Past projects 8
Middles Mission to Mars
Funded Nov 14, 2022I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of Sphero robots to our classroom. Your support has significantly impacted our students' learning experience, allowing them to explore and engage with technology in new and exciting ways.
The Sphero robots are not just devices but gateways to a deeper understanding of coding and problem-solving. By programming the robots, students learn fundamental coding concepts such as loops, variables, and conditionals. They experiment with trial and error, develop critical thinking skills, and see the tangible outcomes of their programming efforts. This hands-on approach makes abstract concepts more concrete and comprehensible.
What excites our students the most about the Sphero robots is the immediate and interactive feedback they receive from their coding endeavors. The ability to see the robots move, change colors, and respond to commands they have written themselves is incredibly motivating. It transforms learning from a passive activity into an active and engaging experience. The robots have turned our classroom into a hub of creativity and innovation, where students eagerly collaborate and share their discoveries.
We truly appreciate your contribution to our classroom and facilitating facilitate exploration and learning in new and exciting ways!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
This classroom project was brought to life by San Diego Gas & Electric and 4 other donors.Keep the Project GROWING!
Funded Nov 26, 2021I took us awhile to get this project going, but we finally made it. The funding for this project allowed us to literally get our hands dirty and learn about the importance of worms. Students were able to create a habitat and handle our new wiggly class pets. In addition, we learned about how they can make huge contributions to our school garden!
The students have been asking for a class pet for months. Unfortunately, due to complications with Covid, this has been extremely difficult. Because of your generous donations, the students were pleasantly surprised when they found out we were getting HUNDREDS of them! I love seeing the expression on their faces when they find out they are worms. Some were a little reluctant to touch them, but by the end of class, every student had at least one worm (if not many) in their hands. In addition, next year the aquariums will be setup for us to setup our aquaponics systems. We were unable to set them up this year, but my returning students are eager to add more animals (FISH!) to our classroom.
Moving forward, our new class pets with provide nutrients for our garden. We will run experiments testing the effectiveness of worm compost compared to other fertilizers. We will also look at the anatomy of the worm and how they are an important part of how energy cycles through an ecosystem. The aquaponics will provide a template for the students to design their own systems, and allow us to have plants growing in the classroom.
We are truly appreciative of the generous donations. It not only gave us so much enjoyment and learning opportunities this year, but will provide years of use, enjoyment, and learning!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
This classroom project was brought to life by San Diego Gas & Electric and 2 other donors.Water, Water, Everywhere....Except in Times of Drought.
Funded Nov 4, 2021It is always overwhelming when projects get funded so quickly. In the weeks before our classrooms were disrupted by the Covid pandemic, my 6th grade students were busy cleaning up the school greenhouse. They worked tirelessly to organize materials, take inventory, and use a ton of elbow grease to make it look fantastic. Then, we were all sent home.
The following year we were unable to get back into the greenhouse as it was turned into our Covid testing area. Students were upset as they were excited to continue working on the greenhouse to grow and learn. However, we were unable to utilize the area for the entire year as the pandemic continued to cause problems.
This year, as things started to get better, and the greenhouse finally stopped being used as a testing center, we were able to get back in there. We didn't finish the entire setup, but my 8th grade students were excited to start building and testing the hydroponic system. They learned about pump pressure (important to get the water to the top of the unit), grow mediums, and how to fix leaks! They see the units as their legacy gift to the 6th and 7th grade classes who will continue to build and use the systems. As always, my students and I are so grateful for your generous contributions. They are literally gifts that keep on giving!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
This classroom project was brought to life by San Diego Gas & Electric and one other donor.Growing as We Grow!
Funded May 5, 2021We are extremely grateful for all of your amazing donations to this project. Your contributions allowed us to create an amazing outdoor space and give my students the opportunity to design and create water conserving garden. It was awesome seeing my students take the raw supplies and build all of the planters. After they built over 20 of them, they worked together to create a functioning, aesthetically pleasing garden at our school.
When the students first saw the supplies, they were amazed at everything available to create this space. Your donations gave us the ability for each of the students to build a planter. This ensured everyone would experience the hands on learning experience I strive to provide to all my classes.
This project is special, as students can see and use their creations as they progress through middle school. We can use the planters for numerous learning experiences. My students will be able to run experiments, grow edible crops, and learn about water conserving gardens. We have already submitted our next project which will continue to expand our growing capabilities. We owe this all to you! Thank you for your generous gifts!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 14 other donors.Let's Take It Outside!
