Past projects 24
Future Engineers To the Rescue!
Funded Sep 25, 2023When we opened the box and took out the vacuum cleaner, we all cheered. It is a beautiful machine and students were eager to help assemble it in order to try it out. As a class we used small brooms to sweep the floor and the rug, but it was not enough. Then we brainstormed ways to minimize the amount of trash that was on the floor. Students made posters and the classroom helpers would give reports on our progress in keeping the classroom floor clean. Our dream was to have a vacuum cleaner and one that was easy for students to use to get the job done more efficiently and effectively.
The Dyson vacuum served as an inspiration for a design challenge. Students worked in teams to develop the dream vacuum of the future. Students took apart the vacuum and studied the components. They had fun sharing their ideas with each other. We also watched Dyson videos regarding the technology behind the machine. Thanks to the vacuum cleaner our classroom has been cleaner the whole year. The monitors had fun being in charge of vacuuming the rug every other day and it gave them a sense of pride to be able to use it.
Thank you so much for your generosity- it has made all the difference.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by United Airlines and 2 other donors.Kids In Need of Water and Shade
Funded Dec 29, 2023Students were very excited to receive their water bottles. This has meant that students have water in the classroom as they cannot drink out of the water fountains in the classroom since it is unsafe. Kids do not have to travel outside of their classroom to get a drink of water and can focus on doing their work. Students also take then to the yard as the drinking fountains with filtered water are a distance from the yard. Finally students carried their bottles on our field trips where they were able to refill them. The bottles, when closed, are spill-proof and are perfect for classroom use.
Students loved their bucket hats. They use their hats at school when they go to play outside in the sun. The asphalt gets unusually hot and will continue to get hotter as the year goes on. Thank you for caring for my students and helping them find some relief from the sun. The school yard has a couple of small trees and very little shade. They keep them in their cubbies to use at school.
Both of these items have brought joy and relief to students and they are the better for it. Thank you for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
Calming Corner to the Rescue!
Funded Apr 2, 2024Thank you so much! Students will be so excited to use this corner for reading, relaxing and solving problems with other classmates. The postcards will help kids express an apology to a peer. The pinwheels will help students practice breathing to calm their bodies and minds to be ready to learn and face challenges. Have a wonderful day.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by Olga Graham Inspiring Teachers Fund and 2 other donors.Anchors Aweigh! Markers and Chart Paper For Learning
Funded Nov 10, 2021I am sorry I am late in sending you my deepest gratitude. Thanks to your generosity we had a successful year filled with learning and innovation. The chart paper helped students in their learning because I was able to create anchor charts across the curriculum. The chart markers proved to be useful in color coding steps and highlighting important concepts. Students enjoyed using color markers to make their thinking visible. This is especially important when keeping track of number representations when adding and subtracting.
We had a lot of fun representing groups of small colored straws students used to create a necklace. They had to add them to show the total number they used to make their necklaces. The markers matched the color of the straws.
We also used the chart paper and markers when creating diagrams to show the elements of a story such as character, setting, problem, and solution. During Engineering students had to build a hammock and a catapult for their "pet" lizard. The paper and markers helped them create a design first in order to make it come to life. The markers lasted all year and they were excited to take them home to continue using them.
It was a successful year filled with color, joy, and learning as a result of your donation. I can't thank you enough.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 2 other donors.Model Magic!
Funded Nov 10, 2021Sorry for the delay in sending you my heartfelt gratitude. My students were very excited to receive the base ten blocks. The blocks helped them see how regrouping works as they were able to take apart one thousand into hundreds, one hundred into tens and tens into ones. This helped them add and subtract three and four digit numbers.
Students were also able to use them to explain their thinking and model different ways to solve a problem. The blue and red colors helped them keep track of the two numbers they were adding when using a place value chart.
The blocks helped students to understand difficult concepts in building numbers and understanding what each digit truly represents. They felt comfortable knowing they could access them at any time during Math. The learning tools made all the difference. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 2 other donors.Mathematics Can Be Beautiful!
