You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Mr. Wolf's Classroom

  • Queens Satellite High School - Oppor
  • Jamaica, NY
  • More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

Support his classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

  • Monthly
  • One-time

We'll charge your card today and send Mr. Wolf a DonorsChoose gift card he can use on his classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send him a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

Edit or cancel anytime.

cancel

Support Mr. Wolf's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.

  • Monthly
  • One-time

We'll charge your card today and send Mr. Wolf a DonorsChoose gift card he can use on his classroom projects. Starting next month, we'll charge your card and send him a DonorsChoose gift card on the 17th of every month.

Edit or cancel anytime.

Give to a project to support this classroom.

Your custom url is https://www.donorschoose.org/flushingscience

Gift Mr. Wolf's classroom the essentials

$10 tissues

for Mr. Wolf in
Jamaica, NY
show projects from all time

Past projects 146

  • The Evolution of Video Game Design

    Funded Apr 22, 2016

    Thank you to all of the generous people who made this project a reality. We received the Chromebooks late last school year, and were able to get them up and running for the last few weeks, mostly for students who were finishing their semester and graduation portfolios. It was a whirlwind time of year, as always.

    Entering this school year, I was able to get the Chromebooks organized and ready for nearly constant student use. The first big project of the year that let us test our computer programming chops was in combination with another DC donation, our Arduino kits. Students designed murals in their humanities classes to represent the struggles of refugees from all over the world. In my class, they used their Chromebooks and Arduinos to program lights, motors, and sounds to enhance their murals. Students programmed simple motors to simulate an axe chopping wood, lights flashing over a desert scene to show the harsh conditions in these conflict nations, and even buzzers to simulate the sounds of gunfire. Your Chromebooks made possible these experiences.

    Just today, students participated in the Hour of Code, www.code.org, a wonderful effort to help kids become coders. As you can see, your donation has given new life to our digital life. The 15 Chromebooks from this donation are amazing, but as you can expect in classes of nearly 30 students, on a team of over 80 students, we are always in need of more. Please spread far and wide the link to my latest Chromebook project, "Chromebooks To Power Our Graduation Portfolios" which is receiving a match offer from Google.org. Your donation will go twice as far.

    Thanks for getting us off on the right foot, happy holidays, and a wonderful new year!”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

    This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 6 other donors.
  • All A-Board! Science Fair Presenters Need Boards!

    Funded Dec 29, 2015

    This project request is a rare instance where one of my Donorschoose proposals grew far beyond my original intentions. As you can see in the photos, we had a successful science share (like a science fair, but over a whole day and many classes) and the centerpieces were the boards you donated. Students were excited to get the boards and start putting together their work to share with other students and teachers from across the school. As you can see from the looks on their faces, it was science at its best - excitement, curiosity, and frankly a bit of surprise when other students had strong opinions to offer.

    The way this grew beyond my original intent, was that the math teacher got wind of my trifold boards and wanted to use some for his own class. The thank-you notes you will receive reflect this. Students used the boards to present about a real engineering feat - building their own catapults. It was fantastic to see kids get excited to share their work in multiple disciplines, and most importantly, do it in both native language and English, and also do so collaboratively. Your donation is such a simple tool, but the canvas it provides seems to have no limits. Thank you again for your generosity. You made wonders happen.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

    This classroom project was brought to life by Quill and 3 other donors.
  • Creating Multicultural Unity Through Genetic Research

    Funded Dec 14, 2015

    I'm pleased to report that your donation has made this one of the most memorable years in my teaching career, and created memories that I think may last a lifetime for my young students. This project is unbelievably powerful because it challenges core assumptions students make about people. It teaches students how to think scientifically, setting up null and alternate hypotheses, then seeking evidence to refute one or the other. When confronted with evidence that what you thought you knew is incorrect, there is an incredible a-ha moment. As far as the issue of race and what makes us human goes, this project has hit a home run, and it was all possible because of the reagents you donated.

    Throughout this project, I saw students have had so many moments of discovery. The first time seeing their cells in a test tube, seeing DNA on a gel, or just getting to use the lab equipment, students were doing something that pushed their boundaries every day. None was more powerful, though, than at the culmination of the project when they finally saw their own DNA sequences on the computer screen and could test their ideas about race on a population as diverse as the world we live in...themselves (it pays to teach immigrants - our diversity rivals that of the U.N.).

    All through history lessons on race, activities on skin color and traits, many students were still holding on to the stubborn belief that race was something real and observable. Frustrated that all of their hypotheses about their ability to identify and divide people by race were coming up null (that is, no effect), they finally just said, "Race must just be in your DNA!" Then the fun began.

