Dr Becca's Epicsauce Giving Page

Edit title

The human torso has been dubbed "Musculus McOrgans" in my anatomy and physiology class. Students have repeatedly told me how helpful it is to see a life-size version of their own organs and muscle system. As you can see from the pictures, my students can't get enough of taking the torso apart and putting it back together. This has been an invaluable learning tool for all students, but especially the ones who have difficulties relating to 2D images in books or on websites. Now they have access to a deeper level of learning that was not available before. Thank you so much for making that possible! This durable torso will be contributing to hundreds if not thousands of children's lives over the next few years! ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Holladay

Your donation means so much to me and my students. About eight years ago, after attending a science conference, I came up with the idea of creating science back packs to send home with my students. Unfortunately, I did not have the resources to implement the program. Thanks to your donation, I am sending back packs with science experiments, home with my students. I am so thrilled that my idea is finally a reality.

My middle school students check out the back pack for two days at a time and conduct an experiment with their family. They are asked to include at least one adult and two other members of their family in the activity. During the experiment each family member has a role and they work together to solve a problem. They record predictions, results and conclusions in a science notebook, use a digital camera to document their work and hopefully have fun doing science at home.

I have enjoyed reading the responses and seeing how my students are sharing what they have learned in my class with their family members. Students are writing that they love doing science at home and one student even wrote "This was better than playing my video games or watching TV." When asked how the back pack could be improved another student wrote, "I wish their were more of these activities to check out." I also put cameras in each of the back packs and I love seeing action shots of science at home. Most kids in the pictures were either serious experimenters or showing a smile from ear to ear. I also love seeing a family spending time together learning.

Right now, I have six back packs all with the same experiment, my goal is to have six different experiments. I have been running the program for about two weeks and I have already had ten students bring the pack home. I know that with more choices students will check the back packs out more often and in turn do more science at home with Thier families.

Thanks again for you kindness and philanthropy. The students I work with represent an at risk population that greatly benefits from any and all interventions. I hope you find making this contribution as rewarding as I do implementing my program. You have made a difference in my life, my student's lives and the lives of their families. ”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Jendrick Neamen

Thank you so much for your generous donations to our classroom community. They have already had a huge impact on our learning environment. Having ample supplies help us everyday to focus on learning.

Your generosity makes my students feel respected and cared about by the whole community. This is so important for their future success! Every time we use your pencils and post its we think of you and recognize your generosity!

Without donors like you, many children throughout the United States would go without basic necessities for learning. Thank you for ensuring my students have the supplies we need.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Zimmerman

My students have been using the materials they received from Donor's Choose now for about 2 months now. It is amazing how much of a difference these materials have made for my classroom. The Go Talk 1's have been used around the classroom with different messages on them. One student has the message of "I need a break". She is a very quiet student who works very hard, but at times needs a break. In the past I have used picture cards, but she would sit quietly at her desk and point to it. If I was busy with another student or the classroom was noisy, I would not be able to hear her, and within a couple of minutes she would burst into tears and have a major meltdown lasting 30 minutes or more and shifting the focus of whatever we were doing exclusively to her. Now, she presses her Go Talk and it announces to the class that she needs a break. She is dismissed for a drink of water and back refreshed in minutes, and everyone can continue uninterrupted with their work. A lifesaver! My students are learning sight words and numbers with the Go Talk 9, which has multiple levels to fit the needs of many different students.

The Social Skills book and activities are helping us learn more about each other and helping us get through difficult situations. The students love the games and I am seeing lots of progress with their skills.

Thank you for your generosity. You have made an enormous difference in the lives of my students and their families. You have truly been our angels this year and we are grateful for you!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Sobczak

I can not thank you enough for your generous donation to my classroom! Although, the items I requested for are simple, they are essential to my students success in school.

