My students need their own individual copies of Kevin Emerson's futuristic science fiction book "Last Day on Mars" to interact with as I am reading the story aloud to them.
My elementary school serves 1st-3rd graders. A huge passion of mine has always been around classroom climate. My class of third graders arrive at school every day and are given hug at the door and the greeting, "Welcome home"!
I train and expect my students to be independent, hard working and cooperative learners focused on setting and reaching their own individual goals.
I offer a variety of seating options including: ergonomic stools, exercise balls, traditional chairs and cushioned benches to sit on every day.
In my classroom I opt to not use overhead fluorescent lighting. Instead I have provided over 30 lamps throughout the classroom to foster a more relaxing environment for learning.
We listen to classical music during our independent work times in the background.
Consistency is key. My students know they are safe, loved and valued. We are family.
My Project
A favorite part of the day in our classroom is read aloud time.
I am spellbound by Kevin Emerson's new book, " Last Day on Mars".
This book is a futuristic science fiction story. It is Earth year 2213—but, there is no Earth anymore. Not since it was burned to a cinder by the sun, which has mysteriously begun the process of going supernova. The human race has fled to Mars, but this was only a temporary solution while preparing for a second trip: a one-hundred-fifty-year journey to a distant star, their best guess at where humans might find a new home.
First and foremost, I read aloud to my students purely for the entertainment value---students provided the time to just sit and enjoy listening to a story read by their teacher. During read aloud, my students have their own copy of the book in hand in order to track along with the story. This allows for building of their fluency, vocabulary and improved comprehension. Second, read aloud time allows me to introduce my students to a genre of literature that they might not have otherwise considered.
Fantasy, autobiography, historical fiction, realistic fiction, mystery...read aloud time allows me to immerse my class in intentionally chosen books in ways they never dreamed possible. Some past examples include: a trip to France complete with French foods brunch with movie after reading "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. A day at Hogwarts with feast and movie after completing "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by JK Rowling.
To conclude the read aloud of "Last Day on Mars", I hope that my students will have the opportunity to meet Kevin Emerson. He is a local author who is willing to come to my class to discuss Mars, space science and the book.
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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. Heather Stewart and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
