Past projects 2
Encouraging Motivation and Independence with Dystopian Book Clubs
Funded Oct 6, 2024Thanks to your kindness and support, my 8th grade students were fully immersed in their dystopian book clubs, engaging with complex, thought-provoking literature that challenged them to think critically and discuss meaningful themes. These new books have not only expanded their reading choices but have also deepened their understanding of societal structures, individual freedoms, and ethical dilemmas. Paired with our whole-class novel, The Giver, these texts encouraged students to evaluate the consequences of choices made by both characters and real-world societies.
In our classroom, reading is an interactive and collaborative experience. Students eagerly gathered in their book club groups, leading discussions, debating characters' decisions, and making connections to the world around them. These books have strengthened their analytical skills, boosted their confidence in discussing complex ideas, and inspired a genuine enthusiasm for literature. Your generosity has provided my advanced students with the challenge and engagement they crave, pushing them to think deeper and broaden their perspectives.
Your support has truly made a difference, and I cannot thank you enough for investing in my students' learning. Because of you, they are not just reading—they are questioning, analyzing, and growing as thinkers.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wright
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 6 other donors.Creating a Culture of Reading With a Multi-Genre Classroom Library
Funded Oct 14, 2019I cannot express to you how overjoyed I was to receive these new books for my classroom library. My professional goal this year, as a 7th and 8th grade reading teacher, is to help students fall in love with reading again—to show them that reading is so much more than a prerequisite for a multiple choice test. I decided that one way to do this was by introducing my students to genres unfamiliar to them, and hopefully, genres that they might love. The overwhelming majority of books in our school library are fictional, and students who do not naturally gravitate toward fiction have grown to think that reading is just not for them. With your contribution, I have been able to add more than 30 nonfiction books and graphic novels to my shelves.
To introduce these new books to my students, I hosted a "book tasting" during which books are placed around the room for students to preview. My goal for this activity was for students to walk away with a list of books they want to read in the near future. It was a great success. I created a "Starbooks" theme and had students record their thoughts and first impressions about their favorite books in "menus." I provided coffee shop music and snacks. The attached photos show students engaged in the books with which you helped provide me. I had several students make me promise to "hold" a book for them so that they could be the first to check it out! And a week later, students are still circulating these books like crazy. In fact, a student just interrupted my typing to tell me that she finished and LOVED Katherine Johnson's autobiography, "Reaching for the Moon." I cannot thank you enough for providing these books to my students. They've ignited a spark for reading in my classroom. I am forever grateful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Wright