Past projects 64
Adding to Our Animals!
Funded Jun 17, 2017Thank you so much for donating to this project. Animals are an amazing addition to our classroom for many reasons. The students learn how to love, respect, and take care for living things. It reinforces responsibility expectations, along with having a calming effect on children.
We also use our animals as teaching tools. They love to observe our animals, completing detailed Scientific drawings and researching more information. They explore habitats and want to map where our animals came from.
This project has helped us to better care for our animals, along with providing some new and exciting options for working with our animals.
Thank you again for your generosity”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 8 other donors.Terrific Trays
Funded Mar 29, 2017Thank you so much for donating to our project, Terrific Trays. In a Montessori classroom, our environment is set up with great care. One of the main tenants of our classroom is to organize lessons on trays, on shelves. When a child receives a lesson, we walk to the shelf together and take out a tray with the lesson set up. The child is practicing patience and mindfulness when carrying the material carefully. During the lesson, the child learns how to use the material, and the lesson ends by returning the tray to its home on the shelf.
When a child then wants to practice that lesson, they know where it is on the shelf and can repeat the process. These wooden trays have been a fantastic addition to our classroom, matching the decor and serving their purpose.
Thank you again for your generous donations!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 4 other donors.Microscopic Magic
Funded Sep 6, 2016Thank you so much for donating to this project. We have just now started using this material in our classroom. In another Donors Choose project that we fad funded, we received a Montessori material called "The Tree of Life." This material has puzzle like pieces whic connect together to make a giant tree, each branch showing a kingdom, phylum, etc... Then each leaf represents a living thing with cards to explain its place on the Tree of Life and more information about that species. With this microscope project, students were now able to see up close different species from the Tree of Life, like Cyanobacteria and a paramecium. This project really allowed the Tree of Life, to come to life. Thank you for your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
Discovering the Tree of Life
Funded Nov 28, 2016Thank you so much for donating to this Tree of Life project. I was beyond thrilled to see that this project was funded, and truthfully could not wait for the material to arrive. When it came last week, we opened the box together and Waseca Biomes (the company who makes the material) had each part wrapped in a beautiful natural wrapping paper. It came with a card and example of how to draw a trumpet swan; the students said it was like a birthday present.
We "oooohed and ahhhhed" as each part was unwrapped, and I don't know who was more excited, the children or I. We went out to recess and came back inside where a select few of our third graders received the first Tree of Life lesson. We did a very brief overview (it will take many lessons to even scratch the surface of all it has to offer) on how to treat the material, what it is used for, and how to set it up. To quote one of our students who is normally a hard sell, "That was the greatest lesson ever!"
Thank you for bringing this beautiful material into our classroom, and for already inspiring new research projects!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 5 other donors.Making Montessori Materials
Funded Nov 15, 2016Thank you so much for donating to this project. While we have only had the materials for about a week, we have already put them to good use. Each student has received a new planner which has a space for them to keep track of and organize each lesson they receive, write down their daily work, keep track of upcoming events and deadlines, and have an assortment of reference lists and keys. I have also created a new planner for myself to better keep track of student progress and lessons. Our next step is to start organizing our different nomenclature cards into booklets using the binding machine and the various key rings. Thank you again for donating to this project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
References We Can Reach
Funded Sep 6, 2016Thank you so much for donating to this project. In our Montessori classroom, independent work is crucial. Students spend most of their time working by themselves or in small groups, so they need to have texts that are closer to their reading levels. The materials in this project will help students to do just that, access information by themselves. In the short time these books have been in our classroom, they are already answering questions and inspiring new research topics. At this age it is very important for text to be illustrated to support struggling readers, and these books are helping to empower those children who may not otherwise be able to research. Thank you so much for your generous donations!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
Keep Calm and Crochet On
Funded Sep 6, 2016Thank you so much for donating to "Keep Calm and Crochet On." This project has provided some fantastic materials for our students. Our students have been learning how to knit, crochet, finger weave and embroider in our classroom. Often our students choose to handwork during read aloud, to create pieces of art, or when they are feeling sad, stressed or angry. It has been great to watch our students increase their fine motor skills while taking pride in creating. These materials will continue to be used for years to come, and bring joy to many more children!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
Creative and Colorful Calculations
Funded Sep 6, 2016Thank you so much for donating to Creative and Colorful Calculations! We have been so thrilled with the materials that we have received. So often math is a challenging subject for children, and art is a great way to get students excited and engaged.
In our classroom, children use Montessori math materials to have hands on experiences. With all of these wonderful art supplies, our students are creatively responding to their work. Some of their works have included making equivalence art (tracing shapes that have the same value), adding color to squaring and bead work, using dry erase markers and magnets on number lines, and creating symmetrical art.
These materials will continue to impact our classroom for quite some time!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
Hands-On History: Fossils And More!
Funded Aug 25, 2016The materials from this project made an immediate impact on our classroom. We were fortunate enough to receive the materials our first week of school, so students helped to organize and put away all the fossils, rocks, and minerals. There were gasps and shrieks as they opened each new box and saw the beautiful wooden storage boxes. Putting away the materials was a great educational experience, as the students sorted and classified the samples.
Since the materials have been offered on our shelves, they are regularly taken off and used by students. Children have spent time observing, classifying, sorting, and creating. Some students were inspired to created detailed drawings, which turned into an appointment with our art specialist to make their own clay fossils.
These materials have also inspired students to do further research. They are excited to learn about extinct organisms that left these fossils behind, and want to go on a "Going Out" to our local museum to see if they can learn more.
Thank you so much for your generous donation, and the impact you have already had on my children!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.Making Math Amusing!
Funded Dec 16, 2015Thank you so much for donating to our project. So many students are afraid to tackle math, and this project is helping my students approach math in new ways. We have particularly enjoyed the many books in this project which teach mathematical concepts through literature. Whether it is going on an adventure with "Sir Cumference and the Round Table" or going through a day with "Even Steven and Odd Todd," the students love these books both as read aloud books and for independent reading. The dice have also sparked interest in students to choose math as a work. They love to roll the dice to create problems, from basic addition and subtraction with my 1st graders to place value and multiplication with my older students. Thank you so much for your generous donation. These materials will continue to impact my students for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Megan