Past projects 9
Student Journalists Need Writing Guides
Funded Sep 9, 2015My students and I are so grateful for your generous contribution to our classroom. In Journalism, the students will greatly benefit from the texts that you have provided.
"Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide," will really help students with their own feature writing by reading selections of professional journalists' feature writing. They will use these stories as inspiration and models for their own writing.
The editorial staff of the student newspaper will now each have a copy of "Letters to a Young Journalist," a book that will offer them extra encouragement and inspiration as student -leaders.
"Journalism of Ideas: Brainstorming, Developing, and Selling Stories in the Digital Age" will allow me to provide more ideas and guidance about story generation and how to use student writing on blogs, websites and social media.
Having these resources will help my students become better readers and writers and I thank you again for your generous contribution that makes it possible.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
Tomorrow's Journalists Need Help!
Funded Aug 28, 2014My students and I are so grateful for your generous donations. The kids were so excited when I showed them the 30 headphones that we received through your donation. Just having the headphones on makes them more excited to be in class, for sure! And, now that we have printer in the classroom, they are thrilled that they don't have to go to the library to print out assignments for class!
At the start of class every day, students spend 10 minutes researching the news of the day. They love the CBS morning news "Eye Opener," the daily news in 90-seconds. This video clip gives the students a great starting point for their daily news research. And now, there is not a cacophony of noise from 20 different video clips playing simultaneously. From there, students branch off and read and watch news clips from many different news sources online and the headphones make it an environment where each student can focus on the news that is in front of them.
If I had to boil down the class' goals, I would say they were to know the news that's happening on a local, national and world level as well as being able to report the news that is most important to them and the student body. Your donations directly impact these goals allowing them to watch news clips and also to print the stories that they write for class and for our student newspaper.
Again, both my students and I are so very grateful for your thoughtful and generous donations of the headphones, printer and toner. These donations will serve my students not only this year, but for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
Let There Be Art
Funded Apr 25, 2014In the first few weeks of school, the blank-canvas classrooms begin to take on the personality of the students. This year, with our new art supplies, my students were able to create displays where they could proudly hang their work and bring color to our lives. They created unique visual interpretations of some of the many Native American creation myths that we read in class and instantly the classroom took on the uniqueness and vibrancy of my students.
When I opened the new box of markers - there were literally, "ohhhs and ahhhs" from the students (and from myself) because there is just something exciting about a fresh set of markers - turn that into 100s of markers and the excitement is even greater! The students really appreciated a new, complete set of markers that will surely last this school year and more.
Likewise, with new packages of construction paper and stencils. It's often the things that seem little that make the biggest difference. They're used to using materials that aren't new or ones that have been used and picked over, so they felt special and excited about making something of their own and sharing it with the class.
So, thanks so much for the art supplies. We're all looking forward to using them throughout the year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
Yoga Club: Focus, Stress Relief and Wellness for Teens
Funded Sep 13, 2010On behalf of my yoga club students, I'd like to thank you for your generous donation to this project. At the beginning of the school year, I held an informational meeting for any students interested in yoga and over 50 students attended. Among the reasons students were interested in practicing yoga were stress-relief, better flexibility, peace and overall wellness. I was pleasantly surprised not only by the number of interested students, but also by the self awareness and desire to improve their minds, bodies and spirits.
The materials that your donations allowed us access to are necessary for practice and every week, the club members proudly set up our practice room with the mats and blocks. Having these new and high-quality materials gives the students a sense of pride and allows them to practice yoga to their fullest.
As the club grows and students get the stress-relief, flexibility, peace and wellness they they sought, know that you have played a major part in that. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Namaste!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
HS Juniors Need Mini-Reference Library
Funded Sep 14, 2010On behalf of my students, I'd like to thank you for your generous donations to this project. The reference books on the Romantic Era poets will be an invaluable resource during the research paper unit this school year. During their Junior year, all students are required to write a literary research paper and this year the topic is Romantic Era poets and poetry. The resources in the school library are very limited and with my nearly 150 students, I knew many students would be left empty handed.
Now, we have not only two volumes on each of the six major poets of the time period, but we also have various collections of their poetry. While we will also incorporate web-based research, I want to encourage my students to use hard-copy resources as well. Many of them do not utilize the school or public libraries or have books available to them at home, so having this mini-reference library in the classroom will open their eyes to the information they can find with the pages of a book.
Thank you for your support of Donors Choose, this project and young adult literacy. Your donation to this project has had a direct effect on my students and we all thank you so very much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
How Can We See the Big Picture Without a Projector Screen?
Funded Jul 7, 2010I'd like to thank you on behalf of my students for your generous donations that allowed us to get a projector screen in our classroom. When I was assigned a new classroom for this school year, I was really disappointed to see that so many basic supplies were missing from the room, including a screen.
We use the screen nearly every day, mainly to project notes so that the students have a visual aid while I'm teaching. The screen also allows me to project film clips to accompany lessons (most recently, we're comparing different scenes from different productions of Macbeth).
The projector cart has been such an asset too. To have a portable cart on wheels allows me to bring in and out the overhead projector very easily.
Your support and generosity makes my job easier and give my students the resources that they deserve. We all appreciate your donations more than you know!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
One Laptop Can Make a Difference!
Funded Dec 26, 2010On behalf of all of my students, I'd like to thank you for your generous donations to this project! When our laptop was taken away at the beginning of the year due to lack of funding to pay off the lease, I wasn't sure how I'd continue the multimedia instruction I was used to delivering.
Not only will this laptop allow me to create and project presentations in the classroom, but it allows the students to do the same. Many projects that I assign give students the opportunity to present their work in various ways - through PowerPoint presentations, graphic artwork and video and audio files - and having a classroom laptop will give the students so many options to express themselves and demonstrate their learning.
Thank you for your support of Donors Choose, this project and of my students. You are giving them opportunities that they would not otherwise get and for that we are all so thankful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
Where Did Hamlet, Okonkwo And Meursault Live?
Funded Aug 26, 2009Thank you so much for your generous donations that made it possible for us to have a world map in our classroom.
In British Literature, students are familiarizing themselves not only with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but also the various settings of the novels and plays that we're reading.
In World Literature, we've been focusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan this year while reading A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner. The students have learned so much about the people, culture and landscape and the map has played an important part of that learning.
Thank you again for your support of teachers, students and public schools!
”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 3 other donors.Look It Up! 11th And 12th Graders Need Dictionaries!
Funded Sep 6, 2009I want to thank you so much for your generous donations of 15 brand new dictionaries. It means so much to me and my students to have a set of dictionaries available for vocabulary exercises, ACT preparation and so much more.
We literally had a couple of tattered paperback dictionaries when the school year started and it was difficult for me to explain why the resources were so lacking. Now, my students and I really do appreciate the opportunities that Donors Choose presents to Chicago public school classrooms. Without your support, so many kids would go without the basic supplies necessary to be successful in school.
Once again, thank you so very much for your generous support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schelewitz Gerdes
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.