Funded Sep 2, 2020I would like to thank you for your generosity. Your contributions to my project allowed us to take our class outdoors and create a comfortable space to learn and relax. When the students first saw the materials, they immediately started asking if they could work outside. My students use the chairs and tables to set up their laptops (of course 6 feet apart!) to work comfortably and safely. In this difficult time, the social and emotional well being of the students are equally as important as their education, and your donations have contributed to the mental health of the students tremendously. In addition to using the materials for educational purposes, the students can often be seen using the chairs to relax during breaks and lunch-- just being kids. It is amazing hearing them laugh and engage with each other. It has also brought me closer to my students, as I am frequently invited to join their circles and in the amazing middle school conversations.
Thank you so much for contributing to my project, my classroom, and most importantly, the well being and education of my students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
This classroom project was brought to life by San Diego Gas & Electric and 9 other donors.Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: It Takes a Village
Funded Oct 24, 2018As always, your generous donations made this project a success with the students. All the pictures were taken with the technology purchased with your donations. In addition, the students were able to receive immediate feedback as I was able to access documents and rubrics as I walked around and assisted them while they worked. This allowed all the students to revise their projects and make them better.
The donations included much more than the technology. Students learned about water filtration through aquaponics and hydroponics. The grow blocks and fertilizer were used to plant seeds, and students were able to gain hands on experience on how to set up and maintain these types of growing systems. This was a very important skill to obtain when trying to survive the Zombie Apocalypse!
Finally, the seed containers gave the students containers to safely store their seeds. They were able to label seeds for easy identification, and use them for our big exhibition. As visitors engaged with each of the groups, they were able to share information and display different types of seeds for all to see.
Thank you for all the donations and helping students learn about different aspects that will allow them to survive the real zombie apocalypse....or just start a garden at home.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
Living Off the Land....Urban Style!
Funded Oct 2, 2017They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but words cannot express my students excitement when using the equipment you generously supplied for us. Our school had a very interesting year. As we eagerly anticipated the construction of our new school, we were unable to begin our project as planned. But the students at Magnolia Science Academy are a great group of kids. They understood that we would eventually be using the equipment, and they patiently waited until we were finally at our new facility. It was an amazing way to usher in the new classroom, allowing the students to get their hands dirty and get up close and personal with our new pets, the red wiggler worms.
Students used the worm bins you provided to build homes for our new friends. They used the moisture meters to ensure the bedding would keep them happy and healthy and provide the school garden with plenty of nutrient rich worm castings for years to come. In addition, they designed a worm bin garden, that when complete will be the first thing visitors to our school will see. They worked with our student leadership group to create an aesthetically pleasing and fully functional worm garden. The project has now been handed off to the gardening club, who continues to care for the worms and maintain the garden.
Although we were unable to do the project at the magnitude originally planned, the equipment is being used as a stepping stone for future classes to build off of. The aquaponics systems are built and will be in use very soon. Once they are up and running, they will be used as educational tools for future classes. My students next year, and for many years to come will be able to see how both worm gardens and aquaponic systems can be used to create a sustainable living environment and help future generations make this world a better place to live.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse Through Gardening: A Survival Guide
Funded Oct 24, 2016All my classes are extremely grateful for you generous donation. When we started planning the Zombie Apocalypse Garden project, we did not anticipate just how big we were going to make it. Then our delivery came, and the students started thinking and planning as if the zombie apocalypse was actually happening. It was also incredible seeing 150 seventh graders using power tools to create the planter boxes and all other aspects of the garden. They designed incredible structures, and made them even more elaborate when they saw the tools they were going to get to use to build them.
With all big projects, there is always that moment as an educator when you realize you have really made an impact with a student or students. During this project, there was a day when a group of three female students were trying to figure out how to attach two pieces of wood to support their structure. I gave them a little advice, and then brought them over to the compound miter box saw. They looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that they were going to use it to cut the wood they needed. When the first girl made her cut, she looked over with a huge smile and said "that was really cool!". The next girl grabbed the impact driver and sunk two screws into her piece of wood. Again, there was a huge smile. She exclaimed "that was so easy.". There were many groups that were pleasantly surprised when I told them they were going to be doing the cutting and drilling. I would show them once, give them the safety talk, and then stand back and watch as they constructed the many different structures in the garden.
The best thing about this project is that it can be used to implement more of my curriculum in the future. Students are happy that a project they worked so hard on will not just go the way of the dumpster now that they are done with it. That is the wonderful aspect of this project. There is no "done". The garden will continue to grow and be used not just this year, but in following years and be used as a learning tool. This was all made possible by your truly generous grant. My classes are extremely grateful and look forward to using all the tools and supplies for many years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Kessler