Thank you SO much for taking the time to answer our questions. My students and I are inspired by you and were thrilled that you reached out to us. I definitely think your example will help them be kinder to others and easier on themselves.
During our Wonder unit, I came across this article about Nikki Christou, an 11 year old who developed AVM or an Arteriovenous Malformation. I was so inspired by her resilience and confidence. She has created a YouTube channel that now has over 50,000 followers. She raises money for AVM through Butterfly AVM Charity and has won a Well Child Award for The UK’S most Inspirational girl for her Bravery and Fundraising achievements (WHICH was presented to her by Prince Harry!). And she's the age of my students! And so, I decided to go out on a limb and ask her if she'd be willing to talk with my students. She got back to me right away and was happy to help! Our classes did some research on AVM and explored Nikki's YouTube channel and her charity. Then the kids came up with their own questions, and we made this little video for Nikki: Here are her answers! Nikki (If you're reading this)- Thank you SO much for taking the time to answer our questions. My students and I are inspired by you and were thrilled that you reached out to us. I definitely think your example will help them be kinder to others and easier on themselves. Because we were finishing reading Wonder by RJ Palacio, we were able to see how Nikki overcomes her AVM as a real world example of what Auggie must have been going through. We also read about Penny Loker and Jono Lancaster, two more individuals born with genetic disorders that affected their appearance. As students compared and contrasted Auggie's experience to those of real people, like Nikki, they were able to take themes from the story and see them in authentic situations. If I teach Wonder again next year, I think I'd like for the kids to actually apply what they have learned in real life. I wish we would have raised money for Nikki's charity or for the Children's Craniofacial Association, which has campaigned with the "I am Auggie Pullman" to help those who read Wonder to be able to help children like Auggie, and encourage all people to be kind to those who are different from them. It would be a beautiful opportunity for Project Based Learning and real-world application.
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