Transform Learning: Excite, Engage, Educate

School:: Callahan Elementary
Subject:: Other
Teacher:: Rachel Rhoads
Students Impacted:: 18
Grade:: 2
Date:: February 25, 2019

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Nassau Education Foundation - $780.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 18

My students have loved using the materials purchased for my grant. The purpose of this grant was to excite, engage, and educate students through hands-on materials, props, and small room transformations. They have really enjoyed the materials that we have used so far and it has helped them to stay engaged and excited with the curriculum being taught. We have transformed our room into a football theme and learned about the 3 states of matter and nonfiction text features. We dressed up like detectives while learning about context clues and how to solve math word problems. We were even cowboys and learned to rope up different numbers while learning about place value. We learned about weather and even made our own "snow" and "snowmen." All of these ideas and resources would not have been possible without the Nassau Education Foundation and Grant investors. Thank you for helping me provide my students with fun, exciting, and engaging materials!

Original Grant Overview

Goal

The goal of this project is provide students with lessons that will excite, engage, and educate them in a fun way. They will be learning in a "transformed" classroom where they play a role as a high-interest character while learning curriculum. I want to give students a reason to be excited about coming to school; the same way they get excited about playing video games, sports, or with toys. I believe room transformations, role-play, and cooperative learning can spark the excitement that students need to stay engaged and love learning!

What will be done with my students

This grant would help to provide hands-on, engaging tools that would excite students about learning, this year and for classes in the future. The idea behind this grant is to give students the opportunity to learn in a "transformed" classroom/environment. This would allow students to practice and review content for all subjects in a fun and memorable way. For example, students may enter a "construction zone" of learning and practice compound words, part/part/whole math problems, and learn about simple machines while being construction workers in a classroom decorated construction zone. They would dress the part with safety vests and hard hats while constructing solutions with a partner or group. They would use Legos to build compound words and Jenga to deconstruct math word problems. These items would excite and engage students while making education fun and memorable.
If my grant is funded, I intend to incorporate this project throughout the entire year. The themes would be: Construction Zone, Bakery, Secret Agents, Super Heroes, Circus, Camping Out, Pirates, Sports, and Dinosaurs. Students would experience a new theme every month that includes curriculum related, hands-on, group activities, and learning opportunities. I would spend the money to purchase hands-on manipulatives for reading, math, and science, that could be used year after year. I would then only need to replenish consumable items for the hands-on experiments as needed. This project would benefit my current students and my future students.

Benefits to my students

If this project is funded, it would greatly benefit all students. Students would experience the excitement of classroom transformations and role play, which would lead to increased engagement and learning. Working with groups and practicing with hands-on tools would better enable students to achieve higher level critical thinking and collaborative skills. I want my students to be excited to come to school, engaged in learning, and have a fun educational experience. I know this grant would help make that happen!
This project would benefit my current class of 18 students, my future classes, and other second grade classes. I plan to share the ideas and materials with my 2nd grade team. Our grade-level plans together and we borrow/share personal materials weekly.

Budget Narrative

I have asked for a variety of of items that will provide students with fun, engaging, learning possibilities. These materials will allow students to role-play during classroom transformations while learning with hands-on materials for reading, math, and science.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Lakeshore: How Did You Solve It? Math Activity Cards - Gr. 2	$40.00
2	Classic Big Lego Bricks ($30 each x3)	$90.00
3	Playdough	$45.00
4	Class set of construction hats and glasses	$45.00
5	Superhero Capes and Masks Class Set	$50.00
6	Addition football toss game	$30.00
7	Pie Face Game ($15 x 3)	$45.00
8	Class Set of aprons and construction vests	$70.00
9	Classroom Jenga ($15 each x 3)	$45.00
10	Lakeshore: High-Interest Reading Folders Grade 2 Complete Set	$140.00
11	Jumbo Fraction Magnet Set	$20.00
12	Jenga Math Game Cards Growing Bundle: Second Grade Math Practice and Review	$35.00
13	Rock the Classroom: 14 Educational Songs to Help Students Rock the Content	$10.00
14	LakeshoreForce & Motion Activity Tub - Gr. 1-3	$70.00
15	Jurassic World Transformation (math and reading review)	$6.00
16	3.NF.A.1 - Frank Fraction's Pizzeria! A Classroom Transformation Kit	$5.00
17	Football Game Day! (Classroom Transformation for 2nd Grade Math)	$9.00
18	Camp Learn-a-Lot Classroom Transformation! Reading & Math Review Activities	$10.00
19	Construction Day: Building Words Classroom Transformation	$5.00
20	Classroom Transformation Kit: Superhero Theme	$10.00
	Total:	$780.00

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