Mrs. Bensfield's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 5

• Weave Together All Our Students

  Funded Dec 31, 2015

  Our students were SO excited to see the looms! Most of them had never seen a loom outside of a book or museum, and they were thrilled to get to assemble one themselves. The assembly led to great conversations about where fabric came from before industrialization, and the students gained tremendous respect for how much work is involved in weaving fabrics.

  Currently the Crochet Club is working on assembly and set-up of the looms. Other students have seen them and expressed a desire to get involved. We are installing the warp, which includes deciding which colors will be the constant throughout the designs. The students have decided on a simple stripe, which will accent other colors their classmates choose for the woven threads.

  We plan on having the looms displayed in a central location (currently a display case) when students are not weaving on them. This way the whole school can see the progress, even if their class is not involved yet.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Bensfield

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 6 other donors.

• STEM Projects Need STEM Materials

  Funded Feb 5, 2015

  My students were thrilled to use the Magna-Tiles! We were discovering methods for finding the area of triangles and trapezoids, and the tiles were the perfect tool. The students were able to build the shapes easily, and also easily take them apart and rearrange the components. Their experience really made the formulas come alive for them.

  There aren't very many "toys" in middle school, so the students really enjoyed the activities with the Magna-Tiles. Too often math is seen as boring repetition, and these tools helped the students to experience how mathematicians discovered formulas for area. They quickly made other shapes with the tiles, and started discovering what the formulas might be on their own.

  I love that the tiles are so durable and easy to work with. The tiles come in sizes that are easy to relate to each other, so the students could see that two triangles make a parallelogram and two trapezoids do too. They were very engaged during the class, and have asked to use them for other area and volume lessons too. I know they will be an important tool in my classroom for years to come.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Bensfield

• Play Your Way to Improved Spatial Relations

  Funded Dec 4, 2013

  Students were waiting in line to play with the Perplexus puzzles on the very first day I had them! After the first class, every other class came in talking about the puzzles and asking to use them because they had heard about them from their friends. I ordered different puzzles, each of which has different levels, so the students' interest has been maintained. It is a wonderful resource for those few moments before class ends, and also a great motivator for students to finish their homework so they earn the right to play with them.

  There are few resources available for classrooms that improve spatial relations, and the greatest advantage of the puzzles is that students want to play with them! Some comments have been made that boys are more interested in these puzzles than girls, but I have seen a high level of interest from all my students.

  Thank you SO much for making these learning tools available in my classroom. The puzzles are very durable, and I know they will be used and appreciated for many years to come. I brought in a set of drawers that the balls fit in perfectly so they have a safe place to be stored.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Bensfield

• Roll to Attention in Math Class

  Funded Oct 21, 2012

  Thank you so much for your donations to fund exercise balls to be used as chairs in our classroom. The exercise balls arrived this week, and as soon as they were inflated students were clamoring to use them. I set up three groups that rotate so all of the students would have an opportunity to sit on the exercise balls once every three days.

  I have explained to the students how the exercise balls were funded, and they are so appreciative. It really touched the students to realize that people who do not know them reached out to make their classroom experience so much better. My classroom is now a much more active place, with students quietly bouncing on their seats as they work through complex Algebra problems. Thank you, thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Bensfield

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 10 other donors.

• Crochet a Coral Reef

  Funded Mar 2, 2011

  Our coral reef is certainly growing thanks to your generosity. We had over 30 students spend some time working on the reef this school year, and even some family members who contributed components. One of our club members said "I'm so glad I got to join this club as a 6th grader. I will be able to work on the crocheted coral reef for all three years of middle school!"

  Your donations purchased yarn and crochet hooks that will be used by all the members of our club. The crochet hooks are a variety of sizes, so students can select the size they need for the element of the reef they choose to create. Our school did not provide any materials for the club, and we are so grateful for your financial support and words of encouragement.

  As far as we know, our crochet coral reef is the only one at a school in our state. Our students have learned how to crochet, as well as what different parts of a coral reef look like. We were all so surprised at the diversity found in a coral reef, and look forward to adding on to our reef for years to come. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Bensfield