Past projects 2
Skill Gap Word Games
Funded Aug 9, 2024My middle school students and I are most appreciative of your generosity. Your donations allowed us to purchase several word building games. Whenever a box was delivered to our classroom, my students were eager to drop everything in order to "open presents" - they were never disappointed.
Because I teach reading interventions to many students who have skill gaps specific to phonics, I pictured using a different word game each week to focus on specific skills: short vowels, blends and digraphs, syllable types, vowel teams, and such. We warm up with word games three days each week, and my students participate while-heartedly. I'm pretty sneaky about disguising my mini-lessons in game play, and my students are learning while having fun.
One unexpected benefit of playing these word games has been the class bonding. I watch my students work together, help each other, and celebrate successes. The first student to make a 7-letter word Yahtzee got huge applause! These interactions have been my favorite things to witness.
Thank you again for your kindness - it is making a difference.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by Governor Jared Polis.Walk Two Moons - A Gift for My 6th Graders
Funded Aug 31, 2023Thank you for your generosity - my students and I greatly appreciate it. Because I wasn't able to obtain all of the novels I initially asked for, I asked my 6th grade students to make a wish list for our classes; the items on their wish list were pretty simple: pencils, colored pencils and sharpeners, markers, construction paper, poster boards, glue sticks, and such. As each package arrived, the opening and reveal became a celebration! The timing was perfect as each class was finishing a novel and looking forward to creating book projects.
As each of my classes finishes a novel, which I read aloud while the students annotate, I introduce a menu of book projects - students can choose the ways the want to show me their understanding of the novel: its characters, settings, plot, conflict, and/or theme. Some of the project choices include creating mobiles, calendars, alphabet books, time capsules, movie posters, and games; students can choose to write an epilogue, critique the novel, or to make a book of puzzles. The most popular project choice, though, is a diorama - there's just something about being able to build a 3-D scene in a shoebox! It was wonderful, though, to be able to be able to have supplies available for all students; no student was unable to do the project of their choice because they weren't able to buy the things they needed - you provided materials through your kindness.
I hope you enjoy seeing some photos of project work and of finished products. The students were excited to create and share and are already making plans for future book projects.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by Colorado Department of Education.