Mr. Zook's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 7

• STEM Makerspace

  Funded Dec 28, 2021

  As our year is coming to a close I wanted to thank you again for your generous donations to our classroom. Below are a few of the ways we were able to use the donated items for building projects and keeping our room safe:

  - The blue pegboard has been great for classroom organization and was a necessary purchase so we had a place to put our new supplies. Providing extra hooks and to boards instead of one has already allowed me to expand this project and store a few other items for our space such as glue guns, tape measures, and electrical tape.

  - The cardboard cutters have been the most used item from this project and we've used them in a variety of ways from cutting shapes to study surface area in our math class to cutting out parts for cardboard bridges. They are much safer and easier to use than scissors.

  - The two cutters have also been put to good use and added to the safety of my room. I used the pruners to snip skewers for making towers and the easy cutter is perfect for just about anything. Our most recent project that required them was the construction of catapults and cutting tongue depressors to a specific length.

  Thank you again for adding to our classroom experience. Not only did you enhance our learning and safety this year, but I'll be able to use these items for years to come.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

  This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon on CBS and 4 other donors.

• Experiencing Energy

  Funded May 6, 2020

  Thank you so much for donating to our classroom. The materials have not only provided hands on experiences to learn about energy during science class, they have also been a moral booster for my class. Students are excited and motivated to work with the materials and always intrigued by the next activity. Even other students (and teachers) passing by will stop in to look and inquire about what we are doing.

  This unit has become a favorite of my students and the materials you have provided are a big part of that. Learning about energy transfers is much easier, more enjoyable, and will stick with students much longer when you are building roller coasters and marble tracks instead of only reading about the concept out of a book.

  Thank you again,”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 7 other donors.

• 3D Creating

  Funded Sep 12, 2020

  Thank you so much for supporting our classrooms during a crazy year. While I did not get to use my new materials in the way I originally planned, I was still able to find new ways to use them. I was able to print frames and strap extenders for masks and some students were able to work remotely on projects.

  I am looking forward to the upcoming year for many reasons. One of them is to introduce the 3D printing units I had planned for last year. One great thing about the project you funded is that it will be usable and relevant for many years to come.

  Thanks again for supporting our classroom,”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

  This classroom project was brought to life by IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies and 6 other donors.

• Train Your Brain With Games: Exercise for the Mind

  Funded May 8, 2019

  Thank you so much for supporting our classroom. When I explained to my students that they had a part of the day set aside to play games they were a little confused and couldn't believe what they were hearing but were naturally excited. Even when I would introduce a new game and show them how they were played it almost seemed like they couldn't believe that we were taking class-time to play games. They have, however, adapted quickly. Now when I announce to the whole class it is time for Brain Games, or that a station work with a brain game during math workshop time, or if they choose one for a finished early activity students jump right in.

  It has been interesting to watch their development over time as they have played the games. I have already seen students improve in many different areas such as teamwork, how to disagree respectfully, how to solve conflict, and how to win or lose with humility.

  Many of the students have admitted that they haven't really played board games since they were "little" and that they were surprised that board games can actually be fun and that they enjoy them more than they expected. Thank you so much for making this part of our day possible.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

  This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and one other donor.

• STEM Forensics

  Funded Mar 9, 2016

  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

  This has been one of my favorite units to teach in my STEM classroom and the student response was amazing. By providing our class with the materials to create our forensics unit you have given ninety different students the chance to be exposed to just one more way that science plays an important role in our community and allowed students to explore another career possibility in the field of science.

