Past projects 8
In the Footsteps: Exploring Jefferson's Monticello
Funded Mar 30, 2017Our trip to Charlottesville, VA was truly wonderful and amazing! We loved every minute of it! We gathered with palpable excitement at noon on Wednesday May 31st at Wright Middle School. The kids were abuzz with energy and the adults were abuzz with nerves. The parents were excited too, some were sad and scared to let their kids go away for a few days, but all were brave enough to kiss them goodbye and put their kids on the bus. When our bus arrived, we had a special surprise: we got the official Vanderbilt University team bus, so we were traveling in NCAA division I, SEC style! It was an incredibly nice bus, and our driver was wonderful. We left Wright Middle School right on time Wednesday, drove two-thirds of the way to our destination and stopped for dinner. We took over a small Mexican restaurant and had a nice meal. Then we continued on and got to our hotel without any trouble. The students were so excited to be staying in a hotel, and for some, it was their first time! We got them settled into their rooms and let them get ready for bed (haha, yeah right, they were way to excited to sleep--and some never did that night). Then we said goodnight and tucked them in.
The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and loaded up the bus to head for Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. We couldn't have ordered up better weather, and the grounds and estate were absolutely amazing on that beautiful early summer day. The house is on a hilltop surrounded by gardens-both flower and vegetable, an orchard, and a vineyard. We walked ALL over the grounds seeing all the different sights: the stable, slave quarters, kitchen, ice house, etc. The students got to run down Mulberry Row like Beverly and they LOVED it. We saw Jefferson's grave, which some stated was their favorite part, and some of the archaeological sites that are still being uncovered and reconstructed. In a thank you note, a student wrote, "At Monticello, I felt historic...I felt like being alive at that time. When I saw the grave of Thomas Jefferson, I just thought it was incredible." We ended our time at Monticello with our official house tour. The students and adults all loved seeing his house. He was an inventor, innovator, philosopher, and architect. The house reflected all of these different passions. The rooms were ornately decorated and our tour guides told us the history and stories behind the different gadgets, instruments, and paintings on the walls. Throughout it all, the students faces shown with wonder; it was incredible to behold. I was so proud of them because they knew so much about Jefferson and his era! I could tell that the tour guide was asking the questions and not expecting to get answers--but then they came, and they were right!! The students were stars!! One of the students' favorite things was that we could see the rotunda at the University of Virginia from Monticello. Jefferson "liked to spy" on his project. The kids loved that. A student captured the Monticello experience best in one of his thank you notes. He wrote, "As I stood in front of the founding father's grave, I was looking at history. I couldn't do it it without your help. I got to walk and breathe American History, and I thank you for that."
We left Monticello tired, a little sweaty, and hungry. We went a few miles down the road to Michie's Tavern. We had a tour of their establishment which is a 1700s inn and tavern. It also served as a community center, meeting hall, hospital, hotel, and local bar. It was everything at the time. The students learned about what it would have been like to be a hotel guest in Jefferson's time, danced a period dance, and then we were treated to an all you can eat buffet--the food was southern comfort food, and we ate to our heart's content. We had fried chicken, black-eyed peas, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, pickled beets, stewed tomatoes, sweet tea, and peach cobbler for dessert. This amazing lunch was definitely a highlight for some of the kids!
