Past projects 112
Calculators for Smart Chemistry Students
Funded Dec 30, 2009Thank you so much for your generous donation of scientific calculators to my classroom! They are so important for learning the different topics of chemistry, and really allow my students to gain a greater in depth knowledge of what we are studying.
We are currently working on acid/base problems and the gas laws in my classes in Chemistry. Having daily access to scientific calculators is essential in supporting my students in learning these types of problems. You have made that possible.
I am hoping with your donation, I will have enough calculators to sign one out to each of my students at the beginning of next school year so that the students can also use them at home. This will truly be helpful as they practice Chemistry! Thank you again. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.Whiteboards for Interactive Learning
Funded Dec 31, 2009Thank you for donating the whiteboards and markers! It has been a wonderful way to get my students involved with their own learning.
Many of my students are shy, and its hard to know what part of a lesson they understand. With the whiteboards, I can ask a question and students love trying to answer the question using the boards.
So many of my students are artists and use drawing to express themselves. With the boards, they can erase what they have written when finished!
My English Language Learners seem to love to use the boards to write down words or sentences before they commit those ideas to paper. That way, they can check with their friends to see if the sentence makes sense or with me to see if they have spelled a word correctly.
With the new markers and attached erasers, we don't have to waste paper for students to properly erase the boards.
Recently we used the boards as a part of a Jeopardy review game and the students had a blast! Thank you for your kind donation!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Dr. Seuss Inspires High School Graduates
Funded Mar 3, 2010Thank you so much for contributing to my students and their education. I work with such a wonderful group of students and your donation will allow me to celebrate their accomplishments in a few short months.
I want the books to be a surprise, so I couldn't show you pictures of students with the books. Instead, I have some pictures of my fantastic seniors that WILL be receiving the Dr. Seuss books at the end of June. I already have a beautiful silver pen picked out that I will use to write a personal message to each of my graduates.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of my beautiful seniors working on their service learning projects and me with William (a freshman who will receive one of your books three years from now when he graduates).
These books are beautifully bound and will be greatly appreciated my my graduates for years to come. Thank you for your generous donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 11 other donors.Please Click If You Are Listening
Funded Dec 9, 2009Thank you so much for you generous donation to my classroom. The QClick response system has had the single largest impact to my classroom of anything that has ever been donated. The students love it and I am better able to track their progress.
Every day when the students come into class we start the lesson with a warm up using the QClicks. I can take roll with the system which immediately cues students that the lesson is going to begin. Then, I have 5-10 multiple choice problems that either introduce a new topic or help my students review an old topic in order to get them thinking about Chemistry.
I have used the QClick to prepare them for an upcoming test, review old material in an expedient fashion, and even to quiz them on pictures of laboratory equipment! My students always do horribly on the state tests, mostly because of language barriers and lack of exposure to multiple choice questions. This system not only helps in both of those areas, but allows me to see the results instantaneously via a results bar graph. My students see it too and they get practice in reading graphs and learning about which distraction questions were popular.
In addition, the rechargeable batteries will save me money (and save the environment) for years to come. It is so convenient to pop some batteries in the charger at the end of the day to recharge them for the next days use.
The long and the short of it is that this has been an amazing gift to my practice and my classroom for my students that would not have been possible without you!!! So thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 12 other donors.Digital Camera For Evidence In Lab Reports
Funded Jan 20, 2010Thank you so much for the donation to my classroom! The digital camera has already come in handy in so many ways.
I recently went on my honeymoon to Costa Rica and was first able to use the camera to capture wildlife, volcanoes, and other science related things that I could share with my students. One student told me it was so nice for me to show them pictures of something they have yet to do (go to Costa Rica). The picture of the volcano is my students' favorite! They loved seeing how the sulfur from the volcano creates acid rain that interferes with the plants' ability to grow.
I also used the camera to take pictures of a coffee plantation tour that I went on. When I showed these pictures, you could have heard a pin drop in my room! The kids were especially interested to learn about the different stages of coffee production so they could incorporate that information into their lab report on a recent study of coffee.
