Past projects 39
To the Top of the World!
Funded Apr 13, 2019What a wonderful Everest Project we had! Our students loved the books that they received to support their research project. After reading the books, my students had the opportunity to research their favorite part of Mt. Everest and gather in groups to create a presentation that they would give to visiting classes.
Students used the books to pull out important information, create a wonderful poster, and then present their research to each class in our school! Our students displayed their research skills and their knowledge of the many facets of Mount Everest. Visitors were delighted with the students' presentations as they gave us lots of compliments!
In our end of year survey, most students reported that they loved the Everest project the most out of all of our school activities!
Thank you donors for making this project a reality for my fourth graders! They had a wonderful learning experience thanks to your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 4 other donors.Laughter and Learning in Literature Time!
Funded Oct 10, 2018What wonderful literary journeys our class has taken! Students in my class are so excited to get to literature studies now that we have our new books! My students are so motivated to read that they quickly finish their other work in order to have more time to read. Students are very eager to get to our literature time, that they can hardly wait and ask me constantly when it will happen. It is a reward when we can sneak in extra time as a reward for their hard work in other subjects. It is fun to hear their laughter as we come across humorous passages.
We are nearing the completion of our first book, "James and the Giant Peach" and my students have loved the delightful characters and curious adventures of our main character James Henry Trotter. We are going to read "Grandpa's Great Escape" next. We will then end with "Gangsta Granny." The box sets that you purchased are very popular- all of the books are in the hands of my students, who are eager to read more of David Walliams' humorous books.
Thank you for giving my class funny books to read. It makes reading time so much more worthwhile!
Thank you for making the project a reality! Your donation has gladdened the hearts of us all. We are laughing while learning (which is precisely how it should be).”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School.Game On! Math Practice at Home for 4th Graders!
Funded Nov 8, 2017Thanks to your excellent support of this project, I am proud to report that the project has been a great success! Since the day the cards arrived and were unpacked, students were eager to give the games a try. We practiced as a class so students would know what to do at home with their cards. At parent teacher conferences some time later, I had the opportunity to speak with parents about the importance of 4th graders learning their facts. Parents were excited at the fun way in which students would be reviewing.
Students have since reported to me that they are having a lot of fun practicing their multiplication and division facts at home. Parents have also reported that it has been fun for them to work with their student in practicing the facts.
This project has made an impact on student growth in mathematics! Thank you for supporting this project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and one other donor.Artist's Corner for 4th Graders!
Funded Oct 16, 2017Creativity has truly blossomed in my classroom since your amazing donations! My students love their daily art time! Every since the materials arrived, students have loved having a creative outlet where they can show their creativity and artistic skills. They particularly enjoying manipulating the mannequins and coming up with new ways to sketch using the scented markers. Some of my students have already filled up their sketchbooks! The artist's corner has been such a success! Thank you for your generous donations in making this creative space in my classroom! My students are all smiles when they have the opportunity to express themselves creatively each and every day. Thank you for making this happen for them!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
4th Graders Want To Dig Deep Into The Book "Holes"
Funded Feb 9, 2017Reading is truly an important part of our 4th grade year. Everyday we delight in finding books that truly inspire and feed our imaginations. Thanks to your tremendous gift of a classroom set of Holes, a cleverly narrated audiobook on CDs, and ten copies of the sequel "Small Steps", our students really got the chance to dig deep into a wonderful story.
Students had the chance to listen, track the words, and immerse themselves in the exciting plot. They followed Stanley and Zero through Camp Green Lake and the tremendous challenges that they faced.
When we finished Holes, we had a Camp Green Lake themed party and made graphic organizers to showcase our knowledge of all the essential parts of the story [see pictures]. In small groups, "Small Steps" was read and enjoyed.
We have greatly benefited from this project and are so grateful for the books. My students have already stated that Holes was the best book that they read this year. This project would not have been possible without you! Thank you for celebrating reading and education. Your support is truly magnificent. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
Privacy, Please! 4th Grade Needs Privacy Partitions For Testing!
