My students are reading Safia Elhillo’s poetry collection The January Children. We’ve had insightful class discussions, students are reading and annotating five poems every night, and today I wanted to do something more hands-on in small groups. Before we started reading the poems, we read Kwame Dawes’s foreword–a must-read, if you ask me. It prefaces her work with information about the allusions she frequently uses, where she draws inspiration, and even some of the main themes and motifs threaded throughout the collection. After establishing a foundation for understanding her poems, we’ve decided to take a closer look into the following while annotating:
Oscars Watch 2011: The (New) Envelope, Please! By Lindsay William-Ross. Published Feb 16, 2011 12:00 AM. With the new envelope, why not try a new drinking game for when you watch the telecast.
These themes and motifs are where I drew from to make my items for The Envelope Game. I’m not going to pretend like this is some kind of innovative activity; it’s really super simple. But it initiated robust discussion from my students and made them make connections that they hadn’t noticed before. In each envelope, I placed three cards. Each card had a theme, motif, symbol, or image important to the book. I mixed them up the cards to make it random, and handed an envelope to each small group.
The instructions are simple: Draw connections between the three items in your envelope and describe how they work together throughout the collection to tell a story. Discuss and write a group explanation using support from the text. I kept it pretty basic, but I can also image variations like Venn diagrams, sketch notes, or using Flipgrid instead of writing. And the cool thing is that this activity could be done with any text, with any mix of items for the envelopes. Apple search engine name.
Fun fact: We listened to music by Abdelhalim Hafez, a meaningful figure in the collection, while we worked.
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Lxi software for mac. I love lessons where students are the ones creating the learning. Walking around the room, I found their discussions to be insightful, engaging, and analytical.
Aren’t their annotations beautiful? I would wallpaper my classroom in annotated poems if I was allowed to. Darn fire codes…
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Thank you for reading! Please share all the cool things – and even super simple things – you do in your classroom while teaching living poets on Twitter with the #TeachLivingPoets hashtag! We are a community of educators dedicated to complicating the canon and empowering students through poetry.
You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @MelAlterSmith
Tired of simple raffles?Are you looking for a more interesting way to collect the names and contact information from your guests?Then a 10X envelope fundraiser might be the right game to choose for your next fundraising event!What Is a 10X Envelope Fundraiser?
Guests are handed an envelope at the beginning of your event when they arrive. Your registration team asks them to place money inside – anywhere between $1 and $20. Then, they write their names on the envelopes and place them in a raffle box. At the end of the night, before guests leave (a good time is after your speaker finishes), have a special guest pick an envelope out of the box. The winner gets ten times the amount of his or her donation in cash, and the rest of the gifts go toward your cause.
All you need is a coordinator, envelopes, a box for collecting envelopes, a good pen, and $200 in cash ready to give away if necessary! Make it even fancier with a sign or banner in front of the box or table where the box is located.
Which Events Work Best for a 10X Envelope Fundraiser?
You can pull this game off at nearly any fundraising or program event. Here are some suggestions:
What Are Some Other Similar Games to 10X Envelopes?
Any way you go about it, a 10X (or 4X) envelope fundraiser is a great way to add excitement, raise a bit more funding, and collect names or register guests at your next fundraising or program event.
Courtney’s AdviceCartoon Network The Envelopes Please Game
Note: Many states have specific rules that govern auction games. Make sure to check your state’s raffle licensing laws as well as your organization’s bylaws. Also, check on alcohol sales rules and permits, as well as firearms, if those will be available at your event or in the auction.
Some Personal Insight from Courtney
We had a client who added this revenue stream to their event this past year for the first time.
Many of their guests had never played it; the excitement and change generated lots of participation. Nearly 90% of the guests participated, including spouses who played individually. Not only did they participate, but many gave over the $20 maximum, resulting in an income of over $2,000! Then the winning envelope had only $12 dollars, and the generous attendee donated all of the $120 ($12×10) back to the organization!
The Envelopes Please Game
This article is part of our 26 Proven Revenue Enhancers for Your Fundraiser eBook available as a free download. If you looking for new revenue enhancing ideas and how to incorporate them into your event—this easy-to-use lookbook is for you.
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