Past projects 16
Future Scientists and Mathematicians Need Your Help
Funded Oct 9, 2019Thank you so much for the STEM and Science materials. We have really been enjoying using the water testers, owl pellet dissection materials, and the STEM Brain Flakes in our classroom.
The boxes came at the perfect time for us to use the water testers in our design challenge. The students had created water filters to clean dirty water, but we still had the question as to how clean the water really was. The testers helped us to answer the question. We then were able to expand our investigation to the water in our fountains, tap water, and drinking water. It had some interesting results.
The owl pellet dissection was disgustingly cool! After our water unit, we started learning about life science, specifically food webs. Sorting through owl pellets using the tweezers, and comparing them to the provided posters, really helped the students to comprehend the material.
My students love to build with the STEM Brain Flakes. They have been a perfect addition to our STEM time. I love how they give the students a creative outlet. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School.We Want to Glow!
Funded May 6, 2019Thank you so much for the materials for GLOW Days. I really appreciate the black lights, glow sticks, banner, balloons, flashlights, and ink pens. Each item has helped to create an engaging environment in which to learn.
How have we used the items for GLOW Days? We received the materials in May of last year, so that class was able to use it for an entire review day the last week of school. We had an entire day of glow activities for every subject. We had our reading buddies also join us for part of the day as well. It was so much fun! This last week I also used the materials for an after school review of our place value unit. Everything white glows, so I used white butcher paper as the backdrop, and students used the writing utensils to practice specific skills.
We will also use the materials later on this year, full class, when we host a crime lab for solving inference mysteries. I can't wait to continue to use it over the years for future groups of students. The unordinary really does make learning extra fun. Thank you again for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.Learning About Our Country
Funded Oct 10, 2018I want to thank you for your willingness to help my classroom. We absolutely love our new rug and the class set of Blood on the River books. We read Blood on the River when we were transitioning from explorers to learning about the Jamestown colony during Social Studies, and it was a book that the students eagerly wanted to read daily. It brought our history to life.
When teaching reading and using novels, I aim to read a chapter or two a day. We sit together on the rug, and read through the chapter, stopping to discuss as we are always working on comprehension. After every chapter we do some type of activity - spiraling through the comprehension strategies, and record them in our notebooks. One day we compared and contrasted characters, another day we provided evidence for cause and effect, another we worked on sequence, problem and solution, etc. When we had gone through all the strategies, we start them again. The timelines in Blood on the River made it easy to tie into history and the story itself is so entertaining. It's definitely an adventure!
Our rug has also come in handy. More than reading and using it for centers, we have now started to memorize the states and capitals. The kids are daily referencing the rug to help them remember that key information. Thank you so much for all your help, we really appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School and one other donor.It's Time for Kids to Read
Funded Sep 5, 2017I really appreciate your generosity in providing this class set of Time for Kids for my students. The past months have flown by, and every week we look forward to the new edition and the articles inside. Most of the articles also have an online counterpart, which we look at when we head to the computer lab. It has been an amazing opportunity for my students to have this readily available, and for them to have access to interesting articles that are perfect for their reading level and interest.
My fifth graders have been learning how to Close Read a text, to look closely and interact with the text. We code our Time for Kids magazines each week, making marks on the outer margins as we look for the main ideas, forming connections to other subjects, circling critical vocabulary, and understanding when we have questions about what we read. Overall, these magazines have helped my students with nonfiction text strategies and structure. Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
This classroom project was brought to life by TIME and 4 other donors.Full of Wonder
Funded Jul 3, 2017Thank you so much for your generous donation of this class set of Wonder texts for my students. I love using novels in my classroom to teach about building character pillars, and Wonder has been an absolute favorite. The students were motivated to read every day, just to hear the next chapter, and it sparked great discussion about what we want to be known for as an individual, our classroom community, and our school.
There's a lot of different reading strategies and standards that we have been able to cover using the Wonder novels. We started out with the basics, predicting and asking questions, then moved into making inferences as the story progressed. We practiced our sequencing, and compared and contrasted the characters. The students made connections to their own lives, as well as worked on character traits. It's always so gratifying to tie in novels and teach during those moments.
