Past projects 13
Headphones for All
Funded Sep 22, 2024Thank you so much for your generous support of my project. The headphones are colorful and the students enjoy choosing their favorite colors! My second, third, fourth, and fifth grade students have all enjoyed being able to work on our keyboards independently thanks to having enough headphones for everybody.
Before Christmas break the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students learned how to play the melody of Jingle Bells, and the 2nd grade students learned how to play Peas Porridge Hot (a song they previously learned to sing and play on xylophones). They had a great time learning, and they got so excited when they could actually recognize the song they were learning to play.
Thanks again for your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and 2 other donors.Recorder Refresh
Funded Jan 20, 2024Thank you so much for supporting my students by providing binders and paper to help make it easier for them to learn to play their recorders! Now it is easier for them to see and they always know what level we are working on because the level songs are printed on the color of the level.
They are easily able to work ahead or go back to a level they struggled with, providing students with the opportunity to learn more independently. The plastic sleeves allow me to use a dry erase marker to help students who are still learning which fingers to use to make to make the notes.The bright colors are fun, and the binders actually work like a music stand with the addition of a couple of paper clips - a bonus I didn't anticipate!
Another bonus I figured out is that I can flip the binder and put ukulele songs in the back half (summer project!). Next year the binders will do double duty providing both recorder music and ukulele music for students. So thank you again for making this possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
Fun With Strummin'
Funded Dec 29, 2022Thank you so much for donating to my project and providing my students with 2 new, beautiful Luna guitars! I had to switch one of the guitars due to a backorder on the particular finish, so I ordered one with a sparkly turquoise finish.
The students really liked the look of the guitar, and one of my 5th graders even asked if she could buy it from me because turquoise is her favorite color! I told her I could not sell it to her, but I did give her the name of the company and the product number of the guitar to share with her parents.
It is quite the hit when we play guitar, and the students always see who can claim "the cool guitar" first. I remind them that all our guitars sound good now, and make sure everyone gets to take a turn on Mr. Sparkle.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
Strumming for Everyone
Funded Aug 26, 2022My students were so excited to get the beautiful new Luna "peace" guitars! They were put to use immediately as my fifth and sixth grade students had decided to make Silent Night one of their songs in our Winter Program. It was so exciting to see so many of them move from the "easy" versions of the C and G major chords to being able to play the full chords! The students also sang in both English and German, and learned about how the song came about.
When it got close to the performance the students were asked to self asses both their skills (Am I a better singer or guitarist? Do I have the German lyrics memorized?) and their comfort / confidence level with the song (Can I play, sing, and still listen to make sure I am strumming on the beat, using the right pattern, and my voice is blending well? Do I get nervous in front of an audience?) Each student made their own decision about whether they would just play guitar, just sing, or play and sing both. Their performance was beautiful, but what excited me the most was their growth as musicians in setting goals, pushing themselves hard to reach those goals, and having the maturity and self awareness to know their strengths and weaknesses and how they could best contribute to the performance.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by Spotify and 5 other donors.Here a Guitar, There a Guitar, Ev'rybody's Got a Guitar!
Funded Dec 21, 2021Our 2 new guitars are lovely to look at and sound wonderful! The students were very excited to see them, and are anxious to begin using them after spring break. My 6th grade students finished their lesson about 10 minutes early today and asked if they could play guitar for a few minutes instead of just having a little free time - that makes a music teacher's heart happy! And they even passed the new guitars around so everyone who wanted had a chance to look at them and play them a little.
After spring break we will begin another unit on guitar and drums. We are going to work on strumming patterns this time, and take turns trying out a drum set. Wish us luck!
Thanks again for helping us purchase these 2 new guitars. With the size of our classes expected to increase next year, they should make it possible for me to keep a 1:1 ratio of guitars and students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.Tuners, Picks, and Ukuleles, Oh My!
Funded May 3, 2021Thank you for supplying my students with ukulele picks, tuners, and 5 additional ukuleles. There are now enough ukuleles that each student has one to use during music class. This helps students progress much more quickly! My younger students also really like the ukulele picks. They can strum more effectively, and it gets them ready to hold a guitar pick when they are older.
The tuners have also helped a lot! My older students are learning how to use them, and tuning their own guitar helps to develop their ear. They like having a visual affirmation with the tuner for when it is "just right".”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by Ford Drive 4 UR School and 2 other donors.Laminate for Success
Funded May 3, 2021Thank you so much for funding our new laminator! Teachers have used it to make math flash cards for students, practice sheets for the first (or second, etc.) hundred words to send home with our younger students, and wipe off boards to use with dry erase markers for many different subjects!
I have used it to make composition tiles for my students to help make composing a rhythm a little easier - they love using them! Composing this way is a great bridge between composing as a whole class and having to compose something individually. These tiles can be used as starters for individuals, but can also be used to compose with a partner or in small group. This is more fun for the students, and also teaches them how to work together. Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by Ford Drive 4 UR School and 2 other donors.Hangin' Out in the Music Room
Funded May 3, 2021Our guitars and ukuleles look amazing hanging on the back wall of our music classroom! They are so easy for the students to pick up and put away, and students don't have to bother with the soft cases and zippers anymore!
We hung our ukuleles in a row along the lower part of the wall so they would be easy for my younger students to reach. The guitars were hung in 2 rows higher up because I only use those with third graders and up. A few of my smaller third grade students need help accessing the guitars, but there is always another student willing to lend a hand.
Thank you so much for supporting my students in this beautiful way!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by Ford Drive 4 UR School and 2 other donors.Look Ma - Two Hands!
Funded May 13, 2019We used our new ukuleles for the first time today! I didn't tell them about this Donor's Choose project, so when I told the students we were going to use the ukuleles today, my students who were here last year started looking for a partner to share with. They were so surprised when I kept getting more and more instruments out! They were beyond excited! My first and second grade classes learned the C major chord (just one finger on one string - easy-peasy!), and tried a couple of strumming patterns. We then accompanied ourselves on a song we will perform for our Grandparent's Appreciation program in the middle of September. Its great to have a ukulele for each student now - no more having to wait! It really helps us to learn to sing while we are playing.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.I Want to Strum, too!
Funded May 9, 2018We received our ukuleles just about one week into the school year. I opened them up right before my preschool class and played them out on a table in the front of the music room. When the preschoolers came into the room, their eyes lit up, and they wanted to know if they were going to get to play the "baby guitars". After talking about the fact that these were ukuleles (not guitars, and NOT TOYS), they got to hold the ukuleles and strum to a one chord song about a bumble bee. They had such a good time that I scrapped my lesson plans for the afternoon and used the ukuleles in all my classes!
My younger students are still working on getting comfortable holding the instruments and using their thumbs to strum. Its amazing how many songs can become a one chord song. Next month they are going to make up a song about fall, and sing it while accompanying themselves on the ukulele (with their one chord). My younger children are very outgoing and verbal, and I can't wait to see what they come up with!
My first and second grade students have a program coming up at the end of September, and we are going to sing Peace Like a River and accompany ourselves. I will let everybody play in the classroom while we practice, but pick students who can change chords to play in the program. Since many parents and grandparents will be there, I will let the children who didn't get to play in the program come up afterward and show their families their ukulele playing skills. My older students are also intro with the ukuleles. Some of them have smaller hands, and the ukuleles will be an option if the 3/4 guitars I have feel uncomfortable.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Knoop
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 8 other donors.