Today, we’re finishing up two bigger projects left over from last week (which we chose in the service of having our “500 Projects” party after the holiday season!)
THIS WEEK’S MAIN PROJECT
Resources: Individual math tool boxes, containing mathematical manipulatives to include connecting cubes, double sided counters, dice, pattern blocks, coins, and playing cards.
School Poverty Level: Highest
Location: Fairmount Elementary School, Independence, Missouri
Total: $851.56
Still Needed: $238.14 $156.37
Expires: Mar 16, 2016
Teacher’s Comments from Ms. Skluzacek:
My Students: In our classrooms we use the Workshop model of teaching not only in Reading and Writing, but also in Math. Our students need tool boxes for purposeful and efficient independent daily practice. "The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics." -Paul Halmos
Our students are eager to learn each day! They thrive off of hands-on experiences and the use of manipulatives.
We are a Title 1 school with 95% of our 400 students receiving free/reduced price lunch. Our students come from families facing economic hardships and the majority cannot afford pre-school where children start developing early math concepts. Our school is an amazing team of educators who embrace each student where they are at and create goals and high expectations to get them where they need to be!
My Project: Math Tool Boxes will enable each child in our classroom to access math manipulatives quickly through out the day and increase math instruction by eliminating the need for teachers to pass out supplies. Math Tool Boxes would be built throughout the year as we introduce new math concepts and manipulatives. Each box would contain: counting/sorting bears, connecting cubes, double sided counters, dominoes, pattern blocks, coins, deck of cards, place value blocks, ten frame, dice, number line, addition/subtraction bead bracelets. Students will use their tool boxes during whole group learning, independent practice, small group learning and during center/station learning. Math Tool Boxes will enable students to take charge of their own mathematical learning by having fast and immediate access to the manipulatives "tools" they need to explore and learn!
Donations to our project will help us to provide continuity to our four Kindergarten classrooms and ensure that each student receives the same opportunities to learn and explore mathematical concepts in the same way.
Our students thrive from learning through play and hands on manipulatives. "Math is like ice cream, with more flavors than you can imagine-and if all your children ever do is textbook math, that's like feeding them broccoli-flavored ice cream." - Denise Gaskins
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
We'd like to be able to assist both small and large projects. Our hope is to present a new relatively modest project each week, and then feature a more ambitious project with a long-term deadline, so we can chip away at it each week when our main project is completed. Since DonorsChoose has something similar to a "rec list", every time we create a flurry of activity on a project, even if the dollar amounts involved aren't large, we can push the project up that list so it gets shown to more donors outside Daily Kos. In that way, we can help finish projects that may be beyond our means when only our own dollars are considered.
LONG TERM PROJECT
Resources Needed: American Educational Weather Forecast and Recycling Videolabs, Worm Factory Composter, Scott Resources Plate Tectonics Videolab, Geosafari Motorized Solar System, American Educational Hardness Collection with Test Kit, Cross-section Earth Model and other learning resources
School Poverty Level: Highest
Location: A R Johnson Health Science English High School, Augusta, GA
Total Cost: $1,295.05
Still Needed: $269.75 $199.75
Expires: Feb 12, 2016
Teacher's Comments from Mr. Rountree:
My Students: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela My students are the next generation of change agents that this world needs. My students have the ability to think critically and communicate complex ideas.
I teach sixth grade magnet students.
My classroom provides a space where students can gather and learn in multiple settings: whole group, independent, and small group/cooperative learning. The school and classroom climate support the development of the adolescent learner. Although, there is great classroom and school support, supplies are limited.
My Project: Sixth graders are eager to learn about earth science. Videolabs will help support diverse modes of learning in lab stations. Videolabs will scaffold and engage students in learning about earth's systems. Games will reinforce instructional concepts learned throughout earth science. Students will learn about plate tectonics, weather, and conservation. Students will explore the impact of humans and climate and past/present/future affects on the earth.
This is the year that students will fall in love with science and decide to become geologists, solar engineers, paleontologists, and geophysicists.
Donated materials will support enduring understandings of the earth's dynamic systems. Students will understand the earth and the world that they live in to better address learning needs.
Donations of ANY size can make a BIG difference!
HOUSEKEEPING
Last week's main project, Graphing the Way to Understanding, was completed. Middle school students in Michigan will have the materials they need to learn how to create and interpret graphs. You can see the teacher's thank-you note at the link. Many thanks to all contributors!
See our list of successfully funded projects. We're up to 489! We are rapidly approaching the '500 projects' completed milestone. Due to the upcoming holiday season and our busy schedules, we will not be able to celebrate the occasion until after the holidays regardless of when we reach the milestone.
When projects are not fully funded by their expiration date, donors are contacted by DonorsChoose and asked to choose another project to which to redirect their donations. Occasionally, a fully funded project is called off for some reason internal to the school/teacher, and funding is returned. We have no way of knowing why, but DonorsChoose handles those donations in the same way as for expired projects.
How is the poverty level defined at DonorsChoose.org?
Poverty level refers to the percentage of students at a given school who qualify for free and reduced lunch, which is considered a measure of economic need. To be deemed eligible for free lunch, a student's family income must be within 130% of the poverty line (a max of $29,055 for a family of four). For reduced lunch, the family income must be within 185% of the poverty level (a max of $41,348 for a family of four). Schools with 10%-39% of students receiving free/reduced lunch are denoted as "moderate poverty" while schools with more than 40% of students receiving free/reduced lunch are denoted as "high poverty". For projects submitted from a school where free lunch rate data is unavailable or unreliable, "Poverty Data Unavailable" will appear.
More information:
DonorsChoose.org main page
DonorsChoose.org blog
About DonorsChoose.org
All DonorsChoose.org math & science projects search results
We are in no way affiliated with DonorsChoose.org, or any of the classroom projects presented for funding.
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