More than anything, I have loved the classroom discussions that we have had. My students have shown empathy to others, and are starting to realize that we are all unique in our own ways. It's nice to watch them open their hearts and expand their thinking about how to treat others. That it's always best to choose kindness.
Thank you again for your own kindness.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 6 other donors.Building Minds, One Book at a Time
Funded Apr 14, 2017I am so thankful for your generosity with the purchase of a year's worth of Mentor Sentence texts. I've used Mentor Sentences for years in Fourth Grade, but since I moved to Fifth this year I needed new books, as not to repeat lessons. My class received the books at the end of last year, and it felt like Christmas had come into the classroom. My students were so excited about the preview of what we would use together in the coming year.
So far this school year we have read The Golden Rule and have worked on parts of speech, specifically simple sentences and proper nouns. The Name Jar helped us to identify complex sentences and proper nouns, and Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun was wonderful to work on possessives. Last week we read When Lightning Comes in a Jar and worked on vivid verbs. I love the author's message in these stories and can't wait to share the others with my students as well.
Thank you again for your dedication to education. I appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
Legos Needed for STEM Enrichment
Funded Jan 2, 2017Thank you so much for caring about my students and donating this set of Legos and base plates. They have come in handy over the last few months! It happened to be a rainy (aka. dreary) day when the big boxes were delivered. Since I didn't know the exact day the warehouse would deliver them, I had kept it a secret from my students. There was cheering when we opened up the boxes.
Over the past few months, we have used the Legos weekly. We were studying fractions when they were first delivered, so we used them to create fractions using colors. Then we used them for area and perimeter too. The Legos were a center that students rotated through during these math units. It has been marvelous!
Besides math, we have also used the blocks during the many rainy day recesses this winter. The students love to create with them during STEM too (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The blocks are a hit! I am so thankful for you and your willingness to help my class.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
Bouncing Into a Better Future
Funded Sep 2, 2016Thank you so much for funding my Bouncy Band project. Since they first arrived, I have noticed a difference in the level of focusing and attention, students are able to concentrate on their learning. My students really are moving and grooving throughout the day.
When the bands first arrived it was just like Christmas morning in the classroom. The box arrived during lunchtime, and I put a Bouncy Band on the top of every single student desk. When the students arrived back in the room, they started cheering, they were so excited. I saw some great teamwork happen, as students worked together to lower their desks to the ground, then they slid on the bands. My goal was for my students to take ownership and responsibility for the bands from the very first moment, and it was awesome to see.
I thank you again for caring about my 32 fourth graders, and wanting them to have every opportunity available to learn and grow. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
This classroom project was brought to life by Target and one other donor.It's Gross! It's Cool! It's Owl Pellet Time!
Funded Sep 16, 2015Thank you so much for the supplies to complete the Owl Pellet Dissection. I opened up the box as we were beginning the unit, and it peaked student interest. The posters were the perfect visuals for my fourth graders, they offered many details of the owl food web. The books, both nonfiction and fiction, allowed the students to compare multiple texts about owls.
The students were both excited and grossed out on the day that we completed the dissection. That day we sat outside, and it was wonderful having enough materials that students did not have to share (and wait) for each other. I can't thank you enough for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa
Reading Like a Pro with Scholastic News
Funded Jun 23, 2015Scholastic News has been a wonderful addition to my classroom. Thank you so much for believing in my students and providing this weekly magazine. The students are extremely excited every week when it comes in the mail. It's a gift that keeps on giving. We've learned more about the government, using Minecraft in schools, helping Honeybees, etc. It is a great resource that my students can connect with.
Scholastic News consists of nonfiction articles that are written at my students' reading levels. It covers our standards and include interesting articles that engage my students. We were working on main idea last week, and our Scholastic package included a Main Idea poster in addition to the magazines. Perfect timing! We were able to go through the articles and highlight the main ideas as extra practice. It is always engaging! I also appreciate the comprehension questions and the weekly debate. My students can get very heated with their stance on an issue. Thank you again for your assistance in providing this resource for my students. I appreciate you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Summa