Past projects 185
Paper Paper Everywhere, Except the Classroom? Paper & Storage Needed
Funded Dec 18, 2017Thank you so very much for your generosity and commitment to our students' education. The box of paper that you donated went fast and quick and was used to support project-based units and primary source packets. It is very important to me that students have a relationship with the texts that they are reading. Students must be able to annotate directly onto the paper and write their understanding in their own words as they go. Using this process of deep annotation-taking has brought my students to much deeper understandings of complex texts. The paper you donated made this process possible. Lastly, we are full to capacity and we greatly appreciate the donation of the filing cabinet. I have some calming salts sitting on top of the filing cabinet so it is functional and looks great! Thank you again for your generosity and kindness.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
The New Jim Crow: Empowerment Through Knowledge
Funded Jan 9, 2018Reading "The New Jim Crow," had a profound impact on my law class. My students had recently learned about the concept of the caste system when they learned about Hinduism. To apply the notion of the caste-system to a system of racial injustice in the United States had a profound and deep impact on students that come from racially marginalized communities. Many of my students have relatives "in the system," and reading this book provided them with language and history that allowed them to articulate what goes on in their lives. Many of the students felt like they had been living in a bubble of sorts. All of my students learned and had to push themselves to read this complex book. As a teacher, I found this book absorbing and deeply troubling. I learned as much as my students if not more. Thank you so very much for trusting us to honor the spirit and message of this deeply important book.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
AP World History: Teaching Historical & Critical Thinking Skills
Funded Oct 20, 2017Thank you so much Caitlin and other donors! This mini-grant has been a wonderful benefit to the students as they push through the minutia of AP World History. The College Board changed the format of the exam last year. The new AP World History prep books have been a wonderful, grounding resource for students that are overwhelmed by the scope of content. The index cards are perfect for memorializing the information from the review book and the students are able to study on the subway/bus during their commutes. We are so grateful to you for believing in our ability to be successful and for understanding that regardless of outcome, the kids are learning lifetime organizational and time-management skills. Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness - we promise to use the resources wisely and honor the intention of the grant.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 8 other donors.Dispelling Myths: Books That Challenge Perceptions
Funded Sep 21, 2017We thank you all so very much for supporting this wonderful grant! We have had an incredible time reading this book. "The Mongol Queens," by Jack Weatherford, is a real treasure of historical research and reveals a fascinating and rich history kept hidden for hundreds of years. The students groaned when I passed out the book and then came back the next day with comments of "Ms. Fryer, the book is actually really good!" It has been fascinating to watch the book empower certain students in the class who marvel at the power that Genghis Khan's daughters and daughters-in-law yielded. The book has raised uncomfortable questions about the writers of history and the responsibilities of historians to dig deeper and not rely on bias and assumption to create a narrative. The students had a wonderful Socratic Seminar to discuss the book and they are now looking forward to reading "The Wretched of the Earth," in February. Thank you so very much for your time and commitment to the education of our students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
Organization Is Everything!
Funded Sep 21, 2017Once again this mini-grant has proven to be the most important grant of the year. I must confess to getting downright panicky when I thought the grant would not get completed in time for the new school year. I cannot thank you enough on behalf of my students for your support. All of my students come to class with their binders, organized (mostly) and ready to work. It is amazing how empowering a binder/pocket protectors and dividers can be. Students are already proud and pleased with their work product. As a Social Studies teacher, it is incumbent upon me to ensure that our students have full comprehension of geography, history, and critical thinking skills. This mini-grant allows students to learn the habits of organization and get the rewards that organization brings. We cannot thank you enough for your support. During these difficult times of budget cuts and more the community/village of Donorschoose is a blessing for all. Thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
Ancient History: Putting the Pieces Together!
Funded Aug 17, 2017We cannot thank you enough for the wonderful books and puzzle pieces! Both resources have enlightened our understanding and sharpened our critical-thinking and group process skills. The Eyewitness and National Geographic books are a primary source and photographic wonder for the students. Many students, like many adults, live insular lives. The books open up the richness and creativity of human ingenuity that existed during the Classical civilizations. My students have thrilled at the engineering achievements of the Egyptians and marveled at the prowess of the Carthaginians. Your generosity has unleashed the flood-gates of creativity around the "ancient" class puzzle that the kids will create. The formation and creation of the puzzle is group work at its finest. Your continued support has allowed my classroom to flourish and has helped me be a more creative and thoughtful teacher.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 2 other donors.Global Regents Necessities
Funded May 10, 2017Thank you so very much for your generosity and kindness. The resources were a much needed boost for studying. The students made study cards that they used for studying on the train. The students also used the flash cards to quiz each other and practice vocabulary. The portfolio project was a resounding success. At the beginning of the year, when I introduced the students to Harvard outlines, I told them that by the end of the year they will have created their own book. All the students initially balked at the idea and the thought of all of the work that was to unfold. Yet, the look of pride on the students faces when they brought in their portfolio "books" was priceless. Every student produced a portfolio and were so very proud of themselves. Students who are normally plagued by self-doubt beamed with pride when showing their work. Thank you again for supporting my students and their education. We value your generosity and we honored your commitment with successful completion of the grant! The portfolios truly helped with our Regents exam results.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
Learning Cursive To Read The Declaration Of Independence
Funded Jan 18, 2017Thank you so much for your donations! This mini-grant was a wild success. The kids and the parents loved it. It was fascinating to watch the students the day we began using them. We started class trying to read the original Declaration of Independence and ended class with students hunched over their desks studiously beginning their cursive workbooks. Students who have never cared about their penmanship began to take new found pride in their cursive writing. I thank you for supporting this initiative and providing my students with an opportunity for a more well-rounded education. Interestingly enough, the Department of Education of New York City released the information recently that cursive would once again be mandatory in the third grade. My students are writing their first essay in cursive this weekend so we will apply the new skill correctly. Thank you so very much for your support and generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
AP World History: Study Guides Needed
Funded Dec 14, 2016Thank you so very much for your support of my students in the most difficult exam they will have taken in their lives. By supporting this mini-grant you have given my students not only academic support but emotional support. AP World History requires students to learn time management and organizational skills. The study guides and flashcards are invaluable to this endeavor. The study guides help the students sort through their outlines to arrive at the most important information. My students are already using the flashcards to study on the subway. The students have formed study groups and they are using the guides to structure their time together. Thank you so very much for your support, care and concern.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer
Enduring Legacies: The Underground Railroad & Black Women's History
Funded Dec 8, 2016Thank you so very much for these important books. My students are now studying the First Global Age in AP World History and "Underground Railroad" was a powerful historical fiction that contextualized and humanized a very dark period in US History. "When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America," by Paula Giddings, allowed students to understand the historical codification of racialized gender laws. The students worked in groups to understand the material and then created their own questions for the Socratic Seminar. The students did a particularly good job of understanding the use of public discourse to maintain systems of oppression and were able to recognize current racialized gender stereotypes has having emanated from a specific place. Thank you so much for the generosity and belief in our student's ability to read, understand and analyze complex work.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Christine Fryer