What's Next? We Are On FIYAH!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

This is our "next" DonorsChoose project. Books for the class library are the biggest hit. Students love the connections and are eager to share. I hope to continue to connect literature, games and art to comprehension and content mastery. Most enthusiastic 3rd graders ever excited about "what's next?"

Our school is impacted by poverty, transitional homes and English Language Learners.

In an effort to keep students interested and engaged, my lessons are aligned with Common Core standards, but I often employ music, games, literature and kinesthetic movement. DEAR (drop everything and read) time is a favorite. Books that students can connect with and share with classmates are favorites. I reinforce the use of syllabication through haiku and water colors and multiplication facts with music and dance. The best part is students are retaining information and have the ability to share with others. We spend time in small groups so we can really dig into content. Our goal is one story per day and one art project every other week plus mastery of multiplication facts. We are aiming for above grade level reading fluency, comprehension and writing. My students are on FIYAH (fire) about learning and we won't let the flame be quenched!

My Project

I am requesting a variety of books and games that represent THEIR heritage and culture while addressing Common Core Learning Standards and differentiated learning styles. Students will use books for personal enjoyment reading, comprehension testing (accelerated reader), and book reports. Art materials will be aligned with content of ongoing lessons in social studies (California), science (solar system, earth science), and literature. Poetry books will serve as guide and reference in the creation of personal student poetry books that will reinforce grammar, punctuation, syllabication, format and creativity. I am also requesting basic classroom supplies including privacy partitions, pencils, Connect & Store bins, sand timers, and a Write & Wipe whiteboard. Students love seeing their faces (with parent permission) in PowerPoint presentations and on classroom bulletin boards. There are many steps when using my phone to take pictures. The Nikon digital camera will make taking, downloading and printing pictures SO much easier. Students also enjoy being the photographer to capture projects, games, field trips and life on campus.

No bias intended BUT...my students are so eager about "what's next" in our classroom.

What will they learn today? What newly gleaned information will they share with peers and parents? What connections will be made to help them retain and master content? Keeping students engaged is critical to learning. Exposing them to art, literature, and people form different countries and cultures opens the flood gates to expanding all boundaries. Can't stop the fire once it's lit!