    Upon analysis, we saw that the DNA tests were accurate - they correctly turned up zero differences between the siblings in two brother-sister pairs in my classes. Next, what students saw floored them. Asians weren't always most related to Asians. Sometimes Dominicans and Europeans were more related to Bengalis than were other Bengalis. Once in a while, two students from the same country found few differences between them - one or 2 base pairs in 400. More often than not though, students from continents a world apart were asking me - "why am I more related to this guy than someone from my country?" My favorite example has been an Ecuadorean girl and a Chinese boy sharing more than 99% of their sequences and the next closest person from their home countries didn't exceed 97% similarity. They looked at each other very differently than before.

    In a year marred by racism in the news, my school had its own share of turf wars between "racial" groups. Your donation is breaking down those barriers for my students right now. Whereas before they "just knew" there were different races, now many of them are saying there's only one race - the human race. This type of knowledge, hard-fought, requiring persistence and commitment over many weeks, will stick with them for a long time. Your donation is creating change that can transform the world, and for that I sincerely thank you.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

  • Make the Body Electric! e-Textiles for Body System T-Shirts!

    Funded Jul 7, 2015

    I'm sorry this letter has been so long delayed, but I am happy to report this project has finally been completed. A few weeks ago, I laid out t-shirt canvases, books about the human body, and the circuitry supplies and books you donated. Students were excited from the get-go and some were a little skeptical that they were going to get a chance to design their own T-shirts. After lots of reading, writing analogies, and planning, they finally started putting marker and sewing needle to fabric. As you can see from the pictures, the results were pretty amazing.

    These shirts make me proud of my students (and them proud of themselves and each other) for so many reasons. First, their creativity shined through in so many ways - the analogies they wrote to explain hard to see body systems were tricky for a lot of them, but they got the hang of it pretty quickly. Also, the creativity that went into incorporating the circuits was amazing. I'm particularly fond of the "breathing" alveoli and the stop lights that represent valves in the circulatory system.

    Second, I'm proud that a lot of them struggled, but persevered to make circuits that work and work beautifully. Despite already making paper circuits earlier this year (thanks to another DC project) a lot of students still hadn't grasped not to connect positive directly to ground, or that the LEDs are polar and need to be placed in a certain direction. I had a full room of students almost every day after school for a week working on these struggles and learning how to really diagnose and solve problems.

    Third I am proud they did the hard work to learn, and then had the bravery to present what they learned about these organ systems, in English and in several of their native languages. They proudly wore their shirts around school all this week eager to present their work to the school community. They were fashion designers, science ambassadors, and electrical engineers, all in one project! Their excitement was in no small part thanks to your donation. Your generosity allowed us to take this project idea to new heights. Now begins the long process of me negotiating with students to let me keep some of these works of art!

    Thank you for your continued support. I hope my students and I continue to inspire you to donate to great projects like this one in the future.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

  • Can Computers Make Us Healthier? Help Us Find Out!

    Funded Jul 13, 2015

    This week marks a midway point of sorts in our long school year. There have been lots of ups and downs with new students learning a new language, a new culture, how to make new friends, and how to learn in sometimes very different ways. Many students come to our school expecting more of the same type of learning they have gotten in their past lives - sit, listen to the teacher, answer the questions when called upon, and do well (or don't) on the exams. The tools you donated have helped me turn this model of schooling on its head. I'm not interested in my students passing tests, but in getting them excited to learn and do their own science.

    The major theme of our year so far has been health and how to measure it. Thanks to these tools, sensors, and computer interface boards, my students have spent weeks looking at their own health in new ways. Just last week, they were using the infrared sensors to time their jump heights and running speed. A few weeks earlier, we were running our own health clinic, learning how to listen for heart beats and take basic biometrics - blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and blood oxygen. Now that students understand that basic health is something that can be quantified, they are looking at these tools with new eyes, ready to test their own questions about health. When we return in a week, they will begin planning experiments of their own design about how listening to music, walking through green spaces, exercise, and even race could influence their biometrics. With these sensors, I know several students are already planning to make their own computer programs as a way to implement their use.

    This type of work, where students follow their own line of curiosity rather than what's dictated by the teacher, requires great materials and activities to spark the imagination. You've helped launch a new era in my classroom where the possibilities of what we can do are becoming limited only our time and creativity. Thank you again for your generosity - it is training and inspiring the next generation of scientists, today.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

    This classroom project was brought to life by Infosys Foundation USA and one other donor.
  • Join Us For The Robotics Revolution!

