My middle school students are quirky, lively, energetic, and excited to be part of engaging learning experiences. They think critically and are concerned about the well-being of others. They are humanitarians, environmentalists, scientists, authors, and engineers tucked away in rural Northwest Missouri. Their best quality, though? They are idealists who sincerely believe in their ability to save the world.
Insightful ideas are borne of great literature, and these small-town farm kids are chock-full of ideas.
While these pre-teens are full of gumption, they often lack exposure and awareness of societal and cultural issues outside of our small community. Most of our students' families live under strict financial restrictions. Many students are responsible for watching younger siblings, helping on the farm, and working odd jobs. Access to libraries with diversified literature is limited, and many students have very limited travel and cultural experiences.
My Project
This project has the potential for many levels of learning. The Mark Twain Nominees are vetted books and chosen specifically to introduce children to a wide variety of different perspectives of characters, genres, and eras.
We will encourage reading in grades four-six by hosting a "Battle of the Books" in April.
This friendly competition will have students in groups of four, gather after school to answer trivia type questions about the Mark Twain Award Nominees. With creative group names, crazy t-shirts, pizza, prizes, trivia, and a traveling trophy, we hope to start a yearly event that celebrates readers in our community.
Goal 1: Get the books into the hands of the students.
Goal 2: Students will start reading the books.
Goal 3: Students who choose to compete in the "Battle" will form groups of up to four students. This will help students that did not read all 12 books be able to participate in the Battle of the Books.
Educators in our school will support those students who make a commitment to this project by offering "read-ins" at the end of the day and reading during class/library time.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Petersen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
