Past projects 4
American Historical Literature Library
Funded Sep 16, 2016Dear Contributor,
A change is gonna happen! We made a huge impact on student achievement together! My seventh grade and eighth grade students will now be able to experience American history through narrative form!
My colleagues have teamed up this year to figure out ways to maximize student achievement and the American Historical Fiction Library was the first initiative and it has been a success so far!
Students have the opportunity to read literary texts that demonstrate the hardships and joys of their American ancestors. Additionally, they are able to complete their required reading for English class simultaneously!”
With gratitude,
Mr. H.
Vietnam War on Television
Funded Aug 26, 2016Dear Donors,
Thank you for your generosity to my school. The Vietnam War is now a visceral multimedia event in Room 426: The music of protest and the exotic songs of South East Asia, bullets flying, the whirring of helicopters, the War Room deliberations will all inform students opinions as well as literary documents: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, State Department telegrams and other federal memoranda.
This will make a difference, not only to broaden students perspective, but to reach those students who struggle with literacy skills, who struggle with comprehending the English language. These students will be able to use Visual Thinking Skills to make higher order analysis of the American War in Vietnam.
Raul who can't sit still with a static object, will now be able to jump into a non-fiction narrative and compare it with a fiction interpretation of the war. Julia, who is becoming more and more competent with the English language, will now be able to analyze the faces and the body language of Viet Cong and American military personnel. This will make a difference.”
With gratitude,
Mr. H.
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 9 other donors.A Social Studies Library Grows in Brooklyn
Funded Jul 19, 2016Dear Donors,
Getting back to the school year can be really difficult for some students. However, this year my students got to jump into reading immediately!
The unit on Geography which starts off the school year was supplemented by the Boy of the Painted Cave, which helps connect the concept of human-environment interaction with the descriptions of herd tracking and changing the geography to make it more suited for humans.
The graphic novel was a massive hit, though! It barely stays on the shelves! I'm not sure which aspect the students like the most? Workers seizing power for themselves, the plight of the immigrant or the fact that every pages has pictures that tell a story, but whatever it is, the students are reading and that's most exciting!”
With gratitude,
Mr. H.
Historical Fiction Library
Funded Feb 3, 2016Since we opened the doors of our Historical Fiction Library, my students have been able to make deeper connections with American History because of the ease to sink their teeth into the narrative form than the dry textbook. The group discussions brought within the "book groups" have been able to bridge their non-fiction reading dexterity and their literary analytical skills. There have been a small group of students in my seventh grade American History class that are reading "Sign of the Beaver" and "Mr. Revere and Me," both tales of late 17th century New England to supplement our unit on Colonial America and the American Revolution. One student, F, loves how Matt in the "Sign of the Beaver" has been given big responsibility of being the man of the house; at twelve, F considers himself the man of his house.”
With gratitude,
Mr. H.
This classroom project was brought to life by Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation and one other donor.