Teacher: Sarah Beurskens
School: Steamboat Springs Middle School
District: Routt RE-2
District Website: https://ssms.steamboatschools.net/
School Address: 39610 AMETHYST DR, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Grade Level: 6th Lang Arts/Social Studies
Region: Northwest
Project Title: Bring LIFE to History & Stories!
Category: Literacy
Amount Requested: $900

Project Description:
I want to bring history and literature to life through drama. I've done this in the past, and I can't tell you how excited the kids are to don a beard and be Magellan spanning the treacherous waters of the horn of South America or to wear a feather headdress as Montezuma getting stoned (wadded up paper balls) by his people. This type of "play" learning helps with so many aspects of education. SSMS is situated in the Rocky Mountains and our students have so many social emotional needs. We also have a large population of EB and ELL students. Drama benefits both of these populations by helping the kids bond and have fun and by making the words come to life. My other purpose is to get students' heads out of their electronic devices and to engage with people, movement, learning, and laughter! It's silly and fun and oh, so engaging!

Project Justification:
I'm requesting funding for a wardrobe of costumes. These costumes will help history and literature come to life while kids become actual people from the past. Having costumes unique to the period will help us to think more deeply about the colors and materials they chose, the relationship between the environment and the humans, and the economic impacts of the clothing and styles they wore. So much of these decisions had impacts on history. For example, Marco Polo traveled across Asia to China for, among other things, their beautiful silks. Europeans wanted more of these beautiful materials, but when Muslims gained control of the trade routes and raised the prices, the Pope ordered the Crusades to take back the trade routes.

Demographics:
I teach at Steamboat Springs Middle School. We have 440 students in 6th-8th grade. I teach 50 students out of 140 in language arts and social studies in the sixth grade. These costumes would be for all of the students to use.

Outcomes and Impact:
I could list several standards here, but my main hope is that kids will be inspired to study history and literature and that they will remember participating in and acting out these different stories and historical events.

Total: $900

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