Funded Oct 26, 2016Thank you for your kindness in supporting our classroom project! We are so delighted with our testing partitions! They make our testing experience more comfortable, private, and less-stressful.
When the box was opened, my students wanted to instantly set them up. One student remarked, "it's too bad we don't have a test to take today!". However, students were able to immediately try them out during their individual writing time. Since receiving them, we have taken several tests and used our partitions each time. Some of my students even call them "study walls."
The partitions have also been very successful for when students prefer to have a little personal space while they work quietly on assignments. Since we work at tables, the partitions give the students a sense of individual workspace, which they love. Plus, the bright purple color of the partitions brighten our fun classroom.
Thank you for your generous donations in helping my students achieve a greater testing environment in our classroom. You have made a great impact on my students and on my classroom. I am very grateful to you for your support of my classroom. I couldn't have done this much-needed project without your help!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
Reading Is a Great Adventure!
Funded Jul 1, 2016Dear Donors,
From the moment our new books arrived, my students have been excited to open the books and begin reading. We selected "Alice in Wonderland" as our first novel to study. A lot of students have heard of Alice in Wonderland from various film adaptations and we were able to discuss what they knew.
After discussing it, we dove right into the text and began reading. Students have been enjoying Alice's curious adventures. Students did character studies on their favorite character by making an illustration of the character in a significant book setting, then writing about them. Students have also followed the plot events and tracked them in graphic organizers. My students giggled as Alice kept growing and shrinking, and we chorally read the poetry found in the book. They love to take turns reading a little, each with a copy of the book in their hand. Students who need reading support read with a buddy who is right beside them, ready to help with tough words.
Sometimes I like to narrate the story as the students follow along. I love to use dramatic voices to convey the loud, boisterous Queen of Hearts, or the soft spoken voice of the Dormouse. Students listen to every word, and laugh as I try to bring to life the curious characters' voices (I fear my Mad Hatter voice was not a success). My students work extra hard during class work time so that we can sneak a few extra minutes of reading in. I have a couple of students who feel so strongly about our reading time, that they will politely encourage other students to hurry with their work so that we get more reading time in!
Students are anxious to read the other two books, "Treasure Island" and "The Wind in the Willows." My students have very strong opinions on the order. They feel that after reading about Alice, it's only fair that we read "Treasure Island" next, as it is about a boy. Then, to finish, they would like to read "The Wind in the Willows."
In my classroom, there are foldable camp chairs that 4 students can sit in while we read (we draw names each time). Sometimes we read while sitting on top of our table workspaces. Reading time is enjoyable and fun for our class and we are building a wonderful group of lifetime readers!
Thanks to your generous donation, my students will have the opportunity to fill their imaginations with these wonderful and timeless classics. I look forward to sharing these chapter books with not only my current students, but also my future fourth graders. Imaginative stories of adventure belong in the hands of students and thanks to you, they have them! Students are diving into great reading each and every day in my classroom! Thank you for supporting this reading project!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
This classroom project was brought to life by The Horace Mann Companies and 6 other donors.We Learn in Many Different Ways!!!
Funded Aug 19, 2015What a wonderful project this has been! Since our project was funded, our students have dived into their "You're Smarter than You Think!" books. We have enjoyed talking about each of the chapters and analyzing the different ways in which students have "Smarts". We have learned about 9 different types of Smarts: Word Smart, Logic Smart, Picture Smart, Music Smart, Body Smart, People Smart, Nature Smart, Self Smart, and Life Smart.
One of the really exciting after-effects of this project has been watching students relate to the information. During our chapter discussions, many students will shout out "hey, I do that, too! I'm Logic Smart!" and make comments about how they identify with the different learning styles. What a triumph for them to recognize their different abilities!
It has also been wonderful for students to create posters of the type of "Smart" they identify with. It has been such a great experience for all of my 4th graders! They were able to display their Smart Poster for their fellow students to see. Students have also learned more about each other, which has been great for team-building and creating friendships.
