Past projects 9
Historical Thinkers Need Historical Texts
Funded Aug 5, 2024I'm thrilled to have this project funded. Having this variety of texts will be invaluable in my classroom. My students will have a wide range of texts, from higher level texts for my advanced seniors, to primary source documents, to photos, maps and general textbooks. Reading, writing, and literacy skills are essential to historical thinking skills.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
This classroom project was brought to life by Donaldson Foundation and 3 other donors.Flexible Seating for Flexible Minds
Funded Aug 2, 2023My students are loving the flexible seating options. They appreciate the ability to choose their seating in my classroom. Some students enjoy sitting by the windows at the tall tables, others prefer to bounce on the yoga balls, and some like to sit on the floor with lap pads to do their work.
It's so important to me as the teacher for all my students to feel comfortable in my classroom space. No student learns the same as another student, and no students needs are quite the same as another's. In the 21st Century, students do not need to sit in desks in rows anymore. Our students should be able to learn where and how they learn best. Small things like high-top tables and yoga balls help make my classroom a space for all students to learn to the best of their abilities.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.Phones Away, Stay Engaged
Funded Jan 29, 2023Thank you so much for the supplies for my Phones Away, Stay Engaged project! My students have loved playing the puzzles and geography-themed games in class. We take time once a week to have ten minutes of quiz time using the Word Teasers World Geography trivia cards. My students also love the fidgets, poppers, and stress balls. It has helped keep students hands busy, so they don't immediately pick up their phones.
Another thing that has helped keep phones away are the charge cords. I have many students who elect to charge their phones up by my desk rather than keep them at their seats. Having their phones somewhere else lessens the distraction and keeps them engaged in the learning!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
Self-Directed Notes for Self-Aware Students
Funded Jul 31, 2022My students are working hard at taking their notes in their new folders. The system I've set up has allowed my students to keep their notes organized in a single location in my classroom, rather than getting lost in their backpacks. The new note system is accessible to my Special Education and English Language Learning students, allowing them to take notes with ease.
Now that we are comfortable using the notes folders, my next step is to teach my students to use the highlighters to annotate their notes, highlighting vocabulary and most important information, because we know that interacting with our notes allows us to remember and retain more information.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 3 other donors.Breakout Kit for Social Studies
Funded Jan 26, 2019Recently a strange box showed up in my classroom, locked with many different locks. We were confused, but then we noticed riddles that seemed to point to different areas of my room that contained clues to open the locks. My students searched and found the clues that had been left around the room, and together they were able to solve the puzzles and unlock each of the locks!
The Breakout Box project was a huge success! I have used the materials twice now to encourage my students problem-solving skills and practice their communication and collaboration skills. My students loved solving the puzzles and practicing opening the locks.
I'm excited to build more puzzles for my students to solve!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
Planning for a Bright Future
Funded Sep 7, 2018On behalf of the 9th Grade Team here at Edison, thank you for your donation to this project. Our team was so excited to get the project funded and to receive our planners. We have handed out the planners to the 9th grade students, and we have been encouraging students to begin using the planners to get organized. As a team, we are also collectively using visual calendar systems in our rooms in order to demonstrate planning and organization for our students.
As teachers, we know how important organization is for student success. The better organized students can be, the more successful they are in school. By using their planners, our students will be able to plan out projects, prepare for upcoming assignments and test, and never forget a homework assignment again! Well, we can always hope with the last one...”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 19 other donors.Geography Supplies for Global Learners
Funded Jul 20, 2017Thank you very much for donating to my project to get Geography supplies for my IB students. We were able to utilize the materials in our first Unit learning about Map Skills. My students loved being able to use the blow-up globes to visualize the world in three dimensions instead of as a flat map. They were able to make observations about how small some areas were on a globe, as compared to a flat map, especially the size and location of Greenland.
My students used the Road Atlas' and laminated maps to plan their own (imaginary) road trip across the United States. Many of my students liked looking up highways and smaller roads in the Road Atlas, and others enjoyed figuring out the best route for their Road Trip using the laminated maps. Some of my students even adjusted the order of their destinations after looking at the laminated map, realizing that it might not be a good plan to go from New York, to Los Angeles, and then back east to Chicago.
My students will continue to use the Globes, Road Atlas', and Laminated Maps in our future units. Next, we will be learning about Refugees, and we will use the Globes to envision how far many refugees have to travel in order to make it to their new homes.
I look forward to planning ever more creative lessons and activities with these supplies!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
Winter Knitting and Sewing
Funded Jan 13, 2016Thank you so much for donating to my project. My students have finished their knitting and sewing, and they were able to take home their projects to show their families.
My students wouldn't have been able to complete their projects without the materials this DonorsChoose project funded. The knitting needles allowed every single student to have their own pair of needles to knit with everyday in class for a whole month! Many students made scarves and dish towels.
The other project that used the DonorsChoose project materials was the Stuffed Animal Sewing project. My students planned out and designed their own stuffed animal using the IB Design Cycle. They created their own template, cut out the fabric, and hand-sewed their stuffed animal together. I know my students loved being able to design their own stuffed animal, and they participated better because they had ownership over their project.
The DonorsChoose materials allow me to plan more creative projects for my students who might otherwise miss out on fun, interactive, skill-based projects.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost
Stuffed Animal Sewing Project
Funded Feb 17, 2015My students had a wonderful time making their stuffed animals with the supplies you helped buy. They were very excited about all the materials, especially all the fabric we used.
My students used the materials to create their own stuffed animals. I had them research the history of stuffed animals before the project, and then sketch out a design of their own. Once they created their drafts, they drew out a template, cut it out, and traced the template onto the fabric. They then cut out the fabric and began sewing buttons, patches, and embroidery. Then they sewed the front and back pieces together, and stuffed their stuffed animal. Once they sewed up the final closure, their stuffed animal was finished.
This project allowed me to teach my students basic hand sewing skills, including two different styles of stitches, and how to sew on buttons. Being able to do a hands-on project like this allowed my students to access the concepts and practice using them. All of my students were successful at learning how to hand sew, and all but a few were able to finish their stuffed animal on time.
I noticed that the vast majority of my students were able to work independently and finish their stuffed animal, step-by-step, without much prompting from me. Many students were able to finish early, and I allowed them to make smaller stuffed animals using fabric scraps.
Thank you again for contributing to this project.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schmidt-Kost