Funded May 12, 2021My students and I were very excited to receive the graph paper, colored pencil, sharpeners and the iPad stylus. We use them during Math and they have helped my students and I share our ideas better. We are able to use color to create representations of the work that is done using math manipulatives. The individual pencil sharpeners have made independent work time more productive as students are able to sharpen their pencils at any time. This has made it safer in the classroom as we are able to minimize sharing of materials in the classroom.
Students have sharpened their counting skills, their number recognition, and their ability to compose and decompose groups by counting collections of objects. Students represent the way in which they figured out the total quantity in their collections. Often, students count by 5's and 10's to see how many they have all together. The graph paper has helped students organize their groups and represent them using equations and number bonds. Having different colors, gives students the opportunity to highlight groups in order to keep track of them. In this way students are able to add larger numbers- simply by creating groups and adding 10's, 100's and ones. There is a lot of joy during Math as students help each other complete the task at hand. By the end of the year students should be able to add quantities up to the thousands.
During Number Talks, in which students share their thinking, I am able to record their ideas using the Logitech digital pencil. Students are able to readily see patterns when looking at numbers because of the use of color. As students describe patterns they see, I am able to record them. Students get excited to be able to see their names next to their ideas. It makes learning come to life.
Thank you so much for the color and joy you have brought to our Math lessons.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and 7 other donors.The Teacher Is in the House!
Funded May 20, 2020The Visual Presenter MX-P2 has been essential in implementing distance learning with my little first graders. Many of my students came to my class unsure of themselves and needed a lot of scaffolding and modeling. The presenter has enabled me to bring learning to life by being able to break every lesson down into manageable parts for my students. This could not happen if I was just relying on videos or power point presentations. I use it all day, every day across all subject areas. During Reading, I am able to teach students how to create graphic organizers, monitoring tools to keep track of their daily reading – such as "The Decodable Booky" Creature. During Math I use it to have students explain how they solved a problem and the strategy they used. They need to tell me what to write, which builds students' oral language and helps them organize their thinking. I also use the camera to photograph examples I made with students in class. This enables students who did not finish writing, to go back into the classroom course and use it as a reference to finish. If a child is absent, they are able to access the work we created with the use of the visual presenter.
With the help of the visual presenter, I was able to guide students through the engineering process in order to create a creature using recycled materials from home. First we studied about plant and animal structures. Then we looked at animal adaptations. While gathering information, I modeled how to take notes and make diagrams to record their new learning. Students were able to keep a Science journal or folder. They also went on two virtual field trips, where they observed sea otters and other se creatures. After, students designed and built a creature that used at least two animal defenses. They had to write about the materials they used as well as what defenses their creature used. All of this takes a lot of modeling and thanks to the visual presenter, I was able to bring the project to fruition.
Students enjoy drawing and creating things during Art and across the curriculum. The visual presenter has added interest and joy to our learning, as I too enjoy drawing and being creative with students. It makes my teaching more personal and their learning more colorful. It is a joy to see students get excited when we create drawings and writing together – a step at a time. Thank you so much for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and one other donor.Budding Artists In Need of Art Supplies
Funded Jul 31, 2019We are enjoying the beautiful crayons, scented markers, pencils and sharpeners. These materials have made learning more fun and engaging for my students. Every day they look forward to using the markers and crayons to share their ideas. During Art, students have created colorful drawings. Recently we studied the work of Piet Mondrian. They learned that he used primary colors and vertical and horizontal lines to create shapes in his art. While listening to jazz music, students created artwork inspired by this artist. Knowing that artwork can be abstract freed students to express themselves using color and line. At the end, they critiqued their artwork using vocabulary related to the elements of art. This experience helped them learn how to communicate and speak about value, line, shape, form and color.
When students first unpacked their materials they were excited and could not wait to use them. I purchased the white containers and students organized the crayons and helped sharpen their pencils. I notice students take great pride in their materials and are careful to properly put away the crayons and pencils at the end of each activity. The pencil sharpeners have been a blessing throughout the day, as students can sharpen their pencils at any time. The scented markers are a sensation, as students are eager to do their work just to use them.
