Past projects 65
All the Science, All the Literacy, All in One!
Funded Aug 13, 2011It is every teacher's dream to have a book that you can't get kids to put down, and that is exactly what Earth Matters is!
I give the kids an independent activity to do with these books, and not only is that assignment done in record time, but they have also gone ahead into the book, exploring other topics that they are curious about. The exploring is great, but once the activity is done is when the magic happens. We go into small group discussion and these scholars are totally on it, making connections between ideas, asking questions about the problem solving potential of the topic we just learned about....it is so incredible to see!
Thank you for giving our students the tools they need to drive towards such excellence!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
Even the Walls Will Teach!
Funded Apr 30, 2011If you walk into my classroom there is absolutely no doubt what we are focusing on in my class. There are vocabulary words papering two walls. Timelines cover another and posters of major historical figures are interspersed throughout the rest of the wall space.
Everywhere that my students learn is another fact, or word, or event that they need to learn. There really is no such thing as down time in my room. And what is coolest for me as the teacher is knowing that my students are constantly learning the basics just from the walls around them, which lets me push their thinking, challenge their boundaries and help them become the citizens we so desperately need them to be.
The gift you have given will allow me to continue to build this learning-centered room and we are all very grateful for your gift!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
They Still Need To Know What TIME It Is!
Funded May 11, 2011I have seen firsthand the impact that constant exposure to interesting and challenging texts can have on students. My students are always excited when the new magazines come in and it is a great way to show them the relevance of what they are learning.
Time For Kids and the Weekly Reader are great magazines that keep our kids interested in the world around them. Then, it becomes a lot easier for me to step in and make the connections between what we are learning in class and what they are reading in the magazines.
I could not be happier to have these amazing resources again this year and I know that great things are on the way with this amazing gift!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
A Year of Excellence - Rewarded Excellently!
Funded Apr 1, 2011We just got back from another amazing trip to Washington DC and it is so cool to reflect on the experiences that our students had and how meaningful these experiences are to a well-rounded education. So often, our students ask "why are we learning this?", but after this week in DC, they know fully understand how their education applies to the world around them.
Though our trip was a fun-filled five days, the first day, with the trip to the Newseum that you kindly contributed to, really set the tone for a trip of relevant and educational fun! From the opening 4-D video experience, to the 9-11 display and the feature on Hurricane Katrina, our students were treated to a day of hands-on fun that proved the variety of ways that their education can impact not only their life, but the lives of others. It was a blast!!!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
A Sojourn to the Past, For the Future, Part 2
Funded Jan 29, 2011It is really hard to put into words the impact of this trip, which not only included seeing the sights, but also included meeting the people that made these events happen. It is one thing to see the Edmund Pettus Bridge, but it is quite another to walk across it with Ms. Joann Bland, who was there on Bloody Sunday. There is nothing like meeting the people that made history happen when you are trying to inspire the next generation of students to pick up the torch.
I have provided links to some of the videos that were taken on the trip and I hope that you take a couple of minutes to watch them, as they can really show you what it was like for our students to interact with these legends. When you see them, you will KNOW that this trip has changed lives!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRR9gLgLVOQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TJ6C50KKok&feature=related”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
The Inside Scoop on the Civil Rights Movement!
Funded Nov 24, 2010I was so worried that our students wouldn't appreciate this book. We read it during a testing week, when the kids were challenged and stressed. Classes were short, and it was the week before spring break. All factors that failed to inspire much confidence from me. But boy was I wrong. Ruby Bridges had all the inspiration and motivation that our students would ever need. They were completely enthralled by hearing Ruby's story from her and by considering how much courage that Ruby showed to help change our country. It is so difficult to make 10 and 11 year old kids believe in heroes when the heroes never look like them. Ruby Bridges IS my students and they latched on to her like nothing I've seen before.
Thank you so much for giving my students a hero they can believe in.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
This classroom project was brought to life by Bing and one other donor.Exploring Engaging, Exciting Electromagnets!!!
Funded Feb 1, 2011The best thing about 5th graders is that they still find their world absolutely amazing. If you give them anything outside of their normal day-to-day, they are completely captivated and do a great job exploring and investigating the possibilities. They make me miss being 11.
This week we experienced a lot of failure. A lot of untightened connections, a lot of widened coils. Not too many paper clips picked up, at first. But as the failure turned into experience, and the experience turned into re-read directions, we ultimately found some success as we built our own electromagnets. It was a little nerve-wracking to step back and watch the kids do their thing, but it quickly turned into an amazing week of learning. A week we would not have had without your gift.
Thank you so much for letting our kids explore their world as only 11 year-olds can!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
A Sojourn to the Past, For the Future, Part 1.
Funded Jan 25, 2011First of all, I am completely blown away by the number of donors that made this trip possible! I am beyond excited that so many people share the vision that these Sojourn trips are founded on!
We just got back from the trip yesterday and it is just now starting to sink in how important this trip was for our students. Students came away from the trip shocked and elated, scared and inspired, tearful and joyful. It was the perfect mix of emotion as our students started to unravel their history and the complex legacy that continues to color the world they live in.
In addition to the places we visited, the Civil Rights Institute, and the 16th Street Baptist Church among others, we got to meet heroes of the Civil Rights Movement like Joseph Selmons and Lisa McNair. Interacting with these inspiring figures, who shared there history and the changes they have seen result from the Movement was a truly life changing moment for our students.
I am so excited to see where we go from here. For 5th graders to have such an impactful experience as they are determining their path in life cannot help but have a inspirational effect.
Thank you so much for the enormous contribution you have made to the future of our scholars!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
Immersed in the Civil Rights Movement
Funded Nov 18, 2010I am going to try to stay away from hyperbole here...but today was one of the more satisfying days of my teaching career. It was cold and rainy in Atlanta, but I know that we laid a foundation of knowledge that will smolder and burn for a long time.
As our 5th graders toured the Sweet Auburn District of Atlanta, they were struck by the historical landmarks and the breadth of Dr. King's impact on the world. They were excited that these contributions happened so close to their homes and that these nearby heroes helped change the world. But they were also impacted by the homeless people, the dilapidated buildings and the general malaise that envelops the community now. "Mr. Buck, what happened?" was the question of the day. This trip perfectly set the stage for the Civil Rights Sojourn that they will embark on in March which will hopefully lead them to their own answers to the question, "What happened?"
Our 6th grade scholars have already embarked on their Sojourn, starting last year in Birmingham. For them, today was a day of making connections between what they have learned previously to what they saw today. It was impressive to see them tie together the glory of Sweet Auburn in the past with the struggles of today in a way that made them help make sense of sense of events such as the Holocaust. For them to recognize what can happen when people stop caring about one another is more than any teacher should be able to hope for.
Thank you for an amazing experience. ”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
No Lazy River Here! Just Future Green Scientists At Work!
Funded Nov 18, 2010I have to admit. I might be a little jealous of the ugliest frog I have ever seen.
I found an albino clawed frog at the local pet store and knew immediately that he would be perfect for the river tank that was so generously donated to my class room. He's ugly, he swims like a mad man and he eats gross little blood worms. And this guy has become the absolute rock star in my room. I have to constantly fight to keep attention in class as this guy seems determined to make sure that our students know everything about frogs!
Which, to be honest, I love. My class is now a living place where everything that we learned about life science is on permanent display, and the students are constantly seeing the things that have been learned previously. I cannot a better review, or a better way to make sure that all the students at KIPP STRIVE fall in love with the exciting world of science.
Thank you so much for this priceless gift!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Buck
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney's Planet Challenge and 4 other donors.