Crime Scene Investigation (of Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils): The title of this page caught my attention because I was intrigued by the idea of combining a crime scene investigation theme with rocks, minerals, and fossils. The teacher did an excellent job of explaining how this unit combines all 5 core subjects together in a fun and engaging way for her students. She also added in information about the school, her students, and the community that reinforces her need for donations in order to meet her students' needs. Despite the poor socioeconomic status of the area, however, she also provides information about how her students have positively affected their school and community through volunteer efforts. I did not see anything she could improve because she provides plenty of information about the school and her class, and she supports her claims with her previous class's successes.
Having Some FUN with Legos!: This page's title was interesting to me, and I wondered how the teacher would integrate Legos into her classroom in an educational way. The teacher explained her project with great enthusiasm, and she connected the project to learning about simple machines and mechanisms. Although she mentions many times that Legos will help her students "collaborate, explore, discover, innovate, and construct," she does not explain how Legos will help achieve this. Her page was short, and I would have liked to see more explanations of the applications of Legos in her classroom.
STEM Kits: The title, while not eye-catching, is pretty self-explanatory. The teacher first talks about her students and how they have varying levels of needs and accommodations in the classroom, providing donors with a clear picture of the students in her classroom. Her students are diverse in cultures and abilities, and her explanation makes it easy for donors to relate to them and potentially donate. The teacher also discusses a few science concepts they will explore with STEM kits, and she also advocates how hands-on learning will help her students develop a deeper understanding of science. She could improve her page by speaking of past projects using the recyclable materials she mentioned so donors have a better idea of what types of projects they are doing.
5 Tips:
- Provide background information about the diversity, socioeconomic status, and community of the students and the school. This information can invoke sympathy and allow donors to relate to the students thereby increasing the likelihood of donations.
- Connect how the projects or materials will help meet standards which validates their necessity in the classroom.
- Explain students' past successes or projects using the same or similar materials and/or projects.
- Have an interesting or fun title to catch donors' attention.
- Provide photos of students' past work and projects so donors can see what their donations will help support.