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Mr. Fox from Portland, OR is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Mr. Fox's classroom raised $199

More Poetry To Love Like Water Loves Hurricanes

My students need 14 books from the "Poetry For Young People" series, covering poets including Walt Whitman and William Blake.

Mr. Fox Beaumont Middle School

Portland, OR Grades 6-8

My 7th Grade Core classroom is like a Walt Whitman poem praising the rich diversity of humankind that can be found in America. My students are like a William Butler Yeats poem celebrating the songs of joy and sorrow that is life. We are 36 middle school students adrift in a sea of learning. And that learning, I’m happy to report, has recently kindled a passion for poetry. Sufjan Stevens says, “What the water wants is hurricanes,/and sailboats to ride on its back.” That quote describes my students nicely, they have discovered the storm of energy and ideas that can be expressed in verse and now they dread still waters. What my classroom library lacks is accessible “classic” poetry. My students have become engaged in writing their own work and reading some modern poetry. When they open the books I dusted off from the library they were turned off by the confusing words on the stark white pages. The “Poetry for Young People” series has taken selected works from the “important” poets and put them into picture books with beautiful illustrations and images that make the words come to life in a way that is more appealing to a middle school audience. I am trying to “cash-in” on my student’s passion for poetry and make connections to more challenging works without crushing their budding interest in poetry. My plan is to get a set of these books and then have students “adopt” the individual poets/styles. They will research their lives, write poetry about their poet, create posters about their poet, and finally have a poetry cafe in which group members come as their adopted poet and read the poet's work and talk about it as if they wrote it themselves. Your generosity will make it possible for my students to connect with these poets and their poetry in a way that is currently not possible in my classroom. More importantly though, I can use this activity to prove that the “classics” are accessible and that the kind of learning that goes on in High School and College is within their reach. This will boost their literacy, self-confidence, and eventual ability to be critical thinkers and productive, active, participants in our world.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than half of students from low‑income households

72 students impacted 3 donors

Project tagged as

Portland, OR
Grades 6-8
Literacy
Performing Arts
Literature & Writing
Traditional School
Books
More than half of students from low‑income households

Mr. Fox Beaumont Middle School Grades 6-8

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Portland, OR View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

72 students impacted 3donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total

Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou Maya Angelou, Edwin Graves Wilson (Editor), Jerome Lagarrigue (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes David Roessel (Editor), Langston Hughes, Arnold Rampersad (Editor), David E. Roessel (Editor), Benny Andrews (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe, Brod Bagert (Editor), Carolynn Cobleigh (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $6.25 1 $6.25

Poetry for Young People: Lewis Carroll Lewis Carroll, Edward Mendelson (Editor), Eric Copeland (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $6.25 1 $6.25

Poetry for Young People: American Poetry John Hollander (Editor), Sally Wern Comport (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $13.45 1 $13.45

Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman Walt Whitman, Jonathan Levin (Editor), Jim Burke (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred, Lord Tennyson, John Maynard (Editor), Allen Garns (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Robert Louis Stevenson Frances Schoonmaker (Editor), Lucy Corvino (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $6.25 1 $6.25

Poetry for Young People: Edward Lear Edward Mendelson (Editor), Laura Huliska-Beith (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Rudyard Kipling Eileen Gillooly (Editor), Jim Sharpe (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: William Blake William Blake, John Maynard (Editor), Alessandra Cimatoribus (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: William Carlos Williams Christopher MacGowan, William Carlos Williams, Robert Crockett (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Wallace Stevens John N. Serio, John H. Serio (Editor), Robert Gantt Steele (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Poetry for Young People: Edna St. Vincent Millay Francis Schoonmaker, Edna St Millay, Mike Bryce (Illustrator) • Barnes and Noble $11.96 1 $11.96

Materials cost			$151.80
Vendor shipping charges			FREE
Sales tax			$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee			$2.28
Fulfillment labor & materials			$9.00
Total project cost			$163.08
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			$35.80
Total project goal			$198.88
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal			$198.88
2 Donors			-$123.00
Donations toward project cost			-$105.36
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$17.64
match offer			-$70.39
Match offer toward project cost			-$57.72
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$12.67
Excluded support for DonorsChoose			-$5.49
Still needed View calculation Hide calculation			$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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This teacher needs your help!

More Poetry To Love Like Water Loves Hurricanes

Project tagged as

Boost your odds

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

How we calculate what's needed

Project Activity

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.