Past projects 2
Foster a Love of Hands-On Reading
Funded Dec 6, 2022Students loved having their very own Twelfth Night book! We learned how to annotate for both plot comprehension and interesting quotes. We also discussed tragedy versus comedy story structure and learned about how Shakespeare used popular tropes to tell new stories, much like Marvel or Star Wars might do today.
Students volunteered to read parts out loud, and after each act, we watched the 2018 Royal Shakespeare Company version of the play, which included Viola and Sebastian cast as Indian-British actors, and an Orsino who kisses Viola before he knows she is a woman. This allowed us to talk about the way casting and staging can influence a play or film without changing the lines. Students reflected on how they would cast and stage the play if they were putting it on.
Finally, students wrote their first analytical essay of the year. Most of them chose to compare and contrast healthy love in the play (Viola and Orsino) to unhealthy love in the play (Olivia and Viola/Sebastian, or Orsino and Viola). Some chose to argue that friendship is more vital and healthier than love, as seen by Antonio and Orsino's friendship, or that good natured jokes can go too far, as seen by the treatment of Malvolio. Students were delighted to see that a 400-year-old play still had truth about human behavior, but also that there were updates they might make for today's society. Our final assignment was to pitch a Twelfth Night movie with changes for a modern audience.
Students gained such a deeper understand of this time period, reading comprehension, the idea of adaptation, and how entertainment can comment on society. Their confidence grew reading such a famous, difficult author. We are now working on medieval romances, including Canterbury Tales, and students are recognizing the tropes and themes Shakespeare was discussing in Twelfth Night, which would have been a riff on older medieval stories.
Thank you for empowering these students to read and letting them keep their own books. Thirty-five students now have a love of reading and literature that wasn't there before.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cleland
Student-Designed Room Upgrade
Funded Sep 1, 2021Thank you so much for helping us upgrade our room. Students are deeply proud of the changes they made and will often ask to clean or organize the room. They love to be able to go sit in their cozy corners if they finish work or are having a hard time. Adding game time to our classroom has increased team-building and social skills, both of which were big challenges this year. They are also proud to tell their friends that they designed the room, made the budget, and made it happen. This is a hugely empowering experience for them.
The students have already taken it upon themselves to get to next steps. Some students volunteered to come in and decorate the room with artwork and posters they gathered from other classes. Others have set up bulletin boards, and others have started a list of what they'd like to add next. I now have many students come to hang out (even some who are not mine) before and after school. Students are excited to have ownership over this space and a place to feel part of the community.
We couldn't have done it without you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cleland
This classroom project was brought to life by Emerson Collective and 9 other donors.