With full tummies and renewed energy, we headed to our last stop of the day, which was James Monroe's home, Ashlawn Highland. They were ready for us when we arrived. We were split into four groups and given a full tour with demonstrations and hands on experiments in all of the buildings on the estate. The students saw a 1700s cooking demonstration, played games in the yard similar to what children would have played during Monroe's time, saw medical tools used by surgeons of the day, and toured Monroe's home. One student wrote in her thank you note that playing the games in the yard was her favorite part of the whole trip. In the house students heard stories about the amazing life of James Monroe and all of his accomplishments. One girl wrote, "The fact/story I liked the most of the whole trip was James and Elizabeth's love story. It was love at first sight." We also learned about the artwork displayed in his home too; there was even a marble bust of Napoleon that was given to Monroe as a gift from Napoleon himself! So cool! At the end of our visit at the Highland, the students in my group, 10 girls, ran to a statue of James Monroe to take a picture with him. Overwhelmed and misty with love and pride, I turned to our tour guide, and said, "Aren't they beautiful children?!" She got a little choked up and said, "Yes, they are. They are amazing. And this trip is amazing--the donations, the support, the diversity of the kids, all of it. Ohh, we so glad you are here. All of us (the employees at the Highland) read your donors choose project, and have been so excited--couldn't wait--to meet all of you! They are just as great as we hoped they'd be!" That pushed me over the edge, and tears fell. The kids were so wonderful and happy it makes me teary now thinking about it. Anyways, back to the trip: The kids were exhausted, and I think they all snoozed on the bus on the way back to our hotel. But, when we got back, the kids perked right back up and enjoyed the pool and spending time with friends. We had pizza delivered for dinner and by the time 10:00 rolled around, all of the students went to bed without a fuss.
Friday Morning, we got up and headed to the University of Virginia. We took an official campus tour, saw the rotunda that Jefferson built and designed, sat in a classroom, learned about the traditions, secret societies (so cool!), and all of the amazing opportunities that UVA offers. I had to tell my parents, that if I had visited there, it would have been in the running! On the bus and in their thank you notes, several students mentioned, "I might have just found my college," and "I can see myself living and studying here," "I want to live in one of the original lawn rooms!" It was so fun to see them so excited and ask such great questions about college classes and life. For the first time, college became real to some of them that day.
Then, we headed back to Nashville. We stopped for dinner in Knoxville and ultimately delivered smarter, happy, excited, tired students back to their parents at about 9:30 on Friday night June 2nd. All in all, the trip was a huge success. The students learned so much and loved every minute. The overwhelming gratitude and generosity of you donors humbles me still. I can't believe this trip actually happened. When I set out planning it, I really didn't think it would come to pass. Thanks to you, we all had an experience of a lifetime. One student thank you note started off like this: "Dear Donors, You have changed my life. You are amazing. I enjoyed learning about..." I think these words say it best, because my words are inadequate to express how thankful I am for being able to take the students on this trip. Watching their eyes twinkle as they learned, absorbed, wondered, and grew was truly amazing as their teacher. I'll never forget the way the glowed with pride and sparkled with delight as they took it all in. Your donation made a profound impact on the lives of 50 students and five teachers, who otherwise would not have had this opportunity. The students, teachers, and I will never forget your gracious gifts, given freely without strings attached. We all will forever be better people because of this experience.
Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 78 other donors.MSU Racer Rendezvous!
Funded Dec 18, 2015Thank you so much for allowing us to travel to Murray, Kentucky! We had a fantastic trip to Murray State!! We took fifty eight middle school students to meet their pen pals at MSU, and they had a fantastic time. The students loved the bus ride and seeing the Kentucky country side. The canola was in bloom and we passed fields and fields of solid yellow flowers. They enjoyed seeing the livestock as well, many asked, "Ms. Carr is that cows or horses?!" So much learning happened on this day, even on the bus ride! Once we arrived in Murray, we were greeted at the Curris Center by Dr. Cindy Clemson. The students were handed a granola bar and a small bottle of water, and we hiked up to the 3rd floor where the students got paired up with their pen pals, and then together got to hear the Assistant Dean talk about what it takes to be college students and what kinds of things college students do. Then representatives from the Office of Recruitment spoke with the students about scholarship opportunities and about what they should have on their college applications to get accepted. They explained the ACT and what a "good" score would be, and told students how important that test is. Then the students went off with their pen pals for an incredibly quick campus tour. Each student got to see a classroom, the library, the athletic center, and other special things around campus. The middle schoolers especially liked the shoe tree. Their tours concluded with an all-you-can-eat lunch in the dining hall, which they were ecstatic about! When we got back on the bus to return to Nashville they were all abuzz with talk of college, what they saw, and how much they liked their pen pals. Some of the students were so sad to leave their pen pals that they had tears in their eyes as they hugged them goodbye and got back on the bus. All in all, the day was amazing, and it inspired and encouraged my students to think about college in new ways. Many of the students are talking about how they definitely want to attend Murray State University. So, for those of you from Murray or who are MSU alumni, you have done well by your home town and Alma Mater. Thank you so, so much for making this day possible; it had an incredible impact on my students in ways that we are yet to see.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 25 other donors.Ancient, Dystopian, Contemporary-Community Matters a LOT
Funded Apr 6, 2015When the boxes of books and materials arrived for this project, my students were very excited to get their hands on the books! I gave book talks on all of the books, and the students ranked them by interest. Then I grouped the students based upon the books they were interested in reading. Once they got their actual books in their hands, they were off to the races! Several students were so into their books that they read non-stop. So much for not reading ahead of the syllabus! The students loved and enjoyed these books very much.
