The problems of the world can seem overwhelming. While we tackle them, let's help teachers and students get some of the materials and experiences they need. For them, a little help can make a big difference.
I would like to thank you so much for your generosity in helping my students get science supplies to use in our classroom.
When we received the supplies the students were so excited to get started on their hands-on explorations. They dived right into the science topics and let their curious minds get to work on solving real life problems. They were excited to be using real science tools like real scientists.
With these supplies my curriculum was enhanced and the students were engaged in the lessons. They really blossomed in their study of science. Without these supplies I wouldn't have been able to offer my students hands-on learning experiences.
Thank you again for your generous donations to our classroom science supplies.”
Thank you so much for the support you have given me and my students through your generous donation that allowed us to purchase lab kits and materials that helped my students understand difficult chemical concepts.
My students were very fortunate to have these kits. We used the majority of them toward the end of the school year when topics such as gas laws, electrochemistry, kinetics, and equilibrium can be particularly challenging and difficult to understand without lab materials. In previous years, I had to resort to the use of simulations and videos to provide them with a general idea. This year, thanks to the materials received, they were able to do the experiments and discover the principles for themselves. The periodic table became an invaluable tool giving my student access to this information in our large classroom.
We are lucky to have people who value science education and the importance of hands on activities.”
Thank you so much! My students had a blast with this lab. I used my soap lab as the introduction to organic chemistry, much more engaging than drawing lines on the board! This project has taken us four weeks, one for introduction and discussion, one for making our test batches one for test batch evaluation and creating our class batches, and another for follow up. This process allows the students to visualize a chemical change, as the batches they create visibly go from sodium hydroxide solution and oils to a completely different substance - soap. The soap lab will not truly be done until the end of the year, as the soap takes between 4 and 6 weeks to completely react and bring the pH down to neutral. During this time, the students are testing the pH levels of their soap to determine the end point of the saponification process. This is an invaluable lesson as it is difficult for a reaction to be witnessed in the classroom in stages since most reactions are instantaneous. The science program at my high school is much richer for this experience and I deeply thank you for allowing us the opportunity to successfully complete this project.”
Before receiving the resources included in this package, my students had been constantly asking about lab activities and when we would be doing more. These resources allowed us to do several activities that brought excitement to the students. The unit on thermal energy has been the best and most well received this school year and I believe it was due to your generosity in providing these materials for students to use in class.
One of our state objectives is to have students create a heating curve for water. We were able to do this using the hotplates you provided for us. Some of the curves were perfect samples of the standard heat curve. Colleagues and students were impressed that I allowed my students to do work in groups using the hotplates. My colleagues did not trust the students to use hotplates properly and they were wrong, no incidents occurred due to hotplate use!
The students were elated that they finally did an activity using chemicals. They were surprised that some reactions turned hot while others turned cold. The concept of absorbing and releasing energy was clearly demonstrated with the resources you provided. Visual and kinesthetic learners were able to grasp the concepts by seeing and doing. Again, thank you for supporting this project.”
Thank you so much for helping fund my project. With these valuable resources, my students were able to get a more hands on approach to learning with rocks and minerals. They loved being able to observe and work with the samples or rocks, minerals, and fossils.
The games provided my students with a new and fun way to review the material we had covered. They loved being able to rotate through the activities and work in groups. They also really enjoyed the nonfiction books we received with the incredible pictures.
Overall, my students were much more excited and engaged in this unit of study and were also able to retain more of their learning due to the real experiences they had through their learning. Thank you so much for your commitment to making learning fun for students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wojcik
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 5 other donors.
Where can I start? Thank you so very much for bringing what is perhaps the most basic and integral gardening tool to our schoolyard garden: The Mighty Shovel. Oh, and The Mighty Rake.
My students have been able to add compost to our flower and vegetable beds; they've been able to add wood chips to the paths in the garden; they've even been able to build their school pride by painting our school symbol onto the handles of all of the shovels and rakes. All of this because of your donation. There might be a wheel barrel accident here or there, but overall, my students are now the real doers of the garden, and it's all thanks to putting real tools in their hands.
Thank you for believing in my students and in our schoolyard garden - you have made all the difference.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Hartman
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 14 other donors.
I am a High School Chemistry teacher in a large city working with inner-city students. Let me express how deeply grateful I am to receive the funding for the "Supplies for Success" Chemistry supplies. This included the chemicals and materials we needed to do lab and class activities that help students understand Chemistry concepts. These hands-on labs and activities have allowed my students the opportunity to see Chemistry in action and to use the Chemistry knowledge they have learned so far this year. The chemistry labs aided my students in connecting to real world applications and inspired them to continue their work in the science field.
I am so encouraged by receiving this Donor's Choice award as it allowed my students to do labs and activities they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. My students responded very positively to the use of different learning methods and these labs and activities reached students that may have had a difficult time conceptualizing chemistry principles and uses. I am very pleased to be able to make chemistry more meaningful and inspiring, increase their participation and bring Chemistry alive for them.”
When the project was first mentioned to the students, there were a few that thought dissecting owl pellets would be disgusting. However, once the project was underway, the students thoroughly enjoyed it. You could see the excitement in their faces each time they found a new bone. They worked diligently to determine the prey the owl had consumed.
We allotted 1 1/2 hours for the dissection, which was a review of predator, prey, consumer, and producer relationships. We introduced the dissection activity by reading Butternut Hollow Pond by Brian J. Hienz, which is about predator/prey relationships in a pond ecosystem. Students were divided into pairs for the dissection. They were provided bone charts to use to identify the bones as they were discovered in the pellets.
This activity provided great hands-on review that allowed the students to actually see physical evidence of the predator/prey relationship between the owl and its prey. The students were engaged and now better understand the concept. They should also have better retention of predator/prey relationships.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crowder
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 13 other donors.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your generous donation.
We had a wonderful community garden day. On this day families, staff, and children got together and built our very first garden! We had so much fun. The grown-ups built the flower boxes while the children were busy inside making beautiful garden markers. Once the garden was done, the children quickly jumped in and tilled the soil. Soon after, they were busy planting beautiful herbs, vegetables, and flowers. It was really nice to see their excitement when we were done! After all of our plants were planted we needed to water and what better way to do that than with the water from our very own rain barrel! The children quickly lined with their little watering cans and watered our garden. What fun we had! And ALL of this couldn't have been possible without your help!
This garden is a wonderful experience for my students, one which they may never experience again. For many of them it's their first focused and immersed encounter with the natural world. In the garden, they are exposed to all living things, and they get a chance to create a personal relationship with plants, animals, and nature in general.
Thank you for opening a whole new world for my little Pre-K babies and helping us sprout!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Egeli
This classroom project was brought to life by Central Florida Kia Dealers and 22 other donors.
I just want to thank you for your donation on behalf of me and my students. It has been something that my students have desired to do since the 7th grade when they were introduced to the basics in anatomy. It's unfortunate that at my school the 7th grade teachers don't have the students do any hands on labs. I want to make sure that my students leave the 8th grade having done several labs including frog dissections!
These frog dissections will be something that my students will never forget, I am sure of that. Through your generous donations you will have created a memory that will carry on in my students minds for decades to come. This might also inspire some of my students to later become apart of the medical field, but even if that is not the case you will have impacted my students lives in a positive way!! Thank you again!!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Weiss
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 3 other donors.
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