Classroom Project

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I used to teach at a highly diverse school, where there were multiple different languages spoken, and families representing nations from around the wo... " MORE

I used to teach at a highly diverse school, where there were multiple different languages spoken, and families representing nations from around the world - the diversity was amazing and inspiring.

Now I teach at a school were there are predominantly Caucasian students, and yet, there is still so much diversity. I feel, however, like we could do a better job at finding out about ourselves and our families.

I know it is important to dive into my students' living history - in other words, their families! In my class we do something called Very Important Person (VIP) of the week and it is a time when we celebrate a student in class; they can bring in artifacts of their life, and their family can come to visit and tell stories, and share food that is special to them. I feel like I need to expand upon that idea this year, and create "Me Boxes" where the students interview their relatives (the older the better!) and learn about how their families came to be in the United States.

In second grade we study our community, and for my students to take a look at their individual living history is a way to enhance their understanding of how communities come together because of similarities, as well as differences.

In order for my students to be able to interview their families, we need digital hand held recorders and multiple batteries. It is just not practical to have my second grade students write down the answers (some relatives may have rather long histories!)! My students will get turns to take the digital recorders home, interview their relatives, and create a "Me Box" to present to the class during their VIP week.

The only way this empowerment of my students will happen is if you choose our proposal for the SONIC Limeades for Learning, or if you would like to donate. I would like to tell you that these digital recorders will not only be used for this project: we could use them for reluctant readers (they could record themselves reading and then play it back - this is proven to increase reading fluency as well as enjoyment!), we could also use the recorders for our community interviews (my students interview people who work in our community at different locations), as well as other ideas which I am sure my students would LOVE to come up with! Please, consider making an already fun year, even funner (yes, I wrote "funner" and I am, in fact, a school teacher)!!!

My students need eight digital hand held recorders as well as 40 AAA batteries.