Past projects 6
The First Step in Maslow's Hierarchy
Funded Dec 15, 2023Thank you so much for supporting my students with the snacks they need to keep their brains going. It makes me so happy that my students know they can come to me if they're hungry, and I can provide them with the boost of energy that will get them through their day.
I've also used the snacks to support my after-school club and my outdoor education students when we take field trips. I know that my students won't always be able to bring extra food with them, so I'm so glad to have snacks for them on those days when we get back to school late.
I know snacks might seem like a silly thing, but ensuring that I can meet my students' basic needs helps them feel more at home in our classroom. That, in turn, helps them to take more risks and be fully engaged in their learning. So, from the bottom of all our hearts - and stomachs - thank you for your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mauro
Science Literacy
Funded Nov 30, 2022I am so grateful for your donation to support science literacy in my classroom! Students have been loving the new, highly engaging graphic novels about science. I have noticed more students choose these books when they have finished an assignment early or are looking for information about something we're studying in science class.
I have many students who speak English as a second (or sometimes third!) language, and having graphic novels helps them to access the material and understand science concepts more easily. It also helps them develop their language skills as they can match new words with images.
Finally, it wasn't only literacy that you supported - it may sound silly, but I cannot express how helpful it is to provide students with pencils, tissues, and other necessities that help them thrive in school. Also, I'm pretty convinced that 7th graders eat pencils - I just don't know where they go! - so having extra on hand is always helpful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mauro
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 3 other donors.Organizational Success
Funded Jan 31, 2022Thank you so much for supporting our classroom with vital basic school supplies like pencils, erasers, binders, and pencil pouches. These supplies have made it so much easier for students to focus on their school work instead of worrying about where they will obtain the items they need to get their work done. Specifically, proving pencil pouches to students made a huge difference in what they brought to our classroom - we don't allow backpacks in our school building, so having a pencil pouch gave students somewhere to carry their important supplies.
It's also such a blessing as a teacher to have these school supplies covered - otherwise, I spend my own money to purchase these things for my students.
Thank you again for providing the fundamentals to ensure that learning happens in our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mauro
This classroom project was brought to life by Utah State Board of Education.Lightning on Demand!
Funded Oct 24, 2018When the Van DeGraff Generator first appeared on the table at the front of the classroom, most of my students were confused. They had never seen a table top "lightening machine" before. I asked for a volunteer - someone with long hair, without any product in it - and one of my students came up and skeptically placed her hand on top of the Generator. I turned it on and we immediately heard the tell-tale zap-zap of the Van DeGraff Generator scraping electric charges onto the metal dome. Slowly, as the class watched, our brave volunteer's hair began to stand on end. There were shrieks and yells and excitement as the students wondered what the heck was going on!
I gave each student time to explore the Generator if they were interested. Some got zapped by mini lightening as they went to put their hand on the metal dome. Some tried bringing different materials near the dome to see what would happen. Some bravely put their hand on the Generator and zapped passing students with the current flowing through them.
Adding such an interactive example of electricity to our classroom not only peaked curiosity and enthusiasm, it allowed my students to visualize an often abstract concept. We are so grateful for the donations that allowed our electricity unit to literally come alive!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mauro
This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and 2 other donors.Let There Be Frogs!
Funded Dec 19, 2017I cannot even express how wonderful it was to finish our state end-of-the-year testing and have an engaging, informative, and frankly gross activity waiting for my students! We spent the past three days talking about body systems and carrying out frog dissections in our 7th grade science classroom. My students were equal parts enthralled and grossed out, which frankly is the best combination!
It is immensely gratifying to pull out a bag of 10 frogs and get everything from shrieks to moans to laughter. It was even more gratifying to watch students that hadn't been interested or engaged in science this year take charge of their group's dissection. Having these hands on materials in our classrooms really makes the difference for how students relate to and process their learning. I also appreciated hearing so many of my students discuss their desire to be a brain or heart surgeon when they grow up.
Though our school year is coming to a close, I know this will be one of the activities that my students remember most about science. And truly, that's a win for me. I don't need them to remember the layers of the Earth or Newton's Three Laws of Motion. I do, however, want them to always remember how fulfilling science can be, especially if they let themselves be curious. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mauro
This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and 5 other donors.Student Inquiry of Forces and Motion!
Funded Nov 1, 2017The impact of the physics cart kits in our classroom has been game-changing. Allowing students to experience physics first-hand instead of through lecture truly changes their understanding of physics concepts. I was able to build an entire standard's worth of lessons around the physics carts and when we applied these concepts to future lessons, the students were able to answer and understand the new concepts much more quickly.
Students designed their own experiments to test how force, motion, and acceleration were all related using the cart set ups. I was amazed how quickly they grasped the idea of changing one variable for their experiment and how easily they were able to form a conclusion about the relationship between these three ideas. This lead us to Newton's 1st and 2nd Laws which were that much easier after these experiments.
We were so grateful to have these materials in our classroom, and we were able to share them with other classes as well. What a difference it made to our understanding of physics and the way that force, mass, and acceleration are related!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mauro