Mrs. Sachs' Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 4

• Exciting Eco-Columns!

  Funded Oct 4, 2014

  Thank you so much for choosing to donate to this project. I can hardly wait to put together these eco-columns with my students and share them with all fifth grade students! Students will love being able to work with living materials and design their eco-columns.

  Unique, hands-on experiments would not be possible in my classroom without donors like you supporting the efforts of my students.

  This will definitely be a project to remember and I look forward to sharing pictures and student learning with you when the project is complete.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Sachs

• Studies Weekly

  Funded Oct 9, 2013

  Thank you so much for your donations to make this Studies Weekly project possible in my classroom. We use the Studies Weekly materials on a daily basis during our reading block. What students really love about these readings is that they have a chance to read the articles with a partner. As a teacher, I also love having students read with a partner because they are able to have conversations about their reading and realize new ideas that they may not have as an individual.

  These resources have provided a much needed relief on my part as I plan for teaching content that is not exactly covered by the dilapidated, older textbooks that I have access to. These materials cover the information that students are expected to learn in a meaningful way. My success with this project inspired me to apply for a grant through another organization to receive the same Studies Weekly resources for science. I was fortunate to also earn that grant and we now incorporate Studies Weekly into our science instruction.

  Another great aspect of this resources is that they are reusable and I will be able to use them with future classes. Students rush to get their Studies Weekly and be on the "read with a partner" choice during independent reading time and that means a lot to me, to see students rushing to read. Thanks for the part you have in making this experience possible for each of my students and your continuous support in my teaching efforts as a beginning teacher.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Sachs

• Learning Is The Constant

  Funded Jan 14, 2013

  As the "beginning of the end" commences in my classroom, I would like to stop and thank you for your decision to donate to my project "Learning is the Constant." After the funding of the project was completed, the materials were shipped, delivered, and used successfully in my classroom.

  I will never forget the third lesson of using hands-on equation materials. Following one of our final problems I wrote an equation on the main white board. The equation represented the problem that the students had just solved using their materials from hands-on equations. They had read the story problem and set up their board using the "game" pieces and could not believe that what they had done on their hands-on equations mats was the same as the equation that was written on the board because the equation on the board seemed so complicated to the students. I can remember students commenting "We're so smart, how did we do that?" "I'm going to go home and beat my older brother in his algebra homework, well at least I think, because this looks a lot like his homework." "I need to look at my mat again because I want to know how the mat is like the problem." These materials drive students to dive into learning and truly make meaning of mathematical content by constructing their learning through real world problems and hands-on materials.

  Another great resource that I have been able to use thanks to your generous donations is the problem solving book that poses real world problems. These problems are engaging and appeal to students. For example, a problem about eating out at a restaurant asked students to determine the price of an entr�e if the appetizer cost was $7, the dessert cost was $5, and the final bill was $51 if three people each ate an equally priced entree and one appetizer and dessert was shared among the three customers. I share this problem to help illustrate just how advanced the thinking and problem solving skills are that hands-on equations enables students to demonstrate.

  As I wrap up my first year of teaching I am so grateful to have the support of people like you to share my excitement for special projects and student learning. A great thing about hands-on equations is that I will be able to use them with many groups of students for years to come. Thank you so much for being part of this adventure of a school year with my students as well as myself in helping my students build their algebraic foundations.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Sachs

• Nonfiction Literature Circles

  Funded Oct 11, 2012

  After completing our first round of literature circles, students have selected the book they would like to read for the next round. When selecting the next book that they wanted to read, students gave recommendations to other students. It was such an exciting moment as a teacher to listen to students talk about what they had been reading with such excitement.

  Throughout the first round of literature circles I heard students comment on how surprised they were by the information that they learned as they read. Students were referencing their books outside of literature circle time and connecting the information in other subjects as well as during lunch conversations. Lots of "oohs and ahhs." For the vast majority of my students, the books that this project provides are the first true non-fiction chapter books that they have read.

  The students have been able to discover that sometimes reading for pleasure and reading to learn something new can happen at the same time! What a great realization to reach at only ten or eleven years old.

  Any teacher's first year of teaching is filled with many ups and downs (well any teacher's year for that matter, perhaps is just seems more extreme as a beginning teacher because it is all so new) and I know that for years to come when I reflect and look back at my first year of teaching, this project will be a definite "up" from my year. Of course the beauty of having the literature circles is that students can rotate, read a new book, and continue learning. Also, my students in future years will also be able to use these materials and hopefully have similarly successful experiences with them.

  Thank you all so much for what you have done to support this project and my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Sachs