This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Ottinger from Palm Bay, FL is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Ottinger is requesting

Fully Funded

Mr. Ottinger's classroom raised $289

Teaching Shakespeare to Cognitively Impaired and ESL Students

My students need accessible, plain English Shakespeare texts to aid comprehension.

Mr. Ottinger Pineapple Cove Classical Academy - Palm Bay

Palm Bay, FL Grades 6-8

My Students

My students come to our school for the challenge. Many are bright and articulate but need more challenges, greater responsibility, and deeper content to achieve their full potential. They come from a mixed group of low to high income, traditional, single-parent, and nontraditional homes, and various educational backgrounds and achievement levels.

My students enjoy reading literary classics to discover the good, the true, and the beautiful.

Despite the challenges in reading texts fifty to a hundred or more years old, they have dived into reading Shakespeare, Dumas, Orczy, Bradbury, and Homer. They want to experience the truths of humanity that these writers observed and tried to express. Even more so, they want to learn to live as the noble life of heroes and avoid the ugly lives of villains. They seek their future through close reading of the beautiful literature of the past.

My Project

Several of my students each year are affected by cognitive impairments, such as autism or learning disabilities, or are English as a Second Language learners (ESL) - both of which severely hamper their ability to access the works of Shakespeare. My school provides copies of the original text. However, these do not contain a translation to plain English and can be difficult for cognitively impaired or ESL students to understand.

I need your help to purchase plain text and graphic novel versions of these texts as aids for my cognitively impaired students.

For 7th grade, it is Romeo and Juliet. For 8th Grade, it is Much Ado about Nothing. I would like your help in purchasing copies of No Fear Shakespeare versions of these texts, as well as the graphic novel version of Romeo and Juliet that includes the full text and a video version of Romeo and Juliet performed on stage at the recreated Globe Theater.

Each of these texts will make the important works of the Bard accessible to students, while still requiring them to work with the difficult 16th century English. I do not want to replace a reading of Shakespeare with a simplified version, but a simplified version paired with the original will make it easier for my cognitively impaired and ESL students to study theme, plot, and character.

More importantly, students who use these texts will gain appreciation for the works of the greatest English playwright who has ever lived. My hope is that this begins a journey of wonder and exploration into the mysteries of what it means to be human in today's world.

20 students impacted 7 donors

Project tagged as

Mr. Ottinger Pineapple Cove Classical Academy - Palm Bay Grades 6-8 Palm Bay, FL View local requests 20 students impacted 7donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Ottinger is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Copy this cart

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total

Romeo and Juliet The Graphic Novel: Original Text • Amazon Business $15.93 7 $111.51

Much Ado About Nothing (No Fear Shakespeare) • Amazon Business $5.65 7 $39.55

Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare) • Amazon Business $3.76 7 $26.32

Classical Comics Teaching Resource Pack: Romeo & Juliet: Making Shakespeare accessible for teachers and students • Amazon Business $18.95 1 $18.95

Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre) • Amazon Business $15.42 1 $15.42

Materials cost			$211.75
Vendor shipping charges			FREE
Sales tax			$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee			$3.18
Fulfillment labor & materials			$30.00
Total project cost			$244.93
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			$43.22
Total project goal			$288.15
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal			$288.15
6 Donors			-$141.43
Donations toward project cost			-$124.72
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$16.71
match offer			-$141.42
Match offer toward project cost			-$120.21
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$21.21
Excluded support for DonorsChoose			-$5.30
Still needed View calculation Hide calculation			$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Project Activity

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 Mr. Ottinger and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works

{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"FL","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/teaching-shakespeare-to-cognitively-impa/2626096/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":20,"isEquityFocusV1":false,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Ottinger","isEquityFocus":false,"proposalHash":"-1024369796","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":true,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Palm Bay","teachersOnPage":[3657489],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":2626096,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"schoolId":123163,"schoolName":"Pineapple Cove Classical Academy - Palm Bay","authorIds":{"3657489":{"owner":"Mr. Ottinger","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[2626096],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp3657489_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1467226258092","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":20786286,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MTc0MDE3MQ==","MjQ0Mzk0MA==","NDQ5ODY2OA==","MzcxOTY5OA==","NDUyNjg4Nw==","NDUyOTM0Mg==","NDUyNjY4MQ=="],"teacherId":3657489,"schoolCounty":"Brevard","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"FL","name":"Florida"}}

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

This teacher needs your help!

Teaching Shakespeare to Cognitively Impaired and ESL Students

My Students

My Project

Project tagged as

Boost your odds

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

How we calculate what's needed

Project Activity

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.