In the future we plan to use the crayons and pencils to create drawings based on their observations of tree branches. They have been monitoring the changes of the trees outside our class since the beginning of the year and it is a great opportunity to see the lines found in nature. I will have students go outside and sketch what they see and critique their artwork based on the elements of art we have studied so far.
Without your generosity my job would be much harder and students would not be as excited to do their work and share their ideas. These materials have made all the difference in our classroom community.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by Conboy Foundation and 2 other donors.Engineering Cardboard Challenge
Funded Mar 27, 2018When I presented students with the supplies for the Engineering Project, they cheered! The week before, they had seen the videos on the Makedo website depicting how to use the tools in the kit. Students had started planning the arcade games they were going to build. The film "Caine's Arcade" was very inspirational to students and gave them a way to help reduce the amount of trash our school community sends to land fills. For a month we collected cardboard from the school cafeteria and from home. Previously, students had studied about forces and simple machines. So when everything arrived, they were ready to start building and applying what they learned. First, kids practiced using the tools by building a small structure for their reading buddies, which are small stuffed animals they use to practice reading aloud. We invited students from a Special Education class to help us build the structures. There were more than enough supplies to share with their friends.
Once they felt comfortable using the safety saws, the screw drivers and screws, they were ready to start constructing their arcade games. They did research online and looked up photos, videos and blogs regarding building cardboard games. They also did research at home by going to their local Shakey's Pizza Restaurant to see the arcade games. For a week students used the Engineering Design Process to frame their thinking. Throughout the process they participated in project critiques and helped each other improve the design of the game. It was great to see them use the language of science and engineering throughout the process. Students felt empowered to make their ideas a reality. As the day of the Arcade Game Day got closer, students became more invested in completing their projects. Students practiced explaining the object of the games and created posters to decorate the outdoor area where the Arcade would be held. Invitations to different classrooms were sent out and many kids came to play.
It was so satisfying to see kids experience bliss while working on their games- they would lose track of time. Students also experienced conflicts and it was rewarding to guide them through the process of learning how to work as a team. The day of the Arcade they were proud of their accomplishments and received many compliments from their peers. Many said it was the best day they have ever had at school in their whole lives. Without your help, this would never have been the success it was. I even had a community member donate a wheeled cart to help us store our materials when we were constructing. This experience will stay with me for a long time, as I am sure it will resonate with my students too. Thank you for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Scientists In Need of Tools
Funded Mar 27, 2018Your donation of iPads made it possible for students to access resources that helped them answer questions related to different subject areas, including Science and Engineering. You made it possible for me to integrate technology in their Engineering challenges - the creation of an Arcade Game and the construction of a structure for their reading buddies (stuffed animals).
Students had started planning the arcade games they were going to build. The film "Caine's Arcade" was very inspirational to students and gave them a way of helping to reduce the amount of trash our school community sends to the land fills. For a month students collected cardboard from the school cafeteria and from home. Previously, students had studied about forces and simple machines. So when everything arrived, they were ready to start building and applying what they learned. First, kids practiced using the tools by building a small structure for their "reading buddies." We invited students from a Special Education class to help us build the structures. There were more than enough supplies to share with their friends. Once they felt comfortable using the safety saws, the screw drivers and screws, they were ready to start constructing their arcade games. They did research online and looked up photos, videos and blogs regarding building cardboard games.
Students learned how to conduct Google searches using keywords they helped brainstorm. Part of the Engineering process is to investigate what others have done related to their projects and they had fun getting ideas from other kids who posted photos and videos of their own arcade games and structures. The iPads also enabled them to record their progress through photographs and write about it in their Engineering notebooks. Two students shared each one, so I was able to work with students in small groups. Students also used it to review vocabulary related to pushes, pulls, gravity and simple machines. I was able to download some apps and science interactive magazines to help students understand the the science behind their Arcade Games.
The iPads also motivated students to learn more about Science. While they were looking things up, students were sharing their thoughts, posing questions and taking notes. The iPads were easy to use for students and they were excited to use them. Thank you for bringing these invaluable tools to my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mireles
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.