Past projects 23
Deep Reading: An Unforgettable Book
Funded Aug 13, 2019You helped us to buy "The Leavers" by Lisa Ko for our U.S. Literature and Composition class. We will be reading this book a little later in the year.
Currently we are in a unit on the psychology of racism, reading about the experience of various oppressed groups in America, and looking at the psychic repercussions of racism. We are reading essays by Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ocean Vuong, Tommy Orange, Amy Tang and Audre Lourde, as well as research on inherited trauma.
Next we will read "The Great Gatsby," looking at the novel through the lens of class structures in America. THEN we will be ready to read "The Leavers" which looks at the immigrant experience of a Chinese family. I know the students will love this book -- many of my kids are first or second generation immigrants and will see themselves in the story. After reading the book students will write an essay comparing the intersection of class and personal values of a character in "The Leavers" to one in either "The Great Gatsby" or "The Crucible," which we read earlier in the year.
I am so thankful to have been able to add "The Leavers" to my class curriculum.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.Write Write Write
Funded Jul 14, 2019Students use the composition books you gifted for a variety of tasks. Some students prefer to take their notes in them. Others use the books for journal and/or creative writing. Finally, Honors students are using them to record their responses to and reflections on books they are reading independently.
Years ago I began a practice of offering students extra credit for journal writing, where they explore their inner life, hopes and dreams, struggles, and questions about their world. They write a passage to me, and I write back to them. It is a personalized way to practice their Language Arts skills. Along the way, I have been able to forestall more than one suicide, find help for students suffering from depression, and even stem a couple cases of abuse. In less dramatic cases, building strong relationships with students creates a more positive attitude in school.
My 11th grade Honors students are reading either Beloved by Toni Morrison or The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton independently. They are using their comp books to keep track of their responses, in order to include these texts in a wide ranging essay we will be writing later in the year.
I feel so lucky to have a healthy stack of composition books in my cupboard.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
My Last Year: Basic Supplies
Funded Jul 16, 2019We use our basic supplies every day. Pens, pencils and papers serve for reflections, essays, and notes.
Art supplies are used to creatively explore texts, to create graphic narratives, and to make posters to demonstrate knowledge.
For "The Crucible" study we are tracing the development of each character visually, examining actions, their motives, and consequences. This visual organizer will lead to writing an essay on moral decision making.
One project we'll be doing soon during our Transcendentalism Unit is emulating Emily Dickinson's use of envelopes where she wrote her poems. We will be deconstructing envelopes, and writing and illustrating our own poems on the odd shapes.
All year long we use our materials to have hands-on discourse with the literature we read. We are grateful that you have donated to us, allowing us to have all our supplies on hand and stress-free. Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
A Ravishing Novel
Funded Oct 25, 2018Thank you so much for the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns." We are currently in the process of reading it and I think I have never offered a book that students liked so much. A reluctant reader named Jesus finished it already -- he couldn't stop reading. "It's the best book I ever read," he said. For a teacher this is pure gold. The students have been answering deep questions as we go, honing their skills at making a claim, finding rich evidence and then analyzing how the quotes from the text support their claim.
Coincidentally our local Repertory Theater presented a play based on the book in November, and we were able to go on a field trip. This has been one of the most fulfilling units of my career because the students are experiencing a true love of art. They are relating to the characters, and exploring the theme of love and light in the midst of horror and darkness.
I am so grateful for your generosity that provided us this splendid opportunity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 13 other donors.Basic School Supplies
Funded Aug 1, 2018Your gift of basic school supplies helps me create the home-like atmosphere I try to achieve in my classroom -- a place rich with books, paper, pens, pencils, art supplies -- that allow kids to do their best learning. For so many students, pressed by standardized tests and an increasingly competitive and harsh "real" world, school is just a duty or necessary but evil stepping stone to whatever vague future comes next. It doesn't have to be that way. The classroom can come alive, energized by curiosity, humor, and mutual respect. Providing students with the supplies they need is one less stress for them to carry, and helps us learn with ease and joy.
Knowing people like you care enough to gift them the simple supplies they need is a balm in a world that sometimes feels cruel and unwelcoming. Thank you so much for your help.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
Art Supplies to Engage with Literature
Funded Jul 29, 2018Thank you so much for the art supplies. So far students have made posters with poems that share their senses of identity. After reading "Persepolis" students will make a graphic comic of their own lives at a crossroads, with the help of a visiting artist. Those are the sophomores; the juniors are reading "The Crucible" and will make posters/graphic organizers that trace the evolution of a character throughout the play via his or her moral decisions and their consequences. And that's just quarter one.
Throughout the year we will go into the magic blue cupboard that holds the art supplies and use them for joyous, multi-layered learning. We couldn't do it without you, really.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
Put Pen to Paper and Write!
Funded Jul 16, 2017We use the paper and pens you provided us every single day. From free-writes to deep analysis of texts and poetry, students are constantly practicing their skills at writing. We often talk about the empowerment of language, and its beauty as well. Just today my students, ranging from kids with special needs services to Honors (we are all together in a mainstream class) analyzed poems by Emily Dickinson. I was so moved watching them look up unfamiliar words, notate the poems, and then finally write down their interpretations on paper (provided by you!). One girl named Ashley actually clutched her cheeks and then raised her arms in victory as the meaning of a difficult poem came clear to her.
The students are aware of the generosity of your gifts to our classroom. Honestly, it is hard for today's youth not to grow cynical, given the state of the political world around us. But when students realize that kind people who don't know them care about them, it takes some of that cynicism away.
We are soon going to embark on a creative writing unit, and your paper and pens will come in so very handy as their imaginations take them to worlds hitherto unknown, and help them to grapple with the real world as well.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and one other donor.A Book all Kids Love
Funded Jul 15, 2017Thank you so much for sending us more copies of "In the Shadow of the Banyan" to replace our missing and dog-eared books. First of all, having a book for every student is crucial. And especially reluctant reading students feel more positively towards newer looking books.
"In the Shadow of the Banyan" is a favorite among my students, over 65% of whom are Asian. The book takes place in Cambodia, during the time of the Khmer Rouge revolution, which affected many of our families. For all students it is a very emotional book, which draws them in. It is poetic and literary. It is written from a Buddhist paradigm, which is a great thing in a World Literature class, in which we are focused on multiple perspectives.
Kids talk about this book for years after reading it. You have had a huge, positive effect.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 5 other donors.Beef Up Our Classroom Library
Funded Aug 21, 2016Dear Donors,
Thank you SO MUCH for the gift of books to my classroom library. My students were so touched and excited to see the brand new additions, many of which flew off the shelves immediately. They have been passing around some of the more popular finds (the graphic novel "March", Sherman Alexie, Matt de la Pena) and urging classmates to read them. "It's really good!" they say in amazement, as if that were an unheard of description of a book... I have seen more enthusiasm about reading, thanks to you, this year than ever before. The more accessible books have whet their appetites, and give me a chance to recommend other books that they would not have considered before. It is a teacher's dream.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman
Everyday School Supplies
Funded Jul 13, 2016Dear Donors,
Thank you so much for all the supplies you provided to my classroom. From the everyday use of pencils and lined paper, to the project based work using poster board, sharpies and colored paper, our classroom is alive and stress-free thanks to this wealth of materials.
We are just starting our posters for "The Crucible" which trace the trajectories of the play's characters as a result of their changing moral decisions. These posters in turn will serve as graphic organizers for the essays students will write on this topic.
Your donation gives us the freedom to imagine and create and learn.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Richman