    Funded Apr 30, 2015

    With the fall semester well underway, I am happy to report your donated robotics kit is being put to very good use. More students than ever have signed up for our robotics elective course. Thanks to this new kit, not only are we able to put a kit into the hands of another set of students, but we are able to do so with a higher robot-to-student ratio than ever before. One of the biggest problems teaching robotics to a class is when there are groups of more than 2 students. It seems even with the responsibilities for building, programming, and documenting their work, groups of 3 leave someone without much to do. The extra kit has afforded me the flexibility to have only groups of 2 moving forward with the current class. Everyone was engaged this past week as they worked hard trying to get their newly built robotic cars to get around their first race track. It was a blast seeing every student up out of their chairs, focused on solving the challenge.

    Growing capacity is always the long-term goal when it comes to new materials and new technology in education. Your donation is an essential piece of the process of offering more current, higher quality education in the the latest fields to more and more students. You are now part of the ever-changing and improving fabric of our school! My students and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

  • Turn Students Into Scientists Into Makers With Arduino Kits!

    Funded Apr 22, 2015

    The other day outside my classroom, I hung an Arduino board with flashing lights and a scrolling display that read "Science Challenge Club, Today 3:40." All day, students were asking me, "what is that?" "Is that a bomb?" (this one was ironic considering the student last month who was arrested for building a clock and bringing it to school in Texas). Most encouraging though was, "When can I do that?" I knew I had them hooked. When most of the school had gone home, the first 7 students came, got to crack open their own inventor's kit, and begin the process of learning how to create their own electronics. We got through building the first circuit - a simple flashing light - but the wide eyes and gasps of excitement when it finally worked said it all.

    These students were excited that they made something that worked and were ready for what's next. These are only the first students I'm working with with these Arduino kits. As I learn what works and what doesn't as I teach them about these circuits, I will be compiling ideas for bringing this technology into all of my classes. This is a huge new shift for me as a scientist and a teacher, and undoubtably for the students as well. Kids who have no idea how we control electronics will begin designing their own - and in the end, what's more powerful than tinkering like an inventor to learn new ideas?

    This great first step is thanks to you and your generosity. With support like yours, my students will have the skills and the confidence to use them, that they can carry to college and beyond.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

  • Snacks To Fuel Hungry Minds

    Funded Sep 2, 2015

    Boxes of snacks began arriving last week, and they have already become the talk of the school. When I mentioned coming to after-school to finish working on projects, I heard at least one student telling another "you should come, he's got good snacks." Keeping students in school is a challenge for all sorts of reasons. Having these snacks around eliminates one big reason why kids may not be putting their all into their projects, either during the day, or when they need a bit more time. That first after school session was a huge turnout, with over 25 students making paper circuits while munching away on trail mix and granola bars. There were smiles all around the whole time, hopefully because of the work, but a big reason was there were no grumbling bellies. Thanks to you we've got plenty more snacks for plenty more weeks of school, projects, and late afternoons ahead.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

  • We Need Tickets To The World Maker Faire!

    Funded Jul 24, 2015

    Yesterday was a great day. Using the tickets you donated, I brought a mix of seasoned sophomores, juniors, and seniors - all of whom have struggled to learn English and now find themselves capable, savvy New Yorkers - and brand new freshmen to the World Maker Faire. The new students were as I remember the upperclassmen 2 and 3 years ago - quiet, unsure, hesitant, and frankly a lot intimidated. We even had one who showed up late, telling me on her phone, half-panicking, "I'm here but I don't see you," when in fact she was on the other side of the stairwell the rest of our group was standing. It was everything I've come to expect from our newest students - some who have been in the United States less than a month. It was a great day though that began the transformation from awkward new students into the new upperclass leaders of tomorrow.

    The real fun began when we arrived at the Maker Faire and everyone began to see the scope of what they had gotten into. The Faire is a spectacle and a large one, at that. Beneath the towering rockets that sit on the lawn of the NY Hall of Science, white tents as far as the eye can see housed all manner of robotics, crafts, and artists. The line of ticket holders stretched out onto 108th street. We got on line where everyone did their best to interpret the very extensive map of what lay inside. Once tickets were scanned, we had our bracelets on, and we were welcomed by a brass band trio, we walked as a group to what would be our meeting place, a mechanical horse beneath a rocketship. Students were grouped with older and younger kids, phone numbers were exchanged, and through English, Spanish, Chinese, and Bengali, we communicated to each other where we were going and when to meet back. As they left, many of the students eyes got wider in a way that universally communicates "oh no, he's leaving us?" I let the older students help guide the newer ones and comfort them. I heard a few "It's fine, we'll show you where to go" in a couple of languages, and they were off.

