Past projects 9
Aspire to Excel With IXL
Funded Oct 7, 2024Thank you so much for donating to Aspire to Excel with IXL Science. My students and I were elated when we received the news that we will be able to use IXL this year. My students have been using IXL for close to a month now.
IXL Science has been an AMAZING resource and I feel like my students enjoy using IXL as much as I enjoy monitoring and watching the growth. They have spent several hours working on lessons in order to obtain mastery. In some cases, my students have taken significant growth in science because of their continued practice on IXL.
Thanks again for contributing to me and my students. We are all extremely grateful for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Foundation and one other donor.34 Going on 35 Years of Teaching…And Loving It!
Funded Jul 14, 2024Thank you so much for your donations. This year, we are off to a great start indeed. This is the first year that my classroom was ready days before Open House as well as the first day of school. I was able to focus on lesson plans and pulling science lab materials. More specifically, I was able to upgrade classroom decorations, create colorful charts and newsletters to send home to parents. Parents expressed the change in my classroom. They were excited to see my classroom as well as received course syllabus and the newsletter. I must admit...I felt good as well. Thanks you so much for helping me to start the year off right.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
Jumpstart the School Year Off Right
Funded May 6, 2024Thank you so much for the awesome printer ink. I am able to make colorful lab sheets and read passages for my students. With the laminating film, I have laminated board displays, word wall and the periodic table chart for my students. I have always wanted to have a colorful classroom for my students. Your donations have made my classroom come alive. Parents have commented on my classroom during open house. My students this year are going to be so excited to have a special place to call their very own. Thank you for thinking of teachers, and your generosity is greatly appreciated!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 2 other donors.Happy Atoms Whizzing Around Their Core!
Funded Apr 30, 2024I was excited upon the arrival of my Atoms Kit. Using the tiles and atom nucleus charts, my students worked with the tiles and nucleus in small groups to discover the parts of an atom. In addition, my students were able to determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons, as well as find and understand the atomic mass of each elements visually and tactically. Also, students were able to find the number of electrons and discover that a molecule that has a filled valence shell with 8 electrons is particularly stable.
The most important disciplinary concept of ideas that I wanted my students to learn is that all things are made of elements whether abiotic or biotic. After using the Atoms Kit, students had a better understanding of atoms, elements, and which elements are likely to form the most bonds and which elements are likely to form the fewest bonds. By interactively placing Atomic Tiles on the nucleus mats, students were able to build a variety of molecules.
Thanks for making an abstract concept concrete for my students!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
iCam iLearn
Funded Apr 2, 2024I am so excited for two reasons and my excitement stems from your donation of the Insta 360. One, using the Insta 360, records, projects on screen, and tracks me as I am moving around the classroom engaging with my students. While engaging, teaching, and assisting, I learned more about myself and I am able to redefined my teaching style. In addition, I was able to use Insta360 to record lessons so that my students could review complex ideas and fill in gaps in their notes...this was an added plus for my students that were absent from school or homebound. Finally, I used the Insta 360 to record and submit an application for the Presidential Award for Teachers in Math and Science Teachers. A component of the award calls for teachers to video tape and submit a lesson. I submitted a lesson and was chosen as a one of three finalists for Mississippi in the area of science. Thanks again for your support and donation.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by LOFT and one other donor.Grow A Green Thumb… Help the Environment
Funded Mar 22, 2024I am continuing my quest to present students with innovative hands-on-minds on exploratory science labs at Wells APAC! Thank you for providing my students with the opportunity to develop their ability to think scientifically. Students were able to plant Wisconsin Brassica Seeds and watch the entire plant cycle unfold before their eyes. The final most exciting part of the investigations were when students pollinated their plants with real bees. Using the pollen from the dead bees, that were provided in the kit, students pollinated their plants for four days. Students were able to see and understand how an ecosystem works together as producers and consumers.
