Bell Grants at Work - Samara Newnam's fifth grade class

When Samara Newnam's fifth grade class studied Patricia Polacco, they had a chance to learn about much more than just the life and works of the author. The students began by reading her book, The Keeping Quilt, a story about a quilt made from an immigrant Jewish family's clothing from their Russian homeland. Mrs. Newnam expanded the unit to allow the kids to learn about their own family heritage and create a lasting family keepsake.

A 2006 Bell Grant made it possible for the students to create a family biography scrapbook and "keeping pillow." Each student interviewed family members in order to write a biography about each person. They also collected family photographs and a swatch of fabric from each interviewed relative. The fabric could range from an old uniform worn by the person to an old handkerchief carried on a wedding day. The fabric was then used to make a quilted design for the front of a pillow. At the end of the project, each student had a family history album with pictures and a short biography about each relative remembered on his or her keeping pillow.

The Robert P. Bell Education Grants are awarded to teachers with innovative ideas, programs, or projects that are designed to stimulate learning in their students. Grants range in size from $50 - $350.