Past projects 2
Real World Math Projects
Funded Oct 7, 2022Thank you so much for supporting my ambitious ideas! I'll admit, it was a daunting task to have 75 students make play dough in my classroom throughout the day. I imagined a chaotic scene of flour and food coloring strewn about the room, BUT, all was well and went far beyond my expectations!
My students were SO happy and it was truly so heartwarming to witness their excitement at such a hands-on, real world project! Before physically making the play dough, they worked in groups pretending to be business owners. They had to make various decisions together about pricing, packaging, advertisements and the recipe. This allowed them review all of the 5th grade math skills we've covered so far this year. Engagement in tasks like these are usually quite low, but I saw so many motivated learners because of this relevant topic!
The next day, their eyes lit up with excitement when they discovered we would actually be "manufacturing" their product! Each group rotated through the stations to gather their ingredients. They used real measuring cups, which was a first for many. As the play dough started to form, the excitement grew and I lost count of how many smiles I saw that day. Several students approached me to say that this was the best math class of the year or the best math project they've ever done! I got emotional because math is often one of the "least favorite" subjects. My students don't always see themselves as mathematicians or understand how math is relevant in their lives. With your help, I was able to provide them a memorable, relevant, and engaging experience that allowed my students to see math really can be fun and important. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this gift.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Crossman
Mindfulness for Mastery
Funded Oct 21, 2021First and foremost, thank you so much for you generosity to my classroom. With your help, I was able to provide my students invaluable resources that not only enhance their learning, but also give them tools to become their best selves.
My students were so excited when they saw the bouncy bands for their desks. They immediately wanted to help put them on and worked as a team to get the bands on their friends' desks. This tool is extremely helpful for students who need to get their extra wiggles out while they work. It allows my students to fidget in a way that is not interrupting their learning or distracting them. Since putting the bands on the desks, I have had several students approach me to tell me how helpful this tool is for them. Its so amazing to see them utilizing this tool and recognizing that it is beneficial to their learning experience.
My classes were also inspired by the book and workbooks included in the donation. I first dedicated a day to teaching students all about their "Fantastic Elastic Brains." They were riveted and excited to learn about the amazing things that their brains could do, specifically that our brains grow the most in our first 10 years. We also were fascinated to learn about how our brains respond to and overcome fear. Since then, I have been utilizing the workbooks to provide my students opportunities to practice mindfulness and growth mindset. This work is so important and often gets overlooked in classrooms.
I'm so thrilled to have these resources to use with my students. I will continue to use the workbooks throughout the year to open up discussions, and provoke some self-reflection amongst my students. These skills are invaluable and are truly helping my students grow into amazing people. Thank you again for your donation and for choosing to support my students in their fabulous 5th grade year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Crossman