I am so grateful for your assistance in making this project a reality. There are several teachers in my building who are anxious to borrow our class books of "You're Smarter Than You Think!" so that they can work on the project with their classes. It will reach many more students now!
I couldn't have done this without you! Thank you for supporting my classroom. You made a tremendous impact on my class this year. I am so thrilled with the success of this project and look forward to wonderful things ahead.
Thank you for your excellent support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
'Checkmate!!!' Chess for 4th Graders
Funded Jan 30, 2015What tremendous joy you have brought to my classroom!! Our students were ecstatic when our office staff told us a gigantic package had arrived for us. Students worked together to bring the box to the classroom and then proceeded to tear it open (with feverish delight!). Faces were brilliant with smiles as chess sets were passed around. With chess sets in hand, the students immediately demanded their first chess lesson (I acquiesced, of course, for I was just as excited!).
Each morning my students ask "Miss Winslow, do we have a chess lesson today?" Even mentioning the word "chess" in class sparks excitement in my 4th graders' eyes. Chess has been a tremendous motivator, as students will encourage and help each other in their subject work so that the class can catch 15 or 20 minutes of extra "chess practice time" in the afternoon. One day, when I announced that we were to attend a school-wide assembly, a student said "can we play chess instead?"
We have had several lessons of chess already. My students have enjoyed getting out their chess sets and practicing their moves. Other grade levels and classes in our school are now interested in learning chess as well and are eagerly awaiting the formation of the school chess club.
My students are diligent in taking care of each chess set. They have a tremendous sense of pride in them. They treat them with care and store them carefully when chess class is done. When it comes to chess homework, all of my students agree that it is more "fun work" than "work".
I am inspired and thrilled with the motivational atmosphere that these chess sets have brought into my classroom. Students are benefiting in many ways. Social and cooperative skills have greatly improved since we started playing chess. Students work together. Students critique each other and advise each other without offense. All of my students are active participants in each lesson.
This project, and its abundance of positive effects on my classroom and students, could not have happened without YOU!! Your gift has had such an immense impact on my students and myself. I am honored that you chose to support this project. Thanks to your donation, my students play chess and love it. What a difference you have made! Thank you for making it all possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow
This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo & the Eccles Foundation and 9 other donors.Who Was? Who Is? Who Will I Be? Project
Funded Oct 23, 2014It has been a tremendous journey beginning with your help in October! Students have successfully completed their Biography Project and are getting ready to present their work to the entire school. Students were thrilled to get the books and eagerly chose a famous person they wanted to read about. They shouted out such phrases as "that's so awesome!" "this is way cool!" and "hey, look at this!". Books were so popular that students had to use the 4th grade game of "rock, paper, scissors" to decide who would get to use which book. The titles were very popular with all our students.
Students had the opportunity to ask questions, take extensive notes, and read the books. They created a timeline of the famous person's life, created chapter summaries, and poster outlines. They are in the process of creating tri-fold presentational posters and are decorating them prominently with their famous person's photos with type written information attached.
Students also were inspired by the stories. Several students brought their books up to me to show me details from their books that reminded them of their own lives. What great connections! Some students said that they wanted to grow up doing the same things as some of their famous people (for example: President of the United States, physicist, software developer.)
Many of my students have requested to do another biography project and have chosen to read some of the other books in the series for fun. All this is due to your generosity and help! My students love reading the biographies. It is such a joy to see students take an interest in nonfiction work. What a great contribution you have made to my classroom! I look forward to sharing this project and these books with the future 4th graders who will come to my classroom.
Please remember that your help made a tremendous difference and that you are greatly appreciated. Thank you for providing a way for my students to grow and learn. As a class, we send you our warmest thanks and biggest smiles for all you have done to help us reach our goal.
Sincerest thanks for your partnership in this project. I couldn't have done this without you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Winslow