Past projects 26
Spruce Up Our Safe Spot!
Funded Apr 22, 2022Thank you again for your kindness and generosity! My students have already gotten a lot of use out of our new calming tools. The day the box arrived, I opened it during my lunch break. During my next class, a kindergarten student came into the art room crying about something that happened before class. I pulled the weighted lamb stuffie out of the box and handed it to her. She instantly calmed down! The weighted stuffies are easily the most popular new item in the safe spot. The earmuffs are a close second though! My students greatly prefer the soft, colorful earmuffs to the hard plastic ear defenders we also have in our safe spot. It's another example of something simple that can have a positive effect on the kids.
All of the calming tools were so helpful for my students as we closed out the school year. I pleased that my students had the opportunity to practice self-regulation and end the school year on a good note. I'm also excited to see them continue to use these materials in the future!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
Be Your Selfie: Representation Matters
Funded Sep 9, 2020Again, thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. My students have really enjoyed using all of the materials you provided for us. My students have very much enjoyed listening to all of the storybooks, and they have served as great inspiration for our art making.
My students especially loved the mirrors. I would have never thought they would have been so excited about something as simple as mirrors. One student was so impressed that they said, "I have to tell my mom to buy me one of these!"
Thank you again for your support and for helping to provide a more engaging experience for my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.We Need Neon!
Funded May 28, 2020It was so exciting to have brand new materials to use when we were finally able to have in person art classes again. The very first project my kindergarteners had was to create a paper sculpture using the neon construction paper we received. We were also able to use the neon crayons to draw some details on our very cool sculptures.
A few weeks later, my second graders got to use the paints to create brightly colored hand designs in honor of Diwali. They were so excited when they walked into the room and saw paint on the desks. They had so much fun and were so engaged that it was hard to get them to leave the room at the end of class!
I'm excited to continue using these materials this year. Next up, I plan to have my 5th graders use the neon crayons to design their own sneakers. I think they're gonna love it!
Thank you again for your kindness and support of the arts. It truly means a lot to my us!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Stock the Shelves!
Funded Aug 13, 2019Thank you again for your support. My students were so excited when they first saw the neon tempera cakes! We ended up using them starting the second day of art class. Not only were they excited to start painting, but they were also excited to get to use such vibrant colors!
One of the first projects we did this year was creating a dot painting on a plate for International Dot Day. 1st grade students used the new oil pastels and tempera cakes to create neon masterpieces! 3rd grade students also used the new oil pastels and tempera cakes to create neon paintings that served as a background for a self-portrait. 2nd graders also got to use the oil pastels to create their own Super Hero Starry Night painting inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. 5th grade students have been really enjoying the new classpack of Crayola markers. We used the markers to create colorful self-portraits inspired by Romero Britto. The 5th grade drawing elective class is also getting to use the new markers on their self-selected projects.
Thank you again for your generosity. We have already had so much fun, and made so many great projects this year thanks to your support. I can't wait to see what else the students make this year!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 7 other donors.Adaptive Art for Everyone!
Funded Dec 19, 2018My students were so excited when they saw the new materials. They were especially excited about the Play-Doh! They couldn't believe that we had so many different colors to use in art class! The bingo daubers quickly became the next favorite material. The students loved the vibrant colors that the bingo daubers provide.
We used most of these materials as centers in a few of my kindergarten classes. Having a wide variety of materials to choose from allowed all of my students to experience success in the art room. It was nice seeing my students who might typically struggle with just a paper and pencil be successful at creating with a wide arrange of materials.
Thank you again for your kindness and donations. You truly opened a new world of creativity to my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by Someone Who Cares and 4 other donors.Sew Amazing!
Funded Sep 5, 2018Thank you so much for providing my classroom with the materials I need to teach my students how to sew. As soon as the materials arrived, I took some of the burlap and yarn and created a sewing center for students who finished their projects early. I was astounded by how many students wanted to learn how to sew. The sewing center is by far the most popular center in my classroom now; it's even more popular than Legos!
After setting up a center, I started our first sewing lesson. My 4th grade students used the SmartFab to create soft sculptures of Sugar Skulls for Day of the Dead. As a teacher, I was so excited to teach this lesson, and my students were even more excited. They cannot wait to take their finished Sugar Skull "pillows" home with them! Thank you again for providing us with the materials that allowed us to have so much fun making art!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Stock the Shelves!
Funded May 17, 2018We used these materials to create self-portraits for our school art show. First we used the pastels to create a vibrant night sky. Then we printed buildings using the foam and construction paper. Then we put it all together to create a picture of ourselves as superheros flying over the night sky. Our final artwork all turned out amazing. My students are so proud of their work and cannot wait to show it off at the art show!
Thank you again for your generosity. My second grade students had never experienced printmaking before, so they were excited to use a media for the first time. Without your kindness, we would not have been able to create such detailed and fun artwork. Thank you for believing in us!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
Amp Up The Art Room!
Funded Nov 2, 2017Thank you again for your support! We have been using these materials everyday since they arrived! One of the first projects we completed were mixed media deer using the brightly colored construction papers. They looked great and we received so many compliments when we hung them up in the hallway!
We are currently using the Crayola coloring supplies to create amazing self-portraits. The students are so glad to have high quality crayons and markers. Having brand new art materials that aren't broken or dried up really motivates kids to do their best work. Having the class packs has also been really great because they have a huge variety of colors as well!
Thank you again for your generosity. The materials you provided for my classroom have already had a huge impact on student work, and will allow us to continue creating amazing art throughout the remainder of the school year. Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
Don't Let the Doodles Stop!
Funded Apr 22, 2017Thank you again for your support! The 3Doodler pens have been such a big hit in our classroom. The STEAM Club students absolutely love using them, and we have plenty of plastic to create so many more projects thanks to your donations!
As an educator, the most exciting thing about this project was the way it inspired my students to interact with the community. With the extra plastic, we were able to not only create amazing things, but also to teach others how to use the 3Doodler pens. Students were able to demonstrate and teach how the pens work at our school STEAM night in the spring. We also brought our pens to our local Maker Faire and got to interact with people from outside our school community. My students were so excited to show off their cool creations and explain how they were made.
My students created, collaborated, and communicated their ideas constantly during their project. The 3Doodler pens encourage them to develop 21st century skills so that they will be successful not only as students, but also as adults!
Thank you again for making this possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by Overdeck Family Foundation & Simons Foundation and 2 other donors.Go Doodle!: STEAM Learning With 3Doodlers
Funded Jan 18, 2017Wow, this has been one of the most fun projects I've ever had funded through Donor's Choose! My students are absolutely enamored with the 3Doodler pens. They even like them more than the 3D printer! We have been using the 3Doodlers each week at STEAM Club, and regularly in the art room. We started out small by making personalized paper clips with 3D symbols, but have recently moved on to making bigger things, like wearable glasses! My students have become experts in drawing in 3 dimensions and it is a joy to behold.
One thing that has really impressed me with the 3Doodlers is that I never hear my students say "I can't" when they are using them. Sometimes students can get frustrated with a paper and pencil when their drawing isn't perfect. But with the 3Doodler, they know from the start that their drawing isn't going to be perfect, so they learn to adapt and persevere. Surprisingly, the 3Doodle pens have taught my students resilience!
Thank you again for your generous donation. The 3Doodler pens have been a huge hit in my classroom. My students and I are truly thankful for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Silva
This classroom project was brought to life by 3Doodler and 2 other donors.