Building Big Ideas Through Funtastic Fantasy Reading
My students need fantasy books including Harry Potter, The Kane Chronicles and the Percy Jackson Series to help them imagine, visualize and synthesize from rich texts.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Grant's classroom raised $290
This project is fully funded
My Students
crave books that inspire them to creatively visualize. They also love to solve problems. Fantasy reading is a way for my students to discuss themes such as teamwork and persistence which apply to real life. Real life problem solving first requires students to be able to imagine solutions.
Our school has over 1300 students and is growing, and having enough books for this size school is very challenging.
Our students come from many countries, speak over 25 languages, and strive for the education their families hope they will achieve despite economic limitations.
Books our most day to day needed tool. Our students love to learn through reading, but can you imagine missing parts of a series, or not finding the topic or author that makes you excited?
My students require a lot of challenging work and therefore a variety of materials to inspire their critical thinking skills throughout the year. Many are independent learners and this requires a classroom with a variety of resources so they may make choices to direct their learning. This must range from independent reading, research, math inquiry, writing, designing, and other problem creating and solving activities. Having enough books helps these readers push themselves and their partners to grow.
My Project
My students need to be motivated to solve real life problems to develop good character traits. Fantasy reading is a safe way for them to practice this and build big ideas to apply to their lives through independent reading. Students may need to slay the dragon in fantasy repeatedly, so they are confident to take on solving problems like pollution, crime and poverty in real life.
These fantasy books will help students notice, discuss and write about important themes that we study in literature, such as responsibility, use of power, kindness, persistence. Then these concepts can be transferred to their real lives. This happens as they discuss, compare and question these to texts with non-fiction issues.
When students read in partnerships they build their conversation, social and communication skills. They can also explore multiple views of the same story by working with another reader. Communication is the most important skill needed for career success.
Also,imagination is a habit I want my students to take with them into their lives.
I want them to feel comfortable with visualizing how worlds might be structured, how power might be balanced, how lives might be lived. The more they imagine as readers, the more they will ask "What if...?" in the real world and envision what has not yet been -- but is needed.
More than three‑quarters 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
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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 Ms. Grant and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