As they read, they were doing an in-depth analysis of the ancient societies from their social studies curriculum as well as analyzing our current community. They then used their analysis of past, present, and future societies to develop a use for a vacant lot in the school's community. Their ideas were unique and honest and research based. The students were very proud of their ideas and enjoyed showing them off to local city council and school board members at a big poster presentation session. Their pride was contagious and they very much enjoyed the work they were doing. We had a fantastic conclusion to our school year because of your generosity and the materials you provided. Thank you so very, very much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
"To Read or Not to Read?" There is Only One Answer!
Funded Feb 13, 2015THANK YOU so much for your donation to purchase books for my students. They have LOVED reading Macbeth. It has been a perfectly creepy, dark, spine-tingling, spooky read for my classes. They have loved the sneaky murder plot, and then the demise of the murders. When given the choice between a more modern version and the original Shakespeare half of the students chose the original. They felt smart and accomplished being able to read what others think is too hard. I can not tell you how many times I heard, "This is fun!" and "It's not so bad. I understand!" In addition to that joy, listening to 6 different small groups of students reading "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble" all together a few seconds apart is one of my top ten most favorite moments of my teaching career. It brought goosebumps to my skin and tears to my eyes. They were doing it perfectly. I wish I could post videos of them reading it on here to show you how great it was. All in all, thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart for helping to make this unit a reality. The students truly loved it and learned so much. Your donation absolutely made a difference.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
The Power of One: Characters Inspire Individuals
Funded Oct 15, 2014The students loved the books! They were engaged and happy, and loved reading A Long Walk to Water. The students were intrigued by this history and were amazed that children younger than they are were able to successfully walk across the desert, dodge bullets, swim across the crocodile infested Nile, and survive! They were appalled by the story of Sudan's civil war, and were inspired by Salva's bravery and commitment to survival and success in life. It was a really great moment when I got to pull up his website (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org) and show them that the book they had just read was real and that our character wasn't a figment of an author's imagination; he is very real and still alive. However, the best part of the entire experience was watching my two students (one in each class) who are Sudanese experience this book. Their parents were Lost Boys of Sudan, and we, the rest of the students and I, could tell that they were reading more than just a good book. They were reading the story of their parents, and their people, and their history--and they were enthralled. It was fantastic to watch. The other students knowing that this book was more than just a good book real to their peers made the reading of it seem important and urgent. They took it very seriously. I can not thank you enough for putting these books into the hands of my students and allowing me to have and keep them to teach in future years. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
Identity, Baseball, and the American Dream
Funded Jan 22, 2013When my students first heard about books being banned, they were shocked. They didn't know that books could even BE banned. When they heard about the Hispanic Studies syllabus being banned in Tucson, they were indignant. When I told the students that I knew the author Matt de la Pena, and that he needed our help to spread the word about how great his book is, they were engaged. Thanks to your generous donations, we received enough books for all of the students to have his/her own book and read at home at their individual paces. Thank you so much for giving the students the freedom to read. When they are not allowed to take books from the classroom because there is one set of books for all classes to share, they are forced to read on a time frame, which in many cases has the same effect as banning the book would have.
