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Mrs. Borstel's Classroom

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Past projects 93

  • Gearing up for NGSS

    Funded Aug 24, 2014

    Words can not express my gratitude to you for your incredibly generous contribution to my classroom. Thank you again for supporting my project! My classes were so excited to hear that we will be receiving new hotplates, digital scales, temperature probes, beakers, and replacement wire gauze.

    These items have already increased the number of safe, engaging and exciting lab activities the students have experienced. We are using the digital scales today to more accurately measure mass, and have used the new beakers to measure volume and see the buoyant forces on an object placed in water. The students will be able to heat ice water on the hot plates and measure the temperature as the water changes phase - while graphing the results with the temperature probes. All of my 8th grade students will be able to use the materials for many years to come.

    I am incredibly fortunate to have so many wonderful supporters that believe in what I try to accomplish in the classroom. I am truly grateful that you thought about me. Thank you again!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

    This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 10 other donors.
  • Trash 2 Treasure: Helping the Environment With Disney

    Funded Mar 18, 2014

    Thank you so very much for your kind an generous donation during the Friends and Family drive! I am so fortunate to have so many supporters that have contributed to my classroom through donorschoose.org. The students were very excited to hear that we were planning to implement a composting program at our school. Comments included "What are they?' "How does it work? Does it smell? What foods can you put in them? Where will we keep them? Will there be bugs? How long does it take to compost food? "What will we do with the compost?" "This is so cool!"

    As you can tell, the compost bins generated a lot of excitement - Not only that we would have less waste going into our landfills, but that the composted material can be used as fertilizer and mulch for plants around the school campus, reducing the need to water and fertilize, saving money and energy.

    Thank you again, I am looking forward to full implementation of a composting program at our school.

    With warmest regards and”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

    This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 24 other donors.
  • The Art of Chemistry

    Funded Mar 1, 2014

    My students are thrilled to receive the art supplies - the idea of creating a permanent Periodic Table is very exciting! They will be learning physical and chemical properties of the elements as well as who, when and where the elements were discovered and what they are used for. Using this information, they will design a 4 x 4 tile that they will paint, using glazes that have element compounds in them. Because the paints change color when exposed to heat, the students will have first hand experience with this chemical reaction.

    This multitask, hands-on, project based activity is clearly cross curricular as it combines Research, Science, History, Art, and Math. Students design and problem solve while discovering how the world around them works. This project incorporates Common Core State Standards as well as Next Generation Science Standards to help our students become critical thinkers.

    Thank you again for making this project possible.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

  • Inspiring Students With MakerBot 3-D Printing

    Funded Nov 22, 2013

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart for funding our Makerbot Replicator 3-D printer bundle project! My students and I are so very grateful for your generosity and interest in bringing hands-on STEM projects into our classroom.

    Your wonderful donation provided a Makerbot Replicator 3-D printer and filament which will allow the students to explore the process of developing a 2-D design into the fabrication of a 3-D object later this year. May is going to be a very busy month; learning about Thingiverse, how to program the Makerbot 3-D printer, and then printing small 3-D objects. The students are anxiously waiting for the opportunity to use the printer.

    It is very important to have meaningful, creative, real-life, hands-on inquiry experiences in Science, that incorporate Math and Language. as well as adding Technology and Engineering to the curriculum. Students also need the opportunity to learn how to code in school. America is going to need thousands of engineers, developers, technicians, scientists and more in the coming years, and I hope this project can lead our students towards those STEM careers!

    I have the most awesome parents any teacher could ask for. Thank you, Makerbot for making this possible!

    With many thanks and”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

    This classroom project was brought to life by MakerBot and 5 other donors.
  • STEM - Labquest - Part 2

    Funded Dec 14, 2013

    Thank you so very much for your kind and generous donation to my classroom.

    The Labquest interfaces and probes we received will be used very shortly in the classroom. We are currently studying Acids and Bases and we will be using the pH probes to test the pH of different substances, like water, lemon juice, orange juice, baking soda and water, as well as other cleaners, antacids and household acids.

    We will first use pH paper to determine if substances are acids or bases, and then we will test each to find the exact pH, as well as test the pH after the 2 substances have been combined.

    The Labquest Interfaces will plot a graph of the pH change as well as give us more exact measurements than can be determined with just pH paper. These interfaces will be indispensable in the education of my students for many years to come. As we are able to receive more probes, we will be able to do more hands-on activities in the classroom.

    Thank you!!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

  • STEM in the Classroom Part 3

    Funded Mar 1, 2014

    Thank you so very much for your kind and generous donation to my classroom.

    The Labquest interface, pH and temperature probes we received will be used very shortly in the classroom. We are currently studying Acids and Bases and we will be using the pH probes to test the pH of different substances, like water, lemon juice, orange juice, baking soda and water, as well as other cleaners, antacids and household acids.

    We will first use pH paper to determine if substances are acids or bases, and then we will test each to find the exact pH, as well as test the pH after the 2 substances have been combined.

    The Labquest Interfaces will plot a graph of the pH change as well as give us more exact measurements than can be determined with just pH paper.

