Past projects 2
Reading Like a Boss: Providing Complex Texts to Students
Funded Jul 24, 2018My project to purchase complex texts for my students is now completely funded. I’m so humbled by everyone’s wonderful support. This encouragement couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks to all of you who gave so generously to provide meaningful and challenging literature to my 5th graders. It truly means so much!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Koopmans
Help Me Blow Their Minds
Funded Aug 17, 2017Last fall, you helped me with a project through DonorsChoose.org called, "Help Me Blow Their Minds." As a result of your generosity, I was able to purchase enough books to provide 140 students with the opportunity to read two books...A LONG WALK TO WATER and A LAND REMEMBERED. We have finished reading A LONG WALK TO WATER, thoroughly digested and synthesized the text and written an essay about the experience. Michael J. wrote this about his experience with the book, "A LONG WALK TO WATER really blew my mind when Salva [the Sudanese lost boy] learned his ABC's at age 23 [so he would be ready to move to the United States]. A LONG WALK TO WATER was a great book..."
Reading in my classroom looks exactly the photos I shared...kids who are thoroughly engaged in the text (this is no small feat with 10 year olds) and when I say we must stop for the day, many voices pleading for me to read just one more chapter. We read aloud so that the events in the text unfold before the entire group like a beautiful flower. The ah-ha moments, like realizing that there are places in a world where children are NOT forced to go to school, rather have a deep thirst for learning and want to go to school, are a corporate adventure.
Ryan B. wrote this after reading the book: "Learning the difference between first and third world problems has changed me." That, my friends, that change is what propels me to continue to read great books.
Our current adventure is reading about life in "La Florida" during the Civil War. As the school year closes, we will enjoy traveling through the Florida scrub, herding cattle and befriending the Seminole family led by Keith Tiger. Tobias, Emma and Zechariah are characters that will live forever in the memories of my fifth graders. They will be entwined with the stories of Salva and Nya from A LONG WALK TO WATER. These books will influence more than this class of students, as they are now on my shelves and I've seen the impact they will make on future readers. I know many of the 140 students will someday say to their own children, "I want to get copies of those books we read in fifth grade so my own child can experience what I now know to be a life-changing reading experience."
Thank you for making this possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Koopmans