Past projects 22
Breathe Better: Clean the Air
Funded Jun 23, 2018"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I personally can't say those words enough for providing my class with the tools and supplies needed to survive dangerous volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions. During open house, I explained to the parents the process of working with Donors Choose and shared that kind and generous donors provided funding for an air purifier, student masks, and crank flashlights. I presented this information with a PowerPoint of the materials donated. The parents were "floored." They expressed gratitude for providing a source of protection and safety for their children.
Many of my students suffer from asthma, so the air purifier is a big help. It helps to filter the air to allow students to breath easier. Poor things. Prior to the air purifier, a few of the students were coughing periodically throughout the day. Now that we have an air purifier, students don't have symptoms and they can focus on their learning.
The anti pollution N95 masks with a 4 layer valve filter are a very critical tools to keep on hand. Living on an island with an active volcano means that volcanic SO2 or H2S emissions could increase at anytime. A filtered mask may seem minor compare to food and water, but having a mask to protect your lungs and provide time to escape the fumes is priceless. The saying, "Every person who prepares is one less person who panics in a crisis" by Mike Adamson, from the British Red Cross, totally makes sense. If we are prepared ahead of time, then the impact of the natural disaster will decrease. Funding the student masks provided these kids with a much higher chance of survival.
The hand held crank flashlights have a dual purpose. The lights help us to see in case of a natural disaster and enabled us to do science lessons. We learned about Earth's place in the universe. With the class set of flashlights, we investigated standards, "1-ESS1-1 use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted" and "1-ESS1-2 make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year." We focused on the sun and star constellation, the Big Dipper. Students explored how the sun's apparent movement across the sky affects a gnome's shadow. The flashlight represented the sun. The students used the sun's rays to cast shadows on a paper gnome to investigate how the angle and distance of the sun affected the gnome's shadow. To investigate why we can't see stars in the sky during the day, one student used a flashlight and a paper cup with holes in the shape of the Big Dipper to create "stars" on the desk. After that, then another student used another flashlight to represent the sun setting and rising over the desk. The students observed how the stars seemed to disappear as the sun rose and reappear as the sun set.
On behalf of my students and their families, I'd like to send my deepest appreciation for supporting our classroom. All of the supplies donated will provide my students with the best chance of growing to be respectful and responsible lifelong learners. Thank you for protecting them and keeping their best interest at heart!
There is no harm in hoping for the best as long as you are prepared for the worst. (Stephen King, author)”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ota
Learning Through Play on a Voggy Day with Academic Centers
Funded Jun 18, 2018Learning Through Play on a Voggy Day was a huge success all thanks to you! My students, their parents, and myself included were floored by your kindness and generosity. The parents were grateful to have active and engaging centers that would enable their child to learn. The great thing about these centers is that they have multipurpose. These centers are used during instructional time, recess time, during small group instruction, and as a work incentive. The students eagerly complete their assignments and group work to earn time to use the math, language arts, and science centers that you so kindly provided. The most popular center is the "Building Brick STEM Challenge Kit." They love to build projects such as pulley systems using a rope, string, and a crank. Students are learning to follow directions, read the instructions, and use critical thinking to create a functional project that meets the challenge. One of the challenges that students enjoy is creating an airplane with a spinning propeller. Another favorite is the "Geometric Shapes Building Set." Students are eager to build three dimensional shapes to learn shape names and the amount of corners, edges, and faces. Thank you again for your kindly providing engaging academic centers for my students! With your donation, my students are eager to come to school, love to complete their assignments, and learn through play especially on rainy and voggy days. THANK YOU DONORS!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ota
This classroom project was brought to life by Sending Support to Hawaii and one other donor.