Have you ever stayed up all night reading a book because you just couldn't put it down? Many of my kids need to find a book that is interesting and relevant to understand what it feels like to enjoy reading an entire book. The Hunger Games is that book for many of my kids.
Most of my students only have access to books, here at school.
As 8th graders they know how to read the words on the page, but don't understand how to ENJOY reading a book. The Hunger Games Series allows the students to discover how powerful their own imagination really is and the content is high interest to them.
I teach in a small valley in East Tennessee where many kids are more interested in hunting and fishing than in learning. They live very simple lives, most live close to or at poverty level. Many consider a trip to Knoxville traveling, as they don't get to travel out of the area, let alone the state or country. They feel very removed from the stories they see on the news and are surprised when I can explain how those stories affect them. They are good-hearted kids with a hunger for learning. Most have hopes of going to college, but many will drop out before then due to finances or environmental pressures.
My Project
Many of my students only have access to books out of my classroom library and it is amazing how many they ask to keep because they love them so much. As a Language Arts teacher it's difficult to tell a child no, so I use a lot of my own money to supply them with books. They love to read but I still have many that hate the thought of reading an entire novel from cover to cover. Many are proud to say they never have! I like to be able to share the reading experience with them and model how to experience the book rather than just read it. By reading the same words on the same page at the same time, I can help them love a story rather than just get through it.
I did not enjoy reading until my 6th grade English teacher sat and read an entire book to us and with us. Finally I understood that reading a book was like watching a movie in my own head and I got to be the director! I started enjoying books and reading so much that I am now a Language Arts teacher-struggling to help my students understand what that 6th grade teacher taught me all those years ago! Please help!
"The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between and ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV." This book is so rich with discussion topics including "what we should all be thankful for in our lives," and "what harsh realities lie in our futures." This isn't about simply studying a novel, it's about the person we are and the person we hope to become.
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 Mrs. Witter and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.