Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 134

• Under Construction - Engineer our STEAM Makerspace

  Funded Nov 28, 2018

  I want to thank all of the donors to this project. We immediately began using our gel pens in order to send out our thank you notes. We also intend to use them to help us add color to our science notebooks for emphasis and organization. They will come in handy when the students make models where they have to use different colors.

  The BrainBlox are a big hit!! As part of a previous unit of study with the 3rd-5th graders, we had been learning about different types of bridges and their engineering. This last week students used the BrainBlox to construct a bridge with a span of 24cm with no center supports. This was challenging, and the third graders thought it wasn't possible, but they worked through the task and were excited to experiment with different designs. We also used the blocks to play a construction game that used critical thinking and strategy. Younger students have also been working hard to build interesting structures. One second grade student explained in detail how she made a drive thru restaurant, and demonstrated how it worked. Others had similarly complicated designs. I will be setting up some other activities and builds for the students to explore.

  We look forward to putting the rest of the supplies to good use as well!

  Thank you again for everyone's support!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

• Building Blocks for a STEM Makerspace

  Funded Oct 21, 2018

  My students have been really excited to use the building materials. We kicked off our explorations during the week of Halloween building monster traps! We first read a book about a monster. Then students drew their preliminary blueprints on how they were going to put them together. They then spent time building and modifying their designs.

  Many students started off working by themselves, but then decided to combine their efforts into one giant monster trap room. They did consider how to trap the monster without hurting it. After they were finished, we took a gallery walk of the different traps, and students were able to explain how their trap worked.

  We look forward to many more building challenges in the future. Thanks to your funding, these tools will last for many, many years - 400+ students a year, and beyond!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

• It's All in the Weather

  Funded Oct 13, 2016

  My students have now become weather bugs. We have been doing a lot of tracking, recording and observations. They have become real weather bugs!

  What the weather station allows us to do is to track temperature, humidity, conditions, rainfall, etc. We can print out graphs and charts. We can also print out the same information from other weather stations and compare the data to look for patterns or differences. It is also possible to use the online data to pull up past years to look up information as well. They were excited to look up the weather for the year they were born and compare that to our current data.

  Thank you so much for providing the funding to make hands-on science more accessible!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

• A Little Fishy - Part Two

  Funded Mar 27, 2015

  Thank you so much for your donations to my project. We now have a running aquarium with substrate, fish, plants, and decorations (though fish are going home for the summer). As you may imagine teaching does not usually afford such luxuries! Thanks to you, my students and I will be able to continue to use the fish tank and its inhabitants for future lessons and observations. The excitement of the students is tangible. Thank you again for allowing me to provide this wonderful opportunity for my students!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

• Sounds A Little Fishy

  Funded Sep 25, 2014

  It has taken us a while to get the fish tank set up, but everything is up and running now and we are ready to start adding our fish! The students are so excited to be participating in this project from the beginning.

  The water has been filtering over the winter break and the heater is getting adjusted for appropriate temperature. We will soon be getting the hood lights. In the near future we will start to research different types of plants and animals that will be appropriate for our tank, and the requirements for keeping everything healthy and functioning.

  Thank you so much for making all of this possible!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

• The Art Of Animal Adaptation

  Funded Aug 25, 2014

  Smelly markers are always a big hit in my classroom but our old ones had mostly dried out and were unusable. The students not only like to smell the markers but really like how the colors show off their work. They are great for creating posters and will come in handy for the projects I have planned when we enter our life science lessons in the spring and start our animal adaption study.

  The Pipsqueaks are a new addition we have never had in the science lab before. We have found that these markers actually work in our science notebooks without bleeding through! We are excited about this because markers can really enhance our drawings and labels while we conduct experiments.

  Thank you again for your contribution to our classroom and to science education.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

  This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 3 other donors.

• Environmental Photojournalists

  Funded Nov 4, 2010

  We are so happy with the addition of the cameras to our classroom. We have found many different ways to utilize them in our lessons. We have taken pictures of our science activities, of the garden, of things that we find outside that have to do with the environment, and of many examples from nature that coincide with our lessons.

  Since I teach both technology, science, and develop the schools yearbook, we have found more uses for the cameras than we initially intended! The kids like to see their photos on the big screen through our projector. They have had a really positive impact on our classroom.

  Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

  This classroom project was brought to life by Disney's Planet Challenge and one other donor.

• Planet Protectors

  Funded Dec 5, 2009

  Thank you to all the generous donors that helped to fund this project. We are busy using the specimen observers and are getting ready to start our plant unit where we are growing mini environments. The school yard ecology kit will also be a big hit with the students.

  Our school has recently installed a raised plant-bed garden, and the children are very excited about getting the opportunity to grow a variety of plants. We have chosen to make the focus of the garden a "5 Senses" experience.

  All of these ideas will be focused on "green" thinking!

  Thank you for your support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

  This classroom project was brought to life by Disney's Planet Challenge and 5 other donors.

• Enter-Active Science

  Funded Sep 30, 2009

  This is my most exciting project I have posted since discovering DonorsChoose.org. I am ecstatic with the new technology and the students are thrilled! This will greatly enhance our science classroom when it comes to assessing student understanding, my teaching, and determining next steps.

  The greatest part of this project is that it is can be a test without feeling those stomach-churning, nervous emotions that students (and adults!) often experience when it comes to test-taking. It also allows me to get a classroom and grade-level measurement without publicly exposing individual performance. Yet, it does allow me to analyze data of individual students if needed.

  It will greatly improve our classroom Jeopardy games at the end of a unit! Thank you again for contributing to my classroom and all of our students!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab

• The Whole "Kit" and Kaboodle

  Funded May 5, 2009

  I am so excited about these kits! I inherited this science lab a couple years ago, and many of the supplies, equipment, and samples were tired, worn out, and missing parts. These kits will help the students to better understand the science standards that I am teaching and make it fun.

  So many of the students love the units on rocks. We love the opportunity to study, compare, draw, and discuss the differences in properties. The rock kit will help the students understand these concepts on a higher level.

  The electricity unit is a student favorite! I know that my daughter, who is now 13, still talks about the electricity lessons she had with the science teacher that taught before me. However, that was the kit that was missing many parts, and had no teacher guide or manual. Now, with all the parts included, I know I can make this popular unit even stronger and more "electrifying!"

  Thanks for your kind consideration and support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Allard's STEAM Lab