    Thank you!!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

    This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 5 other donors.
  • Robotics, Engineering and NGSS

    Funded Nov 22, 2013

    I am so grateful for your kind and generous donations! Your generosity to my science class has allowed us to receive a class set of Robotic arms. These arms will help the students learn more about force, pressure, hydraulics, & robotics and give them the opportunity to work collaboratively on a long term, hands-on project. Although we have not yet started building the robotic arms, I know that when we begin this unit the students will be totally engaged in a fun, engaging, inquiry learning activity.

    I really appreciate that you are helping me to motivate my students to learn more about and love science. Hands-on experiences will inspire students to explore current technology and think about future technologies. Building the robotic arms will involve problem solving and critical thinking; 2 important parts of the Common Core State Standards and 21st century skills. Thank you for helping me dive head-first into the Next Generation Science Standards, by providing materials that will not only excite students this year, but for years to come!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

  • STEM

    Funded Oct 8, 2013

    Thank you SO very much for contributing to my classroom! The students are very excited to have the 4 Vernier Labquests 2, Temperature and pH probes. They are excited that they will be able to graph temperature real time as they melt ice and boil the water. As they opened the boxes, there were "Ohs", "Ahs", and "Cool!" when they realized what was in the boxes - it was almost like Christmas! One student said, "This is really neat technology to use in the classroom."

    The students will be able engage in Hands-on inquiry based curriculum. The Interface will accurately determine pH of a solution, and the students can automatically see how the pH changes as they mix solutions. They will be able to use the interface and probes to measure temperature changes and create real-time graphs during phase changes. As we are able to purchase more probes, the interface can be used in many different ways, and is not limited to pH and Temp.

    I am really excited to be able to have these interfaces and probes for my middle school classroom. Students will discover so much more than they could have with alcohol thermometers and pH paper. The possibilities are endless and I look forward to exciting kids about science!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

  • Inclined To Learn: Hands-On Physics

    Funded Sep 27, 2013

    Thank you so very much for supporting my classroom! My students were very excited to receive the Work, Force and Energy models, the Pendulum clamps, Distillation apparatus, and spark lighters. They commented on how much easier the new spark lighters were to use than our old, worn-out ones.

    We used the Work, Force and Energy models to show examples of simple machines and how they worked. The students then incorporated the concepts of the simple machines such as the incline plane, screw, 1st, 2nd and 3rd class levers, and pulley's into their group Rube Goldberg Machines - and created unique and amazing contraptions! The student videos were awesome!

    Having the simple machines allowed the students to investigate and test the mechanics of their designs before they incorporated them into their final Rube Goldberg machines. The spark lighters will make it easier to light the Bunsen burners, creating a safer environment for all the students. The distillation apparatus will be used to show how water can change from a liquid to a gas and back again, part of our unit on States of Matter. These wonderful activities give our students the opportunity to engage with the curriculum, and make science accessible to all students.

    Thank you again.”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

  • A Strong Attraction: Electromagnetism and NGSS

    Funded Sep 29, 2013

    A HUGE THANK YOU to all my wonderful friends, family, students and their parents whose kind and generous contributions to Donor's Choose provided me with additional equipment for my classroom! The students are very appreciative that you have provided high quality materials and they are very excited to be able to work with the supplies in Science laboratory. One student said, "The cars teach us about how the sun provides energy to power everyday things!"

    We are ecstatic to have 8 solar cars, an electrostatic kit and new graduated cylinders for the classroom. The graduated cylinders are large enough to fit irregular objects to test for density and measure a large object's volume more accurately. When we start our Chemistry unit, the solar cars will be used to show how energy can be transferred (but not created or destroyed), from one form to another, and that the energy can be used to power an LED, motor, light and fan. The Electrostatic kit will help students learn about electrons, static electricity, and charges.

    One of the most important parts of teaching science is having hands-on activities to make abstract concepts more concrete. It is amazing to watch kid's faces when they see a discrepant event - a result not what they expected- that challenges their misconceptions. Seeing the "light go off" as they realize how the natural world works is always a pleasure to behold! Thank you so much for making this a reality!”

    With gratitude,

    Mrs. Borstel

Students learn by doing, and the best way to learn science is to do science! My students prefer hands-on learning to lecture and love to get out of their seats and explore chemistry and anatomy through experimentation/dissection. I love my job because I get to watch my student's Oohs' and Ahh's while engaging in science. Thank you in advance for helping our students discover the natural world through Science. I also coach the Girls' Varsity Lacrosse team. We keep growing and this year we have over 50 players! I am so proud of these young ladies, playing hard, constantly learning new tactics and loving the sport of Lacrosse!

About my class

Students learn by doing, and the best way to learn science is to do science! My students prefer hands-on learning to lecture and love to get out of their seats and explore chemistry and anatomy through experimentation/dissection. I love my job because I get to watch my student's Oohs' and Ahh's while engaging in science. Thank you in advance for helping our students discover the natural world through Science. I also coach the Girls' Varsity Lacrosse team. We keep growing and this year we have over 50 players! I am so proud of these young ladies, playing hard, constantly learning new tactics and loving the sport of Lacrosse!

About my class

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