Past projects 2
Freshmen Want to Read Poetry!
Funded Apr 9, 2019Thank you so much for your generosity. My students sometimes are very disenfranchised- they think that no one has their back or their interests at heart. Your generosity has shown them that people do care about them. People do want them to flourish and thrive even in a very tough environment, such as their everyday lives.
With the book Long Way Down, they are learning that writing doesn't have to follow one set of rules. It can take the shape of whatever they want. It can be a novel written in verse or poems, like Long Way Down, or it can be written in paragraph form. They don't have to box themselves into a corner and feel stuck, which leads them to giving up all together.
Even at the end of the school year like it is right now, my students are coming into class to continue reading the book. When we are done reading for the day, I see them reading on because they love it so much! Imagine that! Teens continuing to read even after the time for reading has ended!
Thank you, again, for generously giving to my students. They appreciate it so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pool
Freshmen Want to Discuss The Hate U Give
Funded Oct 25, 2018Thank you so much for proving to my students that 1.) there are amazing people in the world and 2.) people really care about them. The students are LOVING this book. They love it so much that ever since we got The Hate U Give books, attendance has improved and classwork grades have improved.
Every day, my students walk into the class and the first thing they do is ask if we are reading the book today. When we had a week and a half of standardized testing, the kids were upset that we couldn't read as much in class. Can you imagine that? Freshmen being upset about not reading! You did that! It's because of your generosity that my students come into class and can't wait to read and discuss the book.
My students also created slide shows on one of five topics they researched that correlated with the book: code-switching, Black Panther Party, Tupac Shakur and his activism, media coverage of police shootings, and gang culture/leaving a gang. They then taught the class all they learned about their topic. The conversations that we were able to have in class were mind-blowing. Some of my students are at a point in their lives where joining a gang seems like the best possible choice for them. You could see the trepidation on their faces when they learned how dangerous gangs are, that they aren't as rosy as they might have believed.
It has been absolutely wonderful to read The Hate U Give and I owe it all to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pool
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 2 other donors.