My students are very inquisitive and thrive when they are investigating new phenomena. When entering the room, my students knew that something extraordinary was getting ready to take place. They were attentive during the lessons' introduction because they knew the information would be used during lab experiments. During Grow A Green Thumb, students focused on growing their plants so that they can successful harvest the seeds to plant again. Students extended the lesson by growing plants in the school's courtyard. Students raised butterflies and release them to live in the courtyard area. The butterflies remained in the areas for a while before flying away.
Thanks to your donation, you helped to level the playing field by giving my students multiple ways to engage with the lesson, enticing them in through hands-on exploration rather than text alone.
Thank you! You truly have made a difference in my teaching and students' learning.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
Jumpstart Space Exploration
Funded Oct 29, 2023Thanks SO much to the donors who have made it possible for us to use telescopes in class as well as for our science club. This was a huge opportunity for my students, who are passionate about astronomy and space, to experience the awe and wonder of seeing skying gazing, planets, stars, moon phases and other wonders of space for themselves.
Students downloaded the Skywatch Lite App and using the telescopes, students located constellations, and observed planets. In addition, students were able to track and document the moon phases. The lesson culminated with a community stargazing night on the school's playground area.
This project was successful because students were provided with a real world application of the Earth and Space Standards. In addition, students maintained 94% proficiency in science according to the most recent district's benchmark assessment. Thanks for giving my students a life-changing experience in science.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon on CBS and 2 other donors.Jumpstart Chemistry
Funded Aug 18, 2023We are continuing our quest to present students with innovative hands-on-minds on exploratory science labs at Wells APAC! Thank you for providing each of my students with the opportunity to develop their ability to think scientifically. Students observed a series of single-replacement reactions, then used their observations and logic to build a led circuit series to test substances. The final most exciting part of the experiment was when students had to identifying unknown chemicals from evidence of previous reactions and used their led circuit series to test the unknown substance.
My students are very inquisitive and thrive when they are investigating new phenomena. When entering the room, my students knew that something extraordinary was getting ready to take place. They were attentive during the lessons' introduction because they knew the information would be used during lab experiments. During Jumpstart Chemistry, students focused on the properties of matter and what happens to matter when you mixed substances. Students will used what they learned to identify chemical and physical changes of matter.
Thanks to your donation, you helped to level the playing field by giving my students multiple ways to engage with the lesson, enticing them in through hands-on exploration rather than text alone.
Thank you! You truly have made a difference in my teaching and students' learning.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
Jumpstart Science
Funded Aug 12, 2023We are off to a great start at Wells APAC. Thank you for providing each of my students with the opportunity to develop their ability to think scientifically. Students are so excited to come to science class each day. The Full Options Science System (FOSS) Kit had so many embedded hands on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) lessons that it is difficult to point out which FOSS kit lab was most impactful to the students because each lesson had my students engaged and excited about learning. The most notable lab was when the students had to go outside and trace their shadows on the ground. The shadow lesson gave them opportunity to analyze the movement of their shadows using their hand made sundials. Additionally, the students were enthusiastic about modeling the seasons, eclipses, and moon phases using the multicolored tape provided by the FOSS KIT. The tape was used to create angles on the floor as instructed by the lab.
During our science night, parents, students, and district staff members were introduced to the FOSS Kit materials and given an overview of the First Quarter's module lessons by the Regional FOSS's Sales Representative and myself. In addition to students being thrilled, parents were so amazed to see that labs were being conducted in our school. They even purchased lab coats and safety glasses for their child.
Moving forward, I will continue to implement STEM lessons in my science class. We will begin our inquiry based learning on Matter and Force in Motion the week of October 9, 2023. Finally, students were administered the district's science benchmark assessment the week of October 2, 2023. Impact data will be shared with Donors in a follow up letter.
In closing, thank you for helping to level the playing field by giving my students multiple ways to engage with the lesson, enticing them through hands- on exploration rather than simply reading the text, taking notes, and worksheets.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Diane Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 11 other donors.