Past projects 4
Special Ed Science Kids will Save the Butterflies!
Funded Apr 12, 2023Planning and planting a butterfly garden was an amazing experience for my students. Their concern about the decreasing population of butterflies is what triggered the idea for this project and their feelings of investment and purpose were evident throughout the entire project.
As the materials arrived, the students became more and more excited about their plans. From a teacher's perspective, this project became a comprehensive discussion. We discussed the timing of planting seeds (it was early spring) and germination times. We also discussed when to order the butterfly larvae and researched the timeline of the metamorphosis of butterflies as well as the ideal temperature to release them outside.
We planted some seeds (milkweed that grows quickly) and decided to plant seeds as well as plants. In the meantime, our butterflies arrived and became a daily discussion about how the caterpillars were growing, what the chrysalis' looked like, and finally, the butterflies enjoying their classroom habitat.
I teach a mix of students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade and some of the 8th graders who went to high school returned in the summer to check on the garden! The students who returned to middle school still talk about that spring-long experience and have sparked interest in our new 6th graders into doing more projects, especially ones that will have an effect on things we love, like flowers and butterflies.
Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Martino
We Are Going to Mars!
Funded Oct 26, 2022Our trip to Mars was a huge success thanks to your support and generosity. My classes embarked on this mission for four weeks, studying the myths and mysteries about life on Mars. By comparing Earth's perfect conditions to sustain life - oxygen, water source, power sources, and balance of temperature - the students worked in groups to take everything they learned to build colonies on Mars where they could survive. Their designs required them to consider oxygen sources, food sources, water sources, power, living spaces, and recreation/exercise spaces. My students were so excited about this design challenge that they talked about it in other classes. Many teachers stopped to tell me that all my students were talking about was their trip to Mars!
When I laid out all of the materials that my students could use to build their colonies, they were thrilled!! They were excited to have so many different papers and materials to use, and their finished projects were amazing examples of their imaginations, creativity, and knowledge about Mars. Their feelings of success were contagious, and they shared their pride by inviting the principal and other teachers into the class to see their colonies and explain how they would survive on Mars.
Thank you for the abundance of supplies! We will be using them during our next adventure - we are traveling through our digestive system and will be building models to learn and explain our amazing human body. Several students said, "I'll miss you, Mars," when we took down the bulletin boards, but they are excited about the next unit. Your contribution will continue to help me develop hands-on, multi-sensory units that benefit every one of my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Martino
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and one other donor.Special Ed Science and Brain Exploration - They Will LOVE It!
Funded Aug 7, 2021What a great experience! We started our school year learning about the brain and specifically the roles of the Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex, and Hippocampus. We learned how those parts are involved in their emotional decisions and reactions. As they developed more self-awareness about their brains, my students were eager to see these parts in their specimens. We built plaster-of-paris brain models, clay brain models, and looked at many videos and illustrations but nothing compared to being able to study a real brain.
When the boxes arrived, we opened them to study the contents - the booklets with labeled pictures, the tools they would use, and then the brains. Their excitement spread across our team and through the school. Many teachers asked me if we really were going to be dissecting brains and I received emails from parents saying how excited their children were about this experience.
The day arrived and all the lessons about lab safety and respect for the specimens was evident - every student did not hesitate to put on their aprons and goggles and gloves. Their letters show that they knew the importance of safety. Every student took this opportunity seriously and their carefulness and interest in seeing different parts of the brain and then recognizing and naming them showed how much they loved this experience. Students were eager to show the teachers and support staff what they identified and excited that they remembered the names of the different parts of the brain. When other teachers would say, "I can't believe you can do this with your kids," I say, "They can do anything!" and your support helped us demonstrate that! Thank you again for your generous donation to my class. An experience none of us will forget!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Martino
Special Ed Students Can be Scientists, Too!
Funded Dec 12, 2020What an impact your gift has had on my students! First of all, they were thrilled when I told them that we were fortunate to have received such generous donations! I delivered the Young Scientist Chemistry Lab boxes to the students at home. Then all students – home and in school - got to explore the contents together and show each other over Zoom the goggles, beakers, chemicals, gloves.... All of the lab tools that make science exciting. We have made bouncy balls from polymers, foaming mixtures, and bubbles that don't burst.
What made these projects even better is that the step-by-step instruction cards for each experiment used bright visuals. Many of my students struggle to read and would normally have to depend on the adults to help them do these types of experiments. But in this case, the students could work independently, and this made the experiences even more fulfilling for them. I saw a change in the engagement of the students learning from home. They have been able to do these experiments at the same time as the students in the classroom and can do them with little parent or adult help! One parent told me her son showed her the bouncy ball he made and said, "I'm a scientist." She told me it "warmed her heart" that he was so proud of himself. The day we made the bouncy balls, one student who is mostly non-verbal marched up to the principal, showed her the ball, and said, "Bounce!!" The principal was moved by the surprising conversation, and also impressed at the project this student did by herself.
In so many ways, your donation has given a boost to these students who learn so much more about science by using hands-on materials. The students in school have expressed how they are happy the students at home can do the same projects. The students at home are thrilled to be actively participating. Thank you so much for your generous donation to my students and classroom. I am positive these kids will never forget these experiences!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Martino