We have used all of the pencils, markers, paper, eraser and other school materials daily. These simply materials are a huge component to my students education. My students were extremely excited to receive the materials from Donors Choose and appreciate having these resource on hand in our classroom. They are so fortunate to have people like you that support their learning in a high needs area!

Thanks,

Alysa ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Hansen

Thank you SO

incredibly much for your donation to my classroom! Just before the Christmas

break, my students spend two days dissecting the grass frogs. Thanks to a

revised testing schedule, I had two hours with each of my classes and really

got to go in-depth with them - finding the major organs, looking inside the

mouth and the stomach - it truly was SUCH a memorable day! Each class was

pierced with screams of excitement when my students were able to see their

frog's last meal, or when frog eggs were found in some of the females. Their

excitement was so palpable that the entire school was buzzing with news of the

frog dissection and several teachers, our administration and the superintendent

all came to watch my students dissecting.

Thanks to your generosity, each of

my students was able to have their own frog and their own dissection kit to

work with, giving them the chance to experience hands-on science in a way that

rarely happens in a school hurting for resources. Thank

you, thank you, thank you for your generosity that allowed my students a day in

school that they will definitely not soon forget. And thank you also for

allowing me to provide an activity for them that they otherwise would have had

to go without. I cannot express how appreciative I am!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Mac

I just wanted to express my thanks for your generous donations. My students have so enjoyed using all the trays, supplies, and especially the scales! You have supplied materials that have helped me set up numerous science inquiries across the grade levels. Just this year you have reached nearly all the children in my classes. These are things we have wanted and needed for quite a while and I thank you for helping me achieve my dream of acquiring them.

Each year the budget gets tighter and we continue to do without. Without folks such as yourselves many children would be reading about science instead of exploring science for themselves. My students thank you and I thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Hetland

I am both ecstatic and proud to report that the rat dissection was absolutely the highlight of this semester. It was simply amazing to witness my SEVENTH GRADE students apply the knowledge they've gained about the human body systems to what they were seeing during the dissection. Here are just a few of our take aways:

*Students who thought they would be too scared put on gloves and were leading their team through each step of the dissection.

*Students all around the room couldn't help but "Ooh and ahh" as soon as they cut through the abdominal cavity. They were astonished at how similar the human body compared to the rat.

*Students teaching other students about the functions of various organs.

*Upon seeing a pregnant rat and analyzing the structures of a fetus, students were able to use their prior knowledge about the cardiovascular system to articulate how and why the fetuses are able to survive inside of the rat mother. As their teacher, this was amazing to witness -- especially because we did not have a formal lesson on the reproductive system!

To every single one of our generous donors who made this opportunity a reality, THANK YOU for affording my students with an educational experience most people do not have until they reach high school or college biology classes. Many of my students shared that they will remember your generosity and support for the rest of their lives because "the dissection was one of the coolest and enriching things" they've ever done.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! ”

With gratitude,

Ms. Aguilar

Thank you so much for all your donations and time. It is great to see how so many of you care. You are making a difference in my students' lives today and for many years to come.

Since I teach 4th and 5th Graders, the students at this age are so excited about science. I can't wait to surprise them. We will be using the microscopes not just the three months we get to keep the Microworlds Science Kit, but for most of the year. Every year we go to the beach and get water from the beach to explore plankton and other organisms. The microscopes they give us, during the unit are not efficient enough for us to really see these organisms. We cannot wait to use the microscopes. They will also be used, by at least two other classrooms.

Many of these students would not get this kind of opportunity to explore science at this age without your help. You are all amazing. I cannot thank you enough.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Mustafa

There are no words to express my gratitude to all of you for supporting my project. Earlier this year when I told my students that they were going to learn about Science, they were beside themselves with excitement! Children love Science and getting to figure out how things work and by being able to touch and hold "Science", it helps them to be able to understand so much better what we are trying to learn. My students and I are very grateful for your generous donations and look forward to using everything you purchased for us to further our learning and love for Science. THANK YOU!

”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Monterrosa