You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. S. from Vassar, MI is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. S. is requesting

Do the Locomotion

My students need 5 impact cars, 5 economy carts, balances, an inertia device, free fall apparatus, second law device, and a timer.

  • $979 goal

This project expired on January 11, 2010.

This project expired on January 11, 2010.

Classroom photo
Mrs. S. Vassar Middle High School
Vassar, MI Grades 9-12

Physics does not require math. I am a special education teacher in a small rural town in Michigan. I teach grades 7-12 in both regular and special education classes. Approximately 40% of our students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. Fifteen percent of our students are in at least one special education class. Our special education population is almost double the national average. Part of this is due to the reputation of the special education department in our school, part is due to the fact that a neighboring school eliminated special education from their educational program. We attempt to include special education students in the general education classes whenever possible. If it is not reasonable, the students are then placed in special education classes with fewer goals or longer timelines than the regular education students. They are still expected to learn the state required concepts.

The state of Michigan has implemented new requirements for high school graduation. All students, including special education students, are required to take three years of science in high school. Previously students were only required to complete two years. The current high school physics class is based in theory. Few labs are done and most work is completed with a scientific calculator. The special education department would like to develop an inquiry or lab-based physics class. This class would require students to observe, ask a question, create a lab to answer the question, then justify their results to the other students. After two or three years, with the correct equipment, we would like to open this class to regular education students. This would be a reverse inclusion setting in conceptual physics. Due to the theoretical nature of the current class there are few materials to demonstrate force and motion. The school currently has stopwatches, whistles, (both borrowed from the PE classes) and yardsticks (borrowed from the math department). Forces and motion is only one unit of this new class. Grants have been proposed for the other five units.

Inertia is a difficult concept to demonstrate. The inertia balance and inertia device will allow students to understand that inertia is more than just the idea of the heavier something is, the harder it is to push. The Second Law Device is used to demonstrate that something pushed and something dropped will hit the ground at the same time. Students can recite the rule "gravity affects all objects of the same mass equally", but will still believe that a bullet fired from a gun will hit the ground before a bullet dropped at the same time. The impact and container cars will be used for collision labs. One example demonstrates that two objects collide with the same force, even though there is generally more damage to the lighter vehicle. The container cars will also be used with the photogate to demonstrate such basic, but complicated ideas, as acceleration, velocity, and speed.

Special education students need experiences to learn. With your help, my students will learn ideas and concepts, not just formulas and definitions.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Nearly all students from low‑income households

Never Before Funded 16 students impacted
Mrs. S. Vassar Middle High School Grades 9-12

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Vassar, MI View local requests

Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

Never Before Funded 16 students impacted

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. S. is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Inertia Device • Frey Scientific, Inc. $16.00 1 $16.00
Second Law Device • Frey Scientific, Inc. $30.90 1 $30.90
Digital Timer With Photogates • Frey Scientific, Inc. $294.00 1 $294.00
Inertia Balance • Frey Scientific, Inc. $42.45 1 $42.45
Free Fall Apparatus • Frey Scientific, Inc. $156.00 1 $156.00
Economy Cart • Frey Scientific, Inc. $19.55 5 $97.75
Impact Car • Frey Scientific, Inc. $14.95 5 $74.75

Materials cost

$711.85

Vendor shipping charges

 $71.19

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$10.68

Fulfillment labor & materials

$9.00

Total project cost

$802.72

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$176.21

Total project goal

$978.93

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. S. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"MI","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":4,"name":"High School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":979,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/-/299027/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":16,"isEquityFocusV1":false,"teacherScreenName":"Mrs. S.","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"-454485224","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":0.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Vassar","teachersOnPage":[353236],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":299027,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"schoolId":72841,"schoolName":"Vassar Middle High School","authorIds":{"353236":{"owner":"Mrs. S.","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":0.0,"proposalsOnPage":[299027],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://cdn.donorschoose.net/images/placeholder-avatars/272/teacher-placeholder-9_272.png?auto=webp","teacherHasProfilePhoto":false,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":6,"teacherChallengeId":180568,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":353236,"schoolCounty":"Tuscola","fullyFunded":false,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"MI","name":"Michigan"}}