    2 hours later everyone came back in one piece, not only with more confident body language, but with stories and pictures to show of what they did and saw. I knew things were going well when the one group of girls that wanted to follow me to the health technology tent said, "we'll see you later" and went off on their own until our meet up. I knew it was great when many students wanted to stay longer after we broke up into groups returning to the subway and those who would remain at the Faire.

    In many ways, the amazing technology and creativity of the Faire was overshadowed by the students' experiences of doing something outside of their normal comfort zone. I know that the most successful students by their senior year will have not only had many of those experiences, but learned to embrace them much like my seasoned upperclassmen did by coming on this trip. Your donation opened up a world of possibilities for these kids yesterday, both to the latest in what technology has to offer them, and to the opportunities they can seize if they are willing to step into the unknown, even for just an afternoon on one September morning in their new country. Thank you for this amazing chance to be at the epicenter of creativity and the cutting edge, the Maker Faire, and to bring my students right into the heart of it.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

  • Not Cookie-Cutter Science: Student Designed Circuits!

    Funded May 27, 2015

    The first 2 weeks of school are now passed, and I am absolutely thrilled with how they've been spent, in huge part due to your donation. The vinyl cutter did just what I asked for it to do. The weekend before school started, I spent one late night printing (cutting?) 80 sheets of series and parallel circuits. In the first week of school, students received this practice circuit and had to figure out how to get it to turn on a light bulb. It was the perfect scaffold for students to get warmed up to building their own circuits. Some of the first English these students spoke was about what they were doing with these circuits. Working with one another, they figured out for themselves some of the underlying principles of electrical circuits. They were telling me all about series, parallel, and polarity without even needing to know those words. When we did cover the vocabulary of circuitry, they had their own creation in front of them to help connect the abstract movement of electrons to something they've experienced. It was so empowering for students to be able to discover something on their own and find they wanted to put words to it - they had an authentic purpose for learning new English words.

    The second week, as you can see in some of these photos, they've worked together to put together circuits totally of their own design with basic 1/8" copper tape, all modeled on the principles they learned from the vinyl cutter circuits. Your donation has opened a whole new field of science to my curriculum and to these students. I'm thrilled, but more importantly, the students are excited about science. There's no better way to start off a school year. Thank you!”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Wolf

    This classroom project was brought to life by Cognizant Technology Solutions and 4 other donors.
How do you learn science in a foreign language? My students, all of whom are recent immigrants, have the dual challenge of learning English at the same time they learn what they need to graduate high school. In my science class, I give them experiences they need to talk about - insects that won't behave, plants that grow without soil, Neanderthal skulls, and DNA from fish at the supermarket or even DNA from themselves. They ask questions, and we find out though experimenting together. In short, we DO science everyday, learning and practicing the language as we go. Please help keep our ambitions for a great education and a better life in America going with your support!

About my class

How do you learn science in a foreign language? My students, all of whom are recent immigrants, have the dual challenge of learning English at the same time they learn what they need to graduate high school. In my science class, I give them experiences they need to talk about - insects that won't behave, plants that grow without soil, Neanderthal skulls, and DNA from fish at the supermarket or even DNA from themselves. They ask questions, and we find out though experimenting together. In short, we DO science everyday, learning and practicing the language as we go. Please help keep our ambitions for a great education and a better life in America going with your support!

About my class

{"followTeacherId":105598,"teacherId":105598,"teacherName":"Mr. Wolf","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp105598_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1659531638843","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"vanityURL":"flushingscience","teacherChallengeId":40567,"followAbout":"Mr. Wolf's projects","teacherVerify":-1104596685,"teacherNameEncoded":"Mr. Wolf","vanityType":"teacher","teacherPageInfo":{"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"teacherHasClassroomDescription":true,"teacherClassroomDescription":"","teacherProfileURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/flushingscience","tafURL":"https://secure.donorschoose.org/donors/share_teacher_profile.html?teacher=105598","stats":{"numActiveProjects":4,"numFundedProjects":146,"numSupporters":587},"classroomPhotoPendingScreening":false,"showEssentialsListCard":true,"teacherNamePossessive":"Mr. Wolf's","essentialsTopItemSummary":"tissues","essentialsTopItemImageUrl":"/images/essentialslist/supplies/tissues.jpg","essentialsTopItemPrice":147.20,"essentialsListLength":15,"essentialsListUrl":"https://www.donorschoose.org//donors/essentials-list.html?teacherId=105598","state":"NY","stateFullName":"New York","city":"Jamaica"}}