Past projects 4
Stay informed with Scholastic News!
Funded Mar 30, 2023Your donation to an yearly subscription of Scholastic News has not only encouraged my 4th grade students to read more, but it's also teaching them that current events is interesting and thought-provoking! (Which, actually, is something I personally didn't realize until much much later in my education. So it's amazing that my fourth graders are making this connection now at 9 and 10 years old!) They love how the articles are tailored not just to their interests but to their needs as readers as well.
My students get so excited about each new issue, and they love to watch the fantastically curated videos on the Scholastic website that accompany the cover story.
Throughout the week, we read the articles several times while working on different reading skills using the pre-made worksheets. (These worksheets are a time and life-saver for teachers!) For example, one day we'll focus on how to write a short response using the Close Reading Questions worksheet. Another day we might identify text structures, and the students work on summarizing the problems and solutions presented in the article. We ALWAYS have lively discussions that are fueled by the students' ever-growing curiosities and questions they have in regards to the articles we read. Their questions have led to some very interesting and exciting debates / conversations in our classroom.
All of my students agree that the articles in Scholastic News are engaging. Whenever I assign reading homework using Scholastic News, I have the best homework turn-in rate. Even my low and struggling readers will persevere through reading the article and completing the accompanying worksheet because they find the topic interesting.
Your generous donation has also empowered me as a teacher by allowing me to bring what I believe is one of the best reading curriculums into my classroom. I am always very excited to teach using Scholastic News and the plethora of resources that accompany each article. I know my students feel my enthusiasm, too. More than anything, I love that, through the stories featured in the article, my students are learning to make newer, deeper connections to the world around them. Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Morimoto
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 3 other donors.Supporting Struggling Readers
Funded Sep 11, 2023WOW! Thank you SO much for your generous donation towards my project: Supporting Struggling Readers.
I've been talking about Donors Choose, and how our classroom has benefited from fantastic donors like you, with my new class of fourth graders. They were thrilled to hear that another project was funded today by Panda Cares! I am equally excited to have new resources and materials that I know will help and benefit my readers who are still learning how to read. We're looking forward to receiving the materials and to start using them!! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Morimoto
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares.An iPad to the Rescue!
Funded Nov 29, 2022Your donation of an iPad and and apple pencil to our classroom boosted student engagement with the academic content and encouraged to participate more in classroom discussions. I have been using the iPad in several ways: as an interactive whiteboard and a remote control for my laptop. I've also installed many classroom apps, such as group makers and a random name spinner, which I use to keep students engaged as well as as classroom management tools.
My students find the new technology riveting (which I find very amusing), and they are always eager for a chance to share their ideas using the iPad. When I start passing the iPad and apple pencil around to students to explain their thinking--especially during math lessons--suddenly everyone wants to participate. Which is AWESOME!
I'm also now able to circulate the room throughout the day. Before, I felt as though I was confined to the front of my classroom for the majority of my lessons because I needed to be close to the whiteboard or to my laptop. However, I now walk around the room or even sit behind the back row during lessons. (It's funny to see the students adjust themselves in their seats and sit up a little taller because they're not used to me being so close to them while teaching.) The proximity to students keeps them on their toes a bit more, and it also helps with keeping them focused and on task.
Your generous donation has also empowered me as a teacher by giving me the tools I need to help me become a better and more effective educator. I'm always very excited to teach with the iPad, and I know my students feel my enthusiasm, too. Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Morimoto
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 2 other donors.Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Funded Apr 8, 2022Your donation to an yearly subscription of Scholastic News has not only encouraged my 4th grade students to read more, but it's also teaching them that current events is interesting and thought-provoking! (Which, actually, is something I personally didn't realize until much much later in my education. So it's amazing that my fourth graders are making this connection now at 9 and 10 years old!) They love how the articles are tailored not just to their interests but to their needs as readers as well.
When I pull out a stack of a new edition of Scholastic News, my students get visibly excited. They say things like, "Let's go!!!", "Yaaaay! A new edition!", and "I wonder what we're going to learn about this time?!" We watch the fantastic videoS on the Scholastic website that accompany the cover story, and we have a discussion about what we watched. (The students and I really love the Scholastic videos. They're very thoughtfully and well-made.) Throughout the week, we read the articles several times while working on different reading skills using the pre-made worksheets. (These worksheets are a time and life-saver for teachers!) For example, one day we'll focus on how to write a short response using the Close Reading Questions worksheet. Another day we might identify text structures, and the students work on summarizing the problems and solutions presented in the article. We ALWAYS have lively discussions that are fueled by the students' ever-growing curiosities and questions they have in regards to the articles we read. Their questions have led to some very interesting and exciting debates / conversations in our classroom.
All of my students agree that the articles in Scholastic News are engaging. Whenever I assign reading homework using Scholastic News, I have the best homework turn-in rate. Even my low and struggling readers will persevere through reading the article and completing the accompanying worksheet because they find the topic interesting.
Your generous donation has also empowered me as a teacher by allowing me to bring what I believe is one of the best reading curriculums into my classroom. I am always very excited to teach using Scholastic News and the plethora of resources that accompany each article. I know my students feel my enthusiasm, too. More than anything, I love that, through the stories featured in the article, my students are learning to make newer, deeper connections to the world around them. Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Morimoto
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and one other donor.