Welcome to my Giving Page! Please support my efforts in Science Bloggers for Students challenge, a friendly month-long competition (10/10/10 through 11/9/10) between science blogs to see which can do the most to help low-income classrooms on DonorsChoose.org. Pick a classroom project from the list to support, a number of these are well within range of being completed! By the way, DonorsChoose.org is a 501(c)3 charity so your donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for your kindness toward our young learners. We were able to receive our Magic Writing Boards and have used them in the classroom many times. The students LOVE using them and often ask for them. We have used them with the whole class in order to practice writing sight words, numbers, and letters, but also with small groups of children who need extra practice. The students even choose them for a recess activity! I fully appreciate your financial generosity, but also for your support towards early childhood education. ”
My students absolutely love the space materials that were purchased. They read the books all of the time. Some of them have become space experts as they have learned so many facts about space. Many are proud that they now know facts about space that their parents don't know. These materials have really opened my students' eyes to what is out in the universe. The resources have led them to question and find answers about our the solar system.
Thank you for providing students with materials that interest them. Hopefully, they will continue their quest for answers in the future.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Fraczek
This classroom project was brought to life by Broadridge - Peabody and 8 other donors.
Principles of the Biomedical Sciences, the first course in the Medical Sciences Academy, involves a unit that reviews chromosomal structure and function. Students prepare chromosomal spreads in the lab using living human tumor cells known as HeLa Cells. Interdisciplinary studies of HeLa is important to the bioethics and history of medicine. The topics of HeLa Cells are studied coherently in English, History, as well as Principles of the Biomedical Sciences. An interdisciplinary unit using the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks allowed students to see a broader picture of not only what HeLa cells are but also who HeLa was, the medical interventions used throughout history and what is used today, and the background history within the story. Thanks to your donations, students gained a better understanding that as health care professionals there are accepted ethical practices with respect to cultural, social, and ethnic differences within the health care environment. Students also differentiated between ethical and legal issues impacting health care in the past and today by developing a detailed timeline and keeping a medical dialectical journal. Keeping a dialectical journal allowed the students to compare personal, professional, and organizational ethics and recognize ethical issues and their implications related to health care throughout history.
I hope you know, just from what I described above, how much your donations impacted my students educational experience. My students came back to class with multiple discussions and really enjoyed the story behind HeLa. Throughout our class discussions they were amazed the way people were treated differently in the field of medicine throughout history. Again, thank you for everything. This is a valuable project that will be able to continue and impact our future students the way it impacted my students this year”
My students and I thank you so much for your support! We started using our scales right after we received them. The sensitivity of the decimal place has already had a big impact on the third graders. Twenty four of them were quite relieved that even though their crayfish lost some weight while they were taking care of them, the amount of weight was less than one gram. What a wonderful way to get introduced to the decimal system and to experience that sometimes little changes can be recorded and still make a difference!
I would also like to say that your support has meant a lot to a teacher. I love science and teaching science but it takes a lot of energy to keep up with constant activities. It has meant a lot to me to know that others recognize the importance of teaching science and analytical thinking. Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Baez
This classroom project was brought to life by FreeCreditReport.com and 4 other donors.
Thank you for your generous support of this project! The GEMS aquatic habitat and terrarium habitat live card resources provided refills of the plant and animal life for use with these science curriculum as well as other classroom projects funded through donorschoose.org. These curricula focused on inquiry-based explorations of these habitats. We then explored the impact that humans have when the environment in general is compromised. Using these resources, we have evaluated detrimental impacts and identified beneficial interventions to help correct imbalances.
Several of my students are tactile learners that have good comprehension skills but low reading levels. Your support opens the doors for these kids to both learn through using hands-on projects as well as by using creations to demonstrate what they know. In the process, environmental stewardship has been introduced and the importance of conservation has been sown into young minds that will impact our future These students love the idea of helping and making the environment a better place for all of us. We will continue to build on this through looking at local issues and determining what we can do at the local level to facilitate improvements.
Your support has helped to educate and enhance the learning of some wonderful children! These kids have the ability to do great things. Resources such as these are difficult to obtain through the regular school system. The projects that we have completed to date have assisted both special needs and general education students engage in active learning. You have helped ensure that fun and meaningful activities are woven throughout the curriculum of my students! I thank you for your support of the project and education!”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
This classroom project was brought to life by Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation and 5 other donors.
My students (and fellow teachers) have really enjoyed reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks! Although the title does not grab your attention, the book is a fantastic read for everyone...it only takes a few pages to become completely hooked! It didn't take long to convince my students that they would enjoy it, and their interest around school got other teachers interested--we planned a cross-curricular book study and literature circle!!
There are so many reasons to love this book, and it has had such a great impact on me, my students and colleagues (oh...and one student's mother e-mailed me to see if she could borrow a copy too!!). The science in the book really reinforces concepts that I teach in biology...cells, cellular division, cancer, and it does so in an interesting and easy-to-understand manner. The book also has a good bit of history, as well, referencing historical events leading to medical advances. Maybe one of the best things about this book is that it is about a real person...a real family. The ethics in the book really sparked some interesting and heated discussions!!
I really cannot say enough about this book....I could go on and on. I am so completely grateful for your donation, and I know my students feel the same way. Thank you for making it possible for us to have a classroom set of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, to use this year...and for years to come!!! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Edmonds
This classroom project was brought to life by Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation and 4 other donors.
I wanted to thank you for your donation to our classroom project. It is great that you recognize the importance agriculture and technology have in our society. Your donation enabled us to purchase lab kits we used to fingerprint DNA. Students learned the basic techniques used to work with DNA in a variety of applications from agricultural biotechnology to forensic science.
Again thank you for your donation. Without your donation we would not have been able to purchase these kits. Our school has limited funding and since agriculture is not a "core" subject it is often overlooked and considered unimportant. If you eat then agriculture is important to you!
I'm writing to thank you again for you generosity. The class set of lab coats and clipboards you donated have allowed my students to not only feel like real scientists, but also to do labs that we were previously unable to do.
I teach in an urban school district; in such a setting financial constraints mean safety and teaching aids like these lab coats and clipboards are ordinarily out of reach. Your donation has allowed our class to overcome these constraints, and the foundational safety and confidence my students now have will in turn enable them to succeed in high school and beyond.
Thank you so much for your generosity, it truly is an inspiration, from myself and my 140 scientists.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Benford
This classroom project was brought to life by Harold Simmons Foundation and 23 other donors.
Words cannot express how much I appreciate you taking the time to read about my class and invest in their learning. These Leapfrog TAG readers are a great way to bring technology and fun to learning to read. My class has LOVED them! Kindergarten sets the foundation for our academic career, especially when learning to read. As a parent and teacher I would recommend TAG to anyone. These have been an asset to my strong and struggling readers. The best part is that I can use these for years to come. Thank you for sowing a seed of greatness into my students and allowing me to utilize the very best materials in my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Radke
This classroom project was brought to life by LeapFrog and 17 other donors.
Words cannot express how much I appreciate you taking the time to read about my class and invest in their learning. You have provided materials that employ exploration, investigation, and creativity into scientific concepts. Kindergarten sets much of the foundation for a child's learning career. By using hands on tools and activities, children begin to explore concepts such as magnetism, habitats, nutrition, recycling, etc. Their minds are opened to many possibilities and for the first time they are excited to be an astronaut, farmer, oceanographer one day. Thank you again for sowing a seed of greatness into my students and for providing the tools to help me be a better educator. You have brought fun and science to life in my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Radke
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