Dr. Seuss wrote: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose." This quote captures Dr. Seuss's genius: In a whimsical, engaging way, he highlights the life lesson that one has personal choice and responsibility for his or her life.
I am the school counselor at a large K-5 public suburban elementary school in Tennessee.
My students are a diverse group culturally and economically. I am charged with addressing their academic, social/personal, and career development needs through classroom guidance and individual and small group counseling sessions.
During classroom guidance, I address important character traits and life lessons such as the importance of kindness, the value of looking beyond our differences, and the consequences of misusing our power. In this quest, I often turn to Dr. Seuss stories to present these concepts to my students in an engaging fashion. For example, "Horton Hears a Who" carries the important message that "A person's a person no matter how small." Likewise, while the Sneetches discover that "no kind of sneetch is the best on the beaches," students reflect upon discrimination and acceptance. When the Lorax "speaks for the trees," students ponder the importance of respecting our environment.
My Project
In this project I am focusing on seven Dr. Seuss titles and their corresponding life lessons: The Cat in the Hat (responsibility); Green Eggs and Ham (pre-judgment); Yertle the Turtle (misuse of power); Horton Hears a Who (empathy); The Lorax (respect); The Sneetches (acceptance); and Oh, the Places You'll Go! (moving forward...for my graduating 5th graders). In addition to requesting copies of these books, I am asking for Dr. Seuss curriculum resources to enhance my lessons. In order to better engage students, I am requesting Dr. Seuss props (hats, mustaches, and glasses) that the students and I can don while reading the stories aloud. The requested Dr. Seuss banners will hang outside my office to remind students of these important lessons. Finally, as a way for students to carry these ideas with them, I am asking for pencils and bookmarks to give to my students at the conclusion of these lessons. These tangible reminders will reinforce these important concepts over and over again.
Dr. Seuss stories allow me to address important topics with my students: prejudice, responsibility, empathy, acceptance, respect, anti-bullying, and moving forward in life, to name a few.
The materials requested here will allow me to teach these life lessons in a way that honors Dr. Seuss's whimsical approach. Ultimately I will create engaging lessons that develop students' character; which they will describe with another Dr. Seuss-ism: "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Dr. Taylor and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