  During the unit we were able to:

  - analyze blood samples

  - take and match finger prints

  - use problem solving and teamwork to solve a mystery

  - use a microscope to examine hair and clothing fibers

  - learn more about how forensic science actually works (instead of what you see on TV)

  - get excited about studying and learning about science

  I felt very privileged to be able to be a part of my classroom while all of this was going on. The discussions that my students engaged in really showed that they were not only learning about science, but really thinking critically to problem solve. It was a great success and can't wait to repeat the unit this spring with a new set of students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

• Using Robotics to Inspire Students

  Funded Mar 9, 2016

  Thank you so much for investing into our classroom. You have definitely made a positive impact on my students this year. When I opened the box with all of our supplies the excitement in the room was palpable. Actually having the students open the boxes and inventory everything inside made the project so much more meaningful to them because it allowed them to take ownership of the projects we were able to complete. Here are a few of the activities we have done so far:

  First, we built solar robots using the kits you provided. This led to a great discussion on renewable energy and a discussion about the pros and cons of different types of renewable energy. Some students branched off and actually completed their own independent research outside of the classroom because they were so interested in how solar power worked. Afterward we were able to make instructional videos for how to use the robots with different students in the future.

  Another activity was to use the Lego Mindstorm kits to build robots. Then we were able to program some simple code so that students could make the robots complete some simple tasks and obstacle courses. It was a lot of fun and gave students a good introduction to coding.

  These are just a few of the things we have done this year so far. I (and my students) cannot wait to try new things and projects with the supplies given over the next few months.

  Thank you again for making a difference in our classroom this year.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

  This classroom project was brought to life by News Corp and 5 other donors.

• Inspiring Students with STEM Robotics

  Funded Aug 24, 2014

  I'm not even sure how to start this letter and thank you enough for the generous gift you provided for our classroom. Your donation helped me to reach some of my students in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.

  When I found out that my project had been funded I read the conformation email to the class and then opened our package together when it finally came. Just hearing me talk about building a robot caught the attention of my students, but when I opened that package and they could actually see a tangible item in front of them their interest levels increased even more.

  Last week we finished our first round of robotics club (I have 2 more scheduled, one in winter and one in spring and will be using it again for a robotics unit at the end of the year with my whole class again). The students that participated came after school 2-4 days a week for about an hour to work on the robot. The first several days we spent learning about what robots really are and how they are used in the real world and then built our first model. After that we were able to control it in two different ways. The first was by remote control though our iPad. The second was by learning how to organize simple code and actually program the robot. This timed out perfectly with the national hour of code week as my group was able to present to the class how they used coding to make the robot do different things and respond to different situations. Students saw that the hardest part of controlling the robot was working through the programing code and as a result they are working extra hard on our coding unit in order to be prepared when their turn to program the robot comes. So not only did your donation inspire my students to work with robotics, but it is helping to motivate and inspire them to figure out how to write code- a result I never even saw coming when I started this project. This is just further proof that your donation will continue to affect in ways I am not even aware for years to come.

  My goal when I wrote this proposal was to find a way to get students (especially my female students) excited about and exposed to a different branch of science. Having a Lego Mindstorm robotics kit did that and more. I was fortunate enough to have girls volunteer as almost half of my participants and their feedback has encouraged even more girls to sign up next quarter to work on the robot. Several of my kids that worked with the robot made the comment that they never knew that working with robotics could be an actual job or that it could be a fun job. I had students from other teams in our building that have stopped me to see if I will open up the club to other classrooms and teachers that have come in to watch my students run through our robot obstacle course that we created. The kit has done nothing but generate positive conversation and opportunities to show students that science can be fun and that it can lead to a job in the future. But perhaps my favorite part of this story comes from one of the students in my robotics group. This is a student that is not very successful in school. He struggles to understand things, is unmotivated to finish things, and receives little or no support at home. To be honest, he wasn't even interested in the robotics club (I explained to students it would be fun, but it involved hard work as well) but I was able to convince him to come and his parents to find a ride for him. Towards the end of our club he confessed to me that this was the first time in a long time that he actually looked forward to coming to school because of robotics club. On top of that, he turned out to be one of the best students I had at controlling the robot. He was so proud that he was good at something for a change and was excited that he could help others with something instead of being the one that always had to get extra help. And maybe most importantly, on our last day he brought in a camera because his dad wanted to see him operate the robot on video. He told me that it was the first time his dad has been interested in his school work.

  Again, thank you so much for providing these opportunities for our classroom. I am excited to see what new opportunities it will bring in the future.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Zook

  This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 3 other donors.