old! They were once plants! Students crushed coal in a "pulverizer" while acting out the workings of a coal powered electrical plant. Students asked numerous questions, found family connections, and thought a lot about coal!
This was a very fun, engaging and educational, Earth science unit. Thank you for your support and inspiration!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Minds on Coal: Digging into Books!
Funded Jan 16, 2013Thank you very much for supporting my grant, Minds on Coal: Digging into Books! With your funds, I was able to purchase a "load" of informative and engaging books on or related to coal. Students used these books to "mine" information!
The books supported all facets of our unit. During this unit, Students traveled back in time to the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era to study the formation of coal, and then into our own drift coal mine to learn about how coal is mined and used. Students also "became" the parts of a coal powered electrical plant to learn how coal helps heat our homes (and the environmental impact this can have). The books added information, answered student's questions, and reinforced their learning.
The books added details and stories that helped engage students. Students were very intrigued with the stories from the book, Growing up in Coal Country, by Susan Bartoletti. They were surprised to learn that children in the past worked a variety of jobs in the mines. In the book, Calico Dorsey: Mail Dog of the Mining Camps, they learned that even dogs worked the mines (gold mines)! In the book Click! Energy: Taking Care of Your Planet, students were stunned to learn that although coal and other fossil fuels are important energy sources, they also have detrimental effects on the environment. The books helped increase my students' understanding and interest in all aspects of coal (formation, mining, energy, use, transportation, environmental impact, electricity, etc.)!
Thank you for all the books you supplied my classroom. They allowed us to read about coal from a variety of different angles. Many of the books were borrowed by eager readers who needed more time with them! The books and your support deepened the impact of this unit! Thank you!!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Fifth Grade iPads!
Funded Apr 6, 2011Thank you again for your very generous contribution of the iPad to our fifth grade classrooms. The students are thrilled to have it and cannot keep their hands off of it. The iPad has opened the doors for many unique learning opportunities. We have touched on a few of the applications we have already put to use below. For our auditory learners, the iPad offers a variety of applications that literally speak to the students. This has been particularly effective with students who have difficulty with phonetics. A hearing accurate sound to match visuals makes for stronger fluency and accuracy in reading. This is also an invaluable tool for students who are English language learners. The combination of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic makes learning concrete and accessible. It also allows students to participate in tasks without having to read directions, but rather hear them. The iPad is the ideal tool for our kinesthetic and visual learners. Students are able to interact with and manipulate the screen in order to perform a task. Many applications have students drag letters or pictures to a designated box or folder. Others have students identify pictures or words by tapping on them. One application simulates a dry erase board. Some students, for whom handwriting is difficult, have taken spelling tests on this application. It eliminates the difficulty of pencil to paper and allows the students to focus on the assessment. This interaction keeps learners engaged and in control of the activity. Seeing as this is the second generation of the iPad, it has a camera. This can be used in a variety of ways. We can use this to prerecord our directions, model expectations and examples, and record student work. This allows us to be accessible to more students at a given time. Having students watch recordings of themselves working or reading is an excellent way to provide immediate and specific feedback. Having access to this video camera promotes independent learning and self-reflection. The camera will also allow face to face interaction between the students and others with access to a web cam. This can be useful for student conducted interviews. Seeing as it is late in the school year, we will utilize our summer to acquire new applications for next school year. There are a variety of science applications that pertain directly to the fifth grade science units. Your children (current fifth graders) will have at least one class in the fifth grade classrooms next year. That said, they will continue to have access to the iPad for an additional year. There are a number of astronomy applications to supplement the fifth grade astronomy unit. There are also several geography applications that will be applicable to the sixth grade social studies content.
We are immensely grateful for this gift of technology, engagement, and opportunity to provide the students with a variety of outlets to express and enhance their abilities. Part of our ambition for our students is to equip them with the tools to be twenty-first century learners. The iPad will assist in preparing them for today's technological world. The iStore will update their applications to fit fast paced changes. Your gift will continue to update and be new and relevant for your children. Thank you again for such a wonderful gift. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Fossil Hunters: Traveling to the Past
Funded Oct 10, 2010Thank you for funding the grant, Fossil Hunters: Traveling into the past. With the assistance of the many resources your funds provided, my students, in grades first through eighth, were able to travel back in geologic time and explore the different eras! Your contribution helped students connect with geology. Thank you!
