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Schools
Mountain of Hope Classroom Ideas for Elementary Teachers
1) Challenge your students to do something that seems "impossible", as Brandon has done and will be doing for the next several years. Talk about the difference between something that is truly impossible and something that seems impossible. This could be tied into any discussion about probability and/or goal setting, both of which are expectations in the elementary curriculum. Talk about the positive feelings involved when achieving a seemingly impossible goal. Share examples from your real lives: running a marathon, getting perfect on a test, standing up to a bully etc. They could collect sponsors... if I achieve my goal you pledge $ in support. Goals could be small, e.g. organizing my math notebook and printing neatly for one whole week; or big, e.g. running 5 km. They could also challenge grown ups in their lives to participate by setting themselves an "impossible" goal.
2) Do some research on the Good Hope Mountain. Create a model of the mountain on a bulletin board and add a cutout of Brandon and his team. Move the team up the mountain as the amount of money increases. You may be able to keep tabs on the efforts through the internet and Brandon's own website. For every foot he climbs with your school/class's support add a cutout of your class or the donor to represent a foot Brandon climbed with your help.
3) Read about Brandon's project, how he got started and what his ultimate goal is. Talk about how young he is and about how enormous his goals are. Think about the people who Brandon needs in his life to support him in achieving his dream... his parents, his family, his teachers, his friends, his trainer, his doctor, the kids he's raising money for and the donors themselves. Write Brandon a letter lending him your support and telling him what you are doing to raise money for the cause.
4) Do a penny/coin drive with a difference... fill something "impossible". Show your students a small cup and ask if they can bring in enough pennies to fill it up. Then show them a larger jar and repeat the question. Do this several times with larger and larger jars. Then show them a huge bucket or even a garbage bin and ask, "Can we fill this? Make marks on the container to represent smaller steps on the way to achieving the larger goal. Then start collecting. Involve other classes, do some fundraising, send home letters. This might be a good student council project and could be combined with any character education initiative.
5) Do some research on the tallest mountain peaks in the world. Compare some of the peaks Brandon has climbed or is planning to climb. Put the mountains in order by size. Talk about the size of the mountain as compared to Brandon's size. Estimate how long the climb will take Brandon and then find out if your estimate is close. Find out what kind of equipment Brandon will need to complete his climb. Write a piece about climbing a mountain. It could be written in role as Brandon as he climbs the mountain or it could be a non-fiction piece about mountain climbing. Compile the pieces in a book.
6) Listen to the song from Sound of Music, "Climb Every Mountain" and talk about what the Mother Superior meant when she told Maria to "climb every mountain." Talk about this expression and relate it to Brandon's goal and to the experiences of children with cancer. What kinds of mountains do they have to climb? Start a campaign in your school to raise awareness about what children fighting cancer have to deal with. Invite a cancer survivor to speak to your class about their experience and about the importance of raising money for research.
7) Do some personal goal setting. Brandon's goal is to climb Mount Everest. What is your goal in life? What is your dream? What are you doing to take you closer to this goal? You could collect these goals as a class and put them into a time capsule to be opened when the class is in its final year. Will your goals change? What happens when you reach your goal or achieve your dream?
8) If the kids have access to Brandon via e-mail they could also write interview questions and then select the best questions as a class and send them to him via e-mail. The information gathered could be used to write an article for the school newsletter or could be submitted to the school board's newsletter or a character education publication or even a kids' magazine like Owl.
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