Dr. Seuss is quoted as saying, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go!" My goal as an educator is to expose my students to a wide variety of literacy opportunities while also giving them the opportunity to think critically and go far.
I teach in an amazingly diverse school which houses more than ten languages.
Many of our student population come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and often, because of this, struggle to convince themselves that they are capable of taking advanced placement and honors classes.
My Project
This newly translated version of Homer's "The Odyssey" by Emily Wilson offers students a friendly text that eradicates language barriers and opens the door to a beautiful story of overcoming adversity, reflecting on personal choices, and emerging into adulthood. The story Homer presents in his Odyssey is more than a man trying to get home; it is the story of a mother raising a son alone and that son having to become an adult in a world that is literally out to destroy him. These plot lines are relevant to today's young readers as they too traverse a world that can, at times, be challenging and unforgiving.
By eliminating the barricade of overly complicated language, this text will allow us to explore Homer's story through the lens of a rhetorical reader, seeking to identify and understand how and why an author chooses to tell her story, and how a translator can manipulate or possibly even change said story.
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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. Reichenbach and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