My students loved Mexican Whiteboy. For many, it was the first book they read cover to cover. For others, it was the first book they read that contained glimpses of their own lives. One young man told me that he finally understood how people could like to read, because he had found a book that could convince him. And he said, "If you can convince me that reading can be great, you can convince anybody!" We reached out to the Tennesseean and the local news affiliates to spread the word about how much we liked the book and the difference it made in our lives, and who knows, maybe one of these days they'll even run the story.
We had a chance to skype (video chat) with the author, so the students could thank him face to face for writing such a good book. They got to ask him questions about the book, the banning, his writing process and goals, and about his life as an educated, successful Hispanic man who grew up in a neighborhood much like theirs. They asked him about going to college and about what it takes to "make it." After they spoke with him, and heard his story, they were filled with optimism and hope. I could see many of the boys turning over so many new ideas and possibilities in their minds; thinking and saying "Maybe I should let myself think about college...he's just like me, and he did it. Maybe I can too... If he can do it, I can do it..." These inspired conversations with my precious students brought tears to my eyes. It all started with a book. A book that you put in their hands. I truly believe that reading the right book at the right time has the power to transform and redirect lives. It expands the world, and makes the impossible seem possible. Thank you for allowing this magic to unfold in the lives of my students. Your donation made a significant difference in many young lives. Thank you so very, very much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
Engaging Literature Needed!!
Funded Oct 19, 2012Thank you so much for helping my students have good, relevant books to read. We read the historical fiction novel Mississippi Trial, 1955 and it's non-fiction partner, Getting Away with Murder, and had wonderful experience with the texts and perspective-changing learning. The story of Emmett Till is chilling and upsetting. My students were engaged immediately and shocked when they realized how "it used to be." The book allowed students to have very real discussions about racism, hatred, and our legal system. Some really amazing connections came from reading these books.
First, one of my students was telling her grandmother about the book and discovered that her great uncle was a cousin of Emmett Till and was with him at Bryant's store when he whistled at Mrs. Bryant. Whoa. We have added a name to the history books by connecting with Devry Anderson, the nation's leading historian on the Emmett Till story. How amazing is that? Thank you for allowing this to happen! Also, I had the honor of meeting the author of these books at the NCTE conference in November, and he agreed to Skype with my students for free! It was a WONDERFUL experience for all of us. It was my first author Skype as well. The students got to ask all of their questions face to face and learn about Mr. Crowe's writing process. They learned about how much goes into creating a book. They learned so much about history, reading, writing, and themselves from the generosity of your hearts (and wallets). From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making a difference in my life, my students' lives, and even in the history books. I am more grateful than I can put into words. The pictures show the students reading, skyping with author Chris Crowe, and then them just being thankful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson
Culturally Relevant Novels Needed-Tree Girl by Ben Mikaelsen
Funded Aug 9, 2012Dear Donors,
Within 24 hours of posting this project, it was fully funded and brand new books arrived at our school few weeks later. I made a syllabus and distributed the books, and three weeks later, all of my students have read the book. For many students, this was the first book they'd ever read cover to cover. Some were brave enough to even put that in writing. This book changed their thoughts regarding reading. Even for those who've read many books, Tree Girl was the first to which they could personally relate. They learned so much from Gabriela's story and in some cases learned about themselves and used the book to help process some of the tragedies they have experienced. As a whole, the students were touched, inspired, and empowered. They also had a greater sense of thankfulness for what they have-even though it may not be much, it is more than Tree Girl had at the refugee camp.
On a personal and professional note, thank you for these books. Tree Girl had a profound impact on me as an individual reader and, through teaching it, on my life as an educator as well. As one of my girls reverently whispered, "It's beautiful, Ms. Carr. Just beautiful." I cannot express in words the impact that Tree Girl had on me and my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Clemson