Past projects 21
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
Funded Oct 31, 2019The addition of SCOPE magazine to our classroom this year was hugely impactful. Being able to view current news in a student friendly manner as well as enjoy narrative stories, opinion pieces, and other interesting writing changed the way we read the news and served as mentor text for our written work.
SCOPE Magazine was especially essential during our journalism unit. As we determined issues of importance and found our voice as journalists, SCOPE served as a class foundation for strong journalistic organization, structure, and style. Thank you to all of our donors for making SCOPE Magazine part of our classroom this year. We are forever changed as readers and writers because of your generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 7 other donors.The Power of the Pencil
Funded Aug 15, 2019I can't begin to tell you what a difference the I-pad and Apple pencil have made in our math classroom. Because of your generous donation, my students can make their thinking visible to the class. The I-pad allows students to take risks, to try new ideas, and to work together with our classroom community to record their math thinking.
The biggest difference the Apple materials have made is that they have brought us together as a math community sharing problem solving strategies, revising our math thinking, and working together to make our ideas know to one another.
The Apple pen makes participation fun and easy. Errors are easily erased, and students are willing to risk more. For those students who face more challenges recording their ideas, this new technology has made math easier and created a greater sense of success. My students and I can't thank you enough.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
Forty-Niner Knowledge In Action
Funded Feb 3, 2019After enjoying the gold rush books that you so generously helped our class obtain, students were eager to design gold rush maps of their own. Using the knowledge gleaned from their reading, students created mining camps with roads, tents, and other authentic items from the time period. Once finished, we were ready to program our robot to find his way through the town. What a fun way to take history and bring it into the future! We couldn't have done the project without the books and robot and can't thank you enough for supporting our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by Sphero and 3 other donors.Fractured Fun
Funded Jan 23, 2019What a delight it was to see the kids' faces when our box of Fractured Fairy Tales arrived! Everyone was so eager to begin reading. Shouts of "How many can I read? May I read them all?" could be heard throughout the classroom. We quickly formed book clubs and began reading. Our focus was on developing a deeper understanding of the stereotypes in some tales and the importance of hearing other points of view. Students charted, wrote Post-it notes, and used their reader's notebooks to share their thoughts and ideas. The books helped us expand our view of literature and people. And the stories we wrote from our fairy tale inspiration reflect our discoveries. Thanks again for opening up the world of fairy tales!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
Time to Tinker and Learn
Funded Jan 23, 2019How exciting to see the inventors of tomorrow busy at work today in our classroom! Thanks to our donors and the Tinkering Labs purchased, students were able to build moving cars, automatic drawing machines, and a plethora of other amazing inventions. The perseverance and problem solving along with pure joy that filled the room was something to see. By using the Tinkering Labs, students are continuing to develop an even stronger growth mindset. We can't thank our donors enough for helping to make learning such fun.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by Sphero and 8 other donors.Discovering the World of Weather
Funded Sep 10, 2018I can't thank you enough for your generous donation of weather books. When the box arrived, we were eager to dive in and explore tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Students gathered around to examine the text features and topics the books covered.
Learning all about non fiction structures, the books provided a variety of possibilities. We found books written with description, books written in a compare/contrast and sequence structures as well as books that explained the cause and effect of these weather phenomenons.
Currently, students are in research teams devouring the books so that they are well prepared to teach other groups about their form of extreme weather.
It's an exciting time in our class during Reading and Writing Workshop. We can't thank you enough for opening the doors of the weather world to our class.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
Developing Financial Literacy by Funding a Golden State Adventure
Funded Sep 14, 2018Thanks to you my students have been calculating multi-step math problems and sending their solar cars all around the school.
When the calculators and cars arrived, there were cheers throughout the building. The cheers were followed by inquiries, "When do we get to use them?" Soon, we jumped into multiple math projects that involved trip planning, resort building, and many multi-digit opportunities to problem solve. Once our math projects were completed and we had learned a bit about renewable energy, students were excited to build the solar cars.
As is evident in the pictures, the concentration and investment in getting the cars built correctly were high. We eagerly approached the starting line and set our cars down waiting for the sun to do its magic. As the checkered flag lowered, students' cars took off. What was so exciting was to see how students quickly figured out how to stop and start the cars by creating shade with their bodies and cutting off the intensity of the sun's rays.
It was a learning opportunity filled with joy and laughter. As we took the cars apart, students examined the container and soon realized there are other types of solar devices the company distributes. As we left for the day, I heard, " I'm going to go home and see if my mom will get me one to build at home." A "sun-sational success!"”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Foundation and 2 other donors.Dash And Dot with 3M
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thanks to your contributions, robotics has come to life in our classroom. Dash and Dot travel the room dancing and navigating objects as students practice their coding skills. With Dash and Dot my students are able to solve problems in a tangible manner with the robots right in front of them. They are excited to dissect problems and to discover solutions thanks to you!
The cheers that fill the room when Dash or Dot toss a ball through a hoop, clear an area of debris, or simply navigate a student designed path is joyful.
Thank you again for bringing Dash and Dot to our classroom and for the joy that they have brought.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by 3M and 2 other donors.Dash and Dot with 3M Part 2
Funded Mar 27, 2018I can't thank you enough for your generous contribution to making coding come alive in our classroom. I wish you could hear the joy that fills the room as students problem solve, create, and use their imaginations. For many it is their first foray into robotics, and for most they are hooked forever after.
Thanks to your contribution our class is able to get Dash and Dot dancing and navigating objects. Collaborating, thinking critically, and solving problems collectively are just a few of the amazing things students have been able to learn and practice with Dash and Dot.
You have opened the world of robotics to my students, and for that I am extremely grateful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Dash and Dot with 3M Part 3
Funded Dec 30, 2017The Dash and Dots have been an amazing addition to our classroom. Students have used them to design for a project titled City X. In this activity, students have imagined what life on an imaginary planet would be like. They have examined a variety of scenarios and designed solutions for possible problems that might occur.
The Dash and Dot materials provided students with many opportunities to think differently, to consider possibilities, and most importantly provided a chance to iterate and reiterate. Because of our Donors Choose Funding, students grew even more perseverant in their attempts at finding solutions.
What a wonderful addition they were to our class and we couldn't be more grateful for the support. Many, many thanks!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Venable
This classroom project was brought to life by 3M and one other donor.