Past projects 9
Consumable Supplies for Lifelong Memories
Funded Oct 25, 2016Thank you again for helping with our class' consumable supplies. They have been hard at work building all kinds of contraptions. From the balsa wood towers, the barely functioning cars (soon they will be functioning), to Rube-Goldberg machines.
The students work on their ideas during class, figure out where their designs need improvements, then go home and spend their free time redesigning to make them better. How many homework assignments are done because they choose and want to do it? It's an amazing thing to watch as their ideas grow from a paper sketch of a tower, to a full scale drawing, to individual towers. The detail they put into them and then listening to them describe WHY they chose that piece in the design, really shows their understanding of the forces that will be interacting with their towers. Soon we will test their strength - and watch them get destroyed. Of course, then they will be analyzed and redesigned and rebuilt.
It is these projects that is scientific inquiry at its purest. It is these activities that the students will remember as they look into career choices. It is your generosity that could help inspire the next great engineer to change our world.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
Booting Up Bootstrap
Funded May 16, 2016This has been one of the most engaging and inspiring workshops I've been to. I could immediately see how my students would be able to use the lessons and how it would help them in their math skills. I knew that if I was engaged with the programming then my students would get engaged too.
Right from the start of school I got the students working on their design ideas and working on the circles of evaluations. They didn't immediately see how they connected but they trusted, especially since they knew it would lead to a game. Oh boy, they came up with some creative game ideas and back stories - a truly cross curricular project.
Students will frequently remind me on Tuesday that it is WeScheme/Bootstrap day. They are excited about the activities and want to know how to do more. I'm learning along with the students but every day with the programming is a fun one that couldn't have happened without the generosity of donors like you.
My students and I say a huge thank you for letting us get this opportunity to learn a new computer language.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
This classroom project was brought to life by Infosys Foundation USA and one other donor.Back to School Privacy & Enrichment
Funded Sep 17, 2015The generosity of people like you makes the next generation's future brighter. The students appreciate the supplies so much, especially when they don't realize it because the class is able to function smoothly. I am deeply grateful that the students have the supplies they need to get through their day without having to say, "sorry we don't have that."
The new dividers were able to replace old ones that were starting to fall apart at the seems. With new dividers, the students are able to have privacy when they need it, allowing them to focus on their task. In addition, we now have enough dividers for all students.
The enrichment games are a big hit. Students come in at lunch time to figure out new puzzles and stretch their minds. It was very helpful during our Rube Goldberg machine competition. The students used what they practiced in the games to build their machine.
All the support is overwhelming and the students are so moved by the generosity it has encouraged them to pay it forward.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
Developing Medical Detectives for Project Lead the Way
Funded Oct 29, 2014The Project Lead the Way supplies has been a huge help. The students have gotten so much out of the extra labs that we have been able to do.
The Human Senses Lab was a lot of fun as students tested how their senses work. Watching the students test how the tongue tastes was amazing, rarely in science do students get to taste things. The reactions were priceless when the students got to the sour solution. These labs also helped to build trust and maturity since most of them require another person to prepare or do the lab without the other person looking. Looking away while your partner is holding a needle to your skin is a tough skill for middle school students. I was very proud that all the students rose to the needed maturity levels.
The students really started to connect what they had learned in 7th grade about how the eye functions to the vision labs. The shock as they discovered that everyone is partially blind due to their blind spot, was a moment all science teachers look for. That moment when the students observe a phenomenon, review what they know about the topic and make a hypothesis about what's going on – and they were right. The math portion of calculating was not a favorite for most students, but it did help to show how math and science are connected.
Getting to say, "there's a lot of brains in this class" became a bit of a class joke. We may have a few less brains now, but that's just because our bucket of brains (still fun to say) is empty. The students worked so hard learning all the regions and functions of the brain so they could do their brain dissection. It was impressive how well they worked in their groups to identify and label the parts of the brain. Getting to see what a real organ looks like is always an amazing thing. To see that they aren't fun colors like in the diagrams, always stands out to students. With the brain students really got in to wanting to figure out all the little parts in the limbic lobe and even look at parts under the microscope (a hand lens had to suffice). After the students identified and dissected the brain, they taught the concepts they had learned to 6th and 7th grade classes in small groups. The younger students were so excited, asking when they get to learn about the brain.
There are still so many resources that the students are looking forward to using. The Anatomy and Physiology section is looking forward to dissecting the hearts to really grasp how the heart is fundamental to the circulatory system. When we went on a field trip to the STEM school, the students were identifying equipment and techniques that they are learning this year. The students are very excited about getting to extract their own DNA and do some crime scene analysis.
These supplies have brought science out of the book and into the students' hands where they have gotten to make hypotheses and test them. They are learning real science thanks to the generosity of you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
Back-to-School Basics
Funded Jul 26, 2013The school supplies have made such a difference this year. Sharp pencils have led to sharp minds. The best things about the supplies is that I haven't had to say "sorry, we don't have that" to students. They have been able to do all the things they have needed to do without a hiccup. The sharpener has been so nice so students don't spend 25 or more seconds struggling to sharpen their pencils. They are in and out with a sharp pencil, so much class time and sanity (from listening to the motor) has been saved.