The materials purchased were used to create a variety of hands-on experiences that educated and engaged many students. After reading about and exploring the importance and formation of fossils, students made their own fossils using our new grant supplies. In the photos you can see students making impression fossils and sharing them proudly. After learning about archeology and geologic time, students went on an archeological dig and carefully uncovered fossils from the Mesozoic and Paleozoic Eras. In the photos you can see my captivated Jr. Archeologists. The new posters and fossils helped students construct geologic timelines of the Earth. The photos show students engaged in constructing and classifying animals for their timelines. The materials you provided helped support these activities and more.
Thank you for encouraging future scientist, possibly archeologists, with your contribution to this grant. Your generous donation helped develop and deepen my students' understanding of, and interest in, the Earth's history and the geologic timeline. As one student wrote in their thank you note, "You helped make science lab more special." I greatly appreciate your support of this grant and of the science lab! Thank you very much.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
Frog Fact Lily Pads
Funded Apr 22, 2010Thank you so much for your generous funding of my environmental science grant, Frog Fact Lily Pads. My students are very "hoppy" with all the new books (me too!)!
Your donation has provided my students with a wealth of information to deepen their understanding and appreciation of frogs and their role in the ecosystem. The new books immediately found their way into the hands of my students. My students continually called me to their tables to show me an incredible frog or to share a new found fact. I overheard many enthusiastic frog conversations and many "Wow, cool" and "I didn't know that!" statements. The student created lily pads of frog facts (using our new books) are now filling my table tops and bulletin boards, educating us all! Our room is definitely immersed in the fantastic world of frogs!
Your donation will be enjoyed by students in kindergarten through eighth grade, this year and for many more years to follow. Frogs are an important and captivating subject to study; as a bio-indicators, living all over the globe, frogs can teach us a lot about our interconnected world. Thank you for supporting environmental science in my lab! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
This classroom project was brought to life by Pershing Square and 3 other donors.Dirty Decomposers
Funded Apr 22, 2010Thank you for funding my grant, Dirty Decomposers, for Earth day. It has definitely increased my students' enthusiasm for digging in the dirt!
Your contribution has already had a positive impact on the class! We quickly set up our indoor compost bin and have been "feeding" it scraps from our lunches. Students are amazed that the compost bin barely has an odor! We have used our 'compost tea' to water our plants, which has inspired a few future science fair project ideas. Students have traveled outside to collect soil samples (with our new and very cool soil samplers) for investigation and comparison. They were excited to find clay beneath our playing field! We placed our soil samples in our Berlese apparatus in order to collect the decomposers, micro and macro, that escaped our view. They were amazed by their discoveries!
The materials you generously donated will allow my students to gain a deeper understanding of our environment, focusing on the often neglected decomposers and the vital role they play in our ecosystem. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to science. Thank you for a wonderful earth day present!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)
This classroom project was brought to life by Pershing Square and one other donor.Science Rocks: Examining Rock Types
Funded Dec 20, 2009Thank you so much for your generous support of my DonorsChoose grant, Science Rocks! Examining Rock Types, to support geology instruction in my K-8 science lab. It means a lot to me and my students!
Your contribution has had an immediate impact! The first thing I did, after unpacking all the great rocks, was to make a display of the large rocks organized by rock types (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic). Then students were given the small rock samples to examine and compare, and were able to use the rock display to identify them! I have many students who challenged themselves learn the names of all the rocks in two session! They are very proud and excited.
The rocks are a big hit! My students love being surrounded by rocks! I have overheard some great comments, "This rock came from a volcano?!" "I love this rock!" "I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of rocks." and, often, "Where did you get all these rocks?" These resources are helping my students improve their science skills (observation, experimentation, reasoning...) and have inspired a new energy and sense of purpose in class.
Your donation has touched my students deeply. The idea that 'strangers' cared enough about their education to donate such great materials to our classroom has surprised and inspired them. You have provided them with a lot more than rocks!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your support! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gordy (Anderson)