Past projects 3
Professional Amateurs: Props for Performances
Funded Nov 19, 2015We would like to start by thanking you for your participation in improving our classroom community. Your donations allowed us to improve the way we mentally and physically interact in our English studies. Often, during our English lessons, we would read aloud sections of a novel to further our understanding of the class book. However, we are now able to act out the scenes which provides us with a physical representation of the book. With these resources, our class has been able to look forward to a more interesting and interactive lesson.
After discovering that generous strangers have awarded us with props, we are preparing to use them when we act out Macbeth in order to engage our fellow classmates in the lesson. So far, we have taken photos with our props that we truly enjoyed doing. This allowed us to get familiar with the props that we will soon be working with. With these supplies, we plan to involve each individual into using the props and acting out the scenes of the book.
With this project, we hope to discover a different method of learning. Students can now be more expressive when in English class and it may cause them to be more open to trying new things. These props will not only serve us but it will also serve the following 10th graders. Most Sophomores may come into English class next year and expect the expected, but with your generous donation of props, they are bound to be impressed.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Eletz
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation & Think It Up Supporters and 10 other donors.Building a Better Classroom Library
Funded Mar 4, 2015There's nothing like watching kids get excited over new books in my classroom. When new books arrive, it's a great experience to watch a group of students tear into a box and see things they've requested--or better yet, something they've never even heard of and are now itching to read.
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you again for all you did for my students. This year, tenth grade classes have collectively read over 12,000 pages, many of these from the brand new texts you've helped purchase. Your books have been among this year's most popular, with the Marvel Comics titles and Derek Jeter's "The Captain" at the top of my list of most checked out.
Thank you again for making our independent reading library a truly powerful resource.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Eletz
Help Make Short Student Films a Reality
Funded Feb 11, 2014I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you again for your gracious donations to our class.
This week, my students completed the filming of their projects and they are now beginning to organize and edit their raw footage. Everyone in the class has enjoyed this project immensely, and I can see that it will be a mainstay of the curriculum for years to come.
The most popular genre, by far, was horror parody. As teams planned their films, we discussed the genre conventions of suspense films, and we studied a few scenes to show how directors build suspense. We also discussed how some directors use the conventions of suspense films in exaggerated or unexpected ways to create humor. In all, four of the five student groups created films that attempted to frighten, while one group of mostly seniors created a dramatic film around two cheating couples. The engagement that I have seen throughout this project is palpable, and it has infused the last few weeks of school with an excitement and a sense of urgency that I rarely see at this time of year.
Next year, when we have access to these cameras for the entire school year, we can scaffold in a number of other projects before the final creative film is due. Moreover, other classes will certainly benefit from this equipment as well. I am already planning small group video projects for my English classes next year. All of this has been made possible by your generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Eletz