One Elevator Ride, Sixty Seconds to Decide Your Fate
Help me give my students the experience of opening up their minds to a new genre of reading through a novel written in verse about a 15 year old boy who has a major life decision to make.
At the beginning of each school year, I ask each of my students to write down a goal that they have for this year and a goal they have for the future. A common thread for all my students is often to pass their current year of high school and to either move on to the next grade or graduate from high school. Their goals for the future vary from wanting to attend college or a vocational school or wanting to join the work force or military. Many of my students have shared that they will be the first generation of their family to graduate from high school and to them, that is the most important thing.
No matter the obstacle, each and every one of my students wants to learn and earn the most important thing to them, a high school diploma.
Though they may have both economic and academic struggles, they embrace learning and will try and access and grasp it any way they can! They come to school eager and ready to learn, sharing with us all their struggles, accomplishments and goals. We celebrate each and every one of them daily in my class and school.
My Project
Poetry has always been a big part of any high school curriculum but getting students to engage in poetry is sometimes very hard for teachers. This year we want to engage our students by grabbing their attention through new forms of poetry, such as free verse by using the book, “Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds. Will a 15 year old enters an elevator and for 7 long floors he meets people from his past that help shape his decision about whether or not to get revenge for his brothers murder.
A moment of decision will define the rest of your life.
This free verse novel will help students see that one decision can change your life forever. As a teacher in an inner city school we often talk about how our actions can affect our lives forever. As Will travels down the floors each floor he learns a new lesson. Each new lesson gives my class an opportunity to look within themselves and apply these lessons to their own lives.
Not only will students read this free verse they will actively engage in a variety of activities related to the book, such as writing their own free verse, creating anagrams, mapping out life's lessons, and much more. Using free verse we will challenge our students to expand on their writing and draw on personal experiences to create poetry.
Nearly all 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 Mrs. McDonough and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
