Past projects 5
A Chemical Christmas!
Funded Dec 30, 2013My students just completed the Silver lab, yesterday. It was amazing. All of my chemistry students performed the lab. They used every drop of silver nitrate and most of the students took their test tubes home. Nearly every student said it was the best lab he or she had done all year; our classes have had 19 other labs. This is high praise. The photos really can't capture the excitement or enthusiasm. Lizzy, one of the students, said, "Mine was perfect and I dropped it on the floor!" She was so upset she couldn't show her family the silvered test-tube. I told them that most of the donors are complete strangers, which really made an impression on them. The next lesson will focus on the underlying science of mirrors, part of the idea behind silvering the test tubes. The chemistry is redox, or oxidation-reduction, typically a lesson that is not well covered in General Chemistry, but a significant topic in Inorganic Chemistry in college. Ryan and Alexis captured the class mood:
"Thank you for the donations The lab was very fun and interesting! It's very cool to see people donating to those they haven't even met. I think everyone did the lab and didn't slack off, which is very good. It was a great opportunity to try this." --Ryan
"Dear Donor, Thank you for the materials that allowed me to do this awesome lab! It was really cool and I got to keep my shiny test tube? It was really fun and I am very appreciative that you would donate to M. High! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Love, From an Aspiring Student, Alexis."
My students are both college-bound and conceptual, many of whom have learning differences. All of my students benefited from this exciting lab experience. No words can adequately convey my thanks for your generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Stevens
Make History Come Alive!
Funded Dec 31, 2012Our School, M., is not wealthy; however, M. has tremendous school spirit. Because our students have little, they seem to appreciate things more, especially, when someone who is a complete stranger makes a donation. These books will enhance the history classes. For me, the study of the Holocaust or the Dust bowl is fascinating. Part of the reason is that I enjoy reading and have the necessary background to understand where these topics fit in context. Students do not have this background; they are not reading for pleasure. It takes a dedicated teacher and considerable effort to engage the students. Typically, one must require that the students read in class. But, once the student gets into the book, reads about true events, then he or she can begin to appreciate the subject. Your donation brought these engaging books into our classrooms. It is always exciting to see a student who is completely immersed in a book. My goal is to help students get excited about historyâto the extent they cannot put a book down. In fact, my dream is for these students to go to the library and ask if there are any other books in the same historyssible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Stevens
Inquiry Based Chemistry
Funded Dec 19, 2012The first inquiry based lab my classes did was the Flame Test labs using the materials from this grant. The photos of my classes reflect the joy they experienced with the lab. The students did two different labs with these materials: one in which they determined the wavelength of the different colored salts and an inquiry-based lab from the Journal of Chemical Education series (#67) . In the Inquiry-based lab the students went further to determine which ion causes the color, the cation or the anion. The students especially appreciated the new loops and spectroscopes. They had a blast calibrating them with the fluorescent lamps in the ceilings. The best part is that this is just the beginning! The materials you funded will enable my students to engage is a series of meaningful lab experiences that will enrich my entire chemistry class. When our class studies acids and based, they will have cabbage powder to test a variety of household chemicals to determine which common substance is an acid or a base. We will have the materials to test the rate of chemical reactions or to make lava lamps. The chemistry classes thank you for your generosity. Our chemistry curriculum is better thanks to you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Stevens
Apple-ka-dabra
Funded Jan 1, 2012We just did our dry run testing all of the equipment, making sure we know who is doing which experiment, and how to do all of the fun science activities. The Special Education class came up during my planning period and worked with some of the Chemistry volunteers. My friend brought in her young daughters as guinea pigs. My friend's children have worked with the Special Ed class before and know how to make everyone feel comfortable. The kids all worked together to practice. On May 3rd, 14 Special Ed kids, 24 High Schoolers, and three teachers will travel to the nearby elementary school to do these same experiments with over 70 kindergarten students. We'll send more photos. The thank you cards are from the children and the Special Ed class. No words can adequately convey my gratitude for your generous donation. Your support means all of the little ones will have safety goggles, cups, glue, cabbage extract, and supplies to carry out the experiments. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Stevens
Apple-ka-dabra
Funded Nov 22, 2010Our students did an outreach to the kindergarten last Friday. Students from the WET club at our school practiced the experiments, prepped all of the solutions and traveled together on the bus. I set up the experiments the night before so that the students could hit the ground running. The kids had spent time two weeks prior preparing; a home-school family came in the week before as guinea pigs. Last Friday, Mr. K's and Ms. Debby's kids (who have special needs), my WET club (students from my Chemistry classes), two volunteers,and the home-school family spent the morning doing over a dozen fun science experiments together with the kindergarteners. It was fantastic! The group set up in the multi-purpose room; as the children entered, they received a t-shirt as an art smock, donated from another teacher at our school. The little ones loved all of the experiments: goofy glow, flubber, etc. The WET club sponsor, GSCNC, funded the bus trip and our local state representative helped purchase vinegar, baking soda, vortex tubes,etc. Ms. Debby supplied bottles. Additionally, our groups left instructions with the kindergarten teachers regarding all of the experiments. All morning the children were beaming about how much they loved science. This program is terrific for all of the students. The little ones learn to love science; the students with special needs get an opportunity to teach. Most of all the Chemistry students perform authentic community service. After the program, our group stopped to eat together at Burger King. All of us are deeply grateful for your help to allow us to celebrate Apple-ka-dabra together.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Stevens