Lastly, I starting using the camera daily in class to capture all the great moments- lab activities and beyond! You can see how my students like showing off for the camera. They are especially excited to be able to have a digital camera in the classroom for both capturing their lab set-ups as well as the ability to capture evidence of their service learning projects- a high school graduation requirement. Basically, this camera has already been used in a thousand percent more ways than I even imagined when I wrote this proposal. Thank you so much for helping me bring chemistry alive to my students! ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
BookShelves For My Students' Science Interactive Notebooks
Funded Dec 28, 2009We just started our second semester in Chemistry and already the bookshelves are making such a difference! Thank you so much for being a part of getting them to my classroom to help my students.
With the help of my loving husband, the shelves were built and earthquake strapped to the walls just before students arrived. The look wonderful and students are noticeably taking more pride in their notebooks. They know that a well organized and cared for notebook belongs on the bookshelf just like a good book. They can easily find their notebooks before each class and now have a place to keep their notebooks safe and secure.
Budget cuts are looming over my students, but having a place to keep their notebooks will help students for years to come. Thank you for your help. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 10 other donors.You Wish Your Chemistry Teacher Did This Lab
Funded Dec 31, 2009Thank you so much for all the coffee samples and filters to help my students test the pH of coffee. They already started to experiment with the samples and I can tell how much the new samples are helping.
Because of all the samples you donated, my students were able to develop their lab hypothesis based on factors such as bean type, roast type, and caffeine. Their eyes lit up as they examined the packages and smelled the coffee in order to choose which samples they wanted to test and which factors they wanted to look at.
We will be testing the samples this week and I can't wait to show you pictures of all the students as they are actively engaged in the scientific process. Thank you for helping my students to become budding scientists!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Quality Lab Reports = First Time College Students!
Funded Oct 24, 2009Thank you so much for donating such wonderful print resources to my classroom. You are supporting classrooms of students now and in the future to improve their literacy skills.
No sooner than I had opened the Barnes and Noble box, I already had kids lined up to borrow the books. My students want to write good lab reports, but often times don't even know where to begin. These resources will provide my students who are shy about asking me for help the support they need to be successful.
Again, thank you so much for this opportunity and know how valuable it is to myself and my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Sarah and one other donor.Scientific Calulators For Smart Chemistry Students
Funded Sep 2, 2009Thank you for donating calculators to my Chemistry classroom. They come in so handy when teaching my students difficult topics such as calorimetry.
We are just about to get into more math heavy concepts in my class- the mole and gas laws. The calculators you donated will support my students as they master these difficult concepts.
In the future, I hope to have enough calculators for my students to check them out for the entire semester. This way they will be able to utilize them at home as well. Your donation has gotten me one step closer to that goal.
Also, your calculators were recently borrowed by students to use while taking the SAT. Even though my students can't afford a calculator, it is such a relief to know they understand that calculators are available for them for both during class and during other times (such as testing) when they are needed.
Again, thank you so much for your donation and supporting my students' education!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.Raising Students Using "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens"
Funded Aug 10, 2009Thank you so much for your generous donation! You have no idea what kind of impact it has already started to make in my classroom. Most importantly, your donation of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens" series will impact my students for years to come.
I teach in the downtown area of a large urban city. Our school has been open for over four years now and it has been my sole teaching experience. It has been a wonderful time fueled with plenty of moments of both joy and frustration.
My freshman have already been applying the Seven Habits to their own lives. This curriculum has allowed me to structure and support their first year of high school. We recently finished conversations about good habits versus bad habits and each of my students developed their own personal mission statement. They really seem to want to use the Seven Habits to become better students to their teachers, better kids to their parents, and better people in general!
My students really appreciate your donation and I can tell that it helps them to see how much I care about them and their learning. Thank you for supporting our classroom.
My goal is to develop my students into curious individuals who enjoy solving problems, reading and learning. I hope you see the joy in their faces and in their words as much as I experience everyday. Again, thank you for your donation and know how wonderful it is for a young teacher and a group of students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cushing
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.