"Ms, may I print a paper for class?" and now I have been able to say yes. Ink and printing has become such a tightly guarded activity and resource at the school that students can't print their papers without having to pay 10cents a page in some places. With the ink, I don't charge students to print their papers for class. They can feel the freedom and not feel the financial crunch to limit their ideas to how many pages they can afford to print.
With the new Eggspert, the students have been able to review multiple topics in game format and they get so excited when they see the bright "eggs" sitting out at the beginning of class. It has been nice to have the wireless one this year because the students don't have to sit "on top" of each other, the teams have more space and the games seem more relaxed. The students frequently ask when the next activities with the Eggspert are.
I was able to take my broken Eggspert and another teacher's broken one and piece together a working Eggspert for our Intro to English class, the students are having so much fun practicing parts of speech, plurality and so much more. I also was able to take the struggling pencil sharpener from my class and donate it to another class that has NO sharpener in the room, since I had a newer one. Passing on the through your generosity.
Thank you again for your support and generosity. The students appreciate the supplies so much, especially when they don't realize it because the class is able to function smoothly. I am deeply grateful that the students and class have the basic supplies and a few additional working items now to go through the year where I don't have to say to a student, "sorry, but we couldn't afford that" or need to ask already struggling parents to pay for basic supplies in the classroom. You are amazing.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
Creating Leaders
Funded Feb 6, 2013"It's time to make some posters" I explain to the class and immediately they respond with âÂÂUggghâÂÂ. At least that was what it had been like. The thought of making posters caused the studentsâ stomach to turn. Our resources were few and OLD. So old that to open the cabinet you would hold your breath so the smell of old paint wouldnâÂÂt make you pass out.
With the new supplies the students are able to get right to work and no gas mask required. As the boxes arrived they would comment that it was like Christmas. For me, the smocks help keep so many clothes clean. The creativity has increased and the student participation has been elevated. They have done a food drive, fundraiser, two school events and several awareness events â all showing off their new supplies.
Without your generous support, we could not have done as we have. The little money that Leadership raises from recycling bottles on campus that would have normally been used for supplies like these was able to be redistributed for student incentives.
The students and I are so appreciative of your support. Having an opportunity to help others can be the thing for so many students that gives them hope for their future. We could not have done it without your contribution.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 16 other donors.A little STEAM (Arts) in STEM
Funded Feb 23, 2012The color, the shapes, the creativity... oh how the minds are opening up. The projects are just limitless in class, thanks to your wonderful donation.
The students are so excited to receive the art supplies. Before we got the scissors, they kept asking "are they here?" Our previous scissors were so dull they weren't even cutting paper and not everyone was able to even have one that didn't work. Now my students can cut with vigor and flair â they love using the fancy scissors on their projects.
Some projects we've gotten to do with our art supplies include: dioramas of how light interacts with objects (narrative story included), mini-adventure novels with illustrated interactions involving the parts of the cell, pollination comic strips (stencils were their favorite for this project), and first-person stories for mitosis with them playing the DNA. During the evolution unit I look forward to seeing them create their own adapted creature and their end of year fossil.
So often, students have projects in other classes and the teachers are not able to provide them with all the needed materials. It warms my heart to be able to ensure that my students have what they need, thanks to your generosity, to express what they are learning in colorful, creative ways. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
Radical Reading Corner
Funded Jan 30, 2012The Radical Reading Corner is a huge hit in the classroom. My students enjoy sitting in the beanbags to read when they are done with their work, during homeroom or lunch. Getting to read in the Reading Corner has motivated students to focus on work during class time, increasing classroom instruction.
Each morning, students go to the library section to pick out books for homeroom reading time. In collaboration with the English teacher, our students are showing improvement towards reading on grade level. My classes range from Intro to English students all the way to students that read on grade level. Having a comfortable area to read together has created a community within the classroom.
The magazine section has been stocked with science and health related magazines and brochures. Students read through the articles and frequently ask follow-up questions. There have been many questions leading to individual exploration stemming from the magazines in the Reading Corner.
Having the opportunity to have the students put a part of their reading interests into the Reading Corner and having the materials to do that has made reading a personalized experience. Without the wonderful donation that you made, my students would not have such an inspirational section of the classroom for reading. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 20 other donors.Growing Dendrites
Funded Feb 1, 2012The Radical Reading Corner is a huge hit in the classroom. My students enjoy sitting in the beanbags to read when they are done with their work, during homeroom or lunch. Getting to read in the Reading Corner has motivated students to focus on work during class time, increasing classroom instruction.
Each morning, students go to the library section to pick out books for homeroom reading time. In collaboration with the English teacher, our students are showing improvement towards reading on grade level. My classes range from Intro to English students all the way to students that read on grade level. Having a comfortable area to read together has created a community within the classroom.
The magazine section has been stocked with science and health related magazines and brochures. Students read through the articles and frequently ask follow-up questions. There have been many questions leading to individual exploration stemming from the magazines in the Reading Corner.
Having the opportunity to have the students put a part of their reading interests into the Reading Corner and having the materials to do that has made reading a personalized experience. Without the wonderful donation that you made, my students would not have such an inspirational section of the classroom for reading. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Lester
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 4 other donors.