Stories About American Girls For New American Girls

At our school, students are naturally curious, especially in their new home in the United States. The diversity of the neighborhood, the influx of recent immigrants, and the fast pace of the city combine to make my 8th graders interested in their world and their country. Unfortunately, the school faces many challenges to achieving educational success. As a teacher in a school where the average student reads two years below grade level, it is difficult to only focus on teaching American History content, especially for my female students who rarely see themselves in the context of American History. This is complicated by the fact that teachers are expected to teach with no social studies supplies. My classroom has few maps, no globe, few workbooks, no fancy displays, and no special supplies to show them how amazing they are. A solution to this struggle would be providing students with high interest reading materials so they can really experience history and the world around them. The American Girl Series show girls that they are an important part of history and that all girls and women have stories and histories of their own. Recent studies show that the environment that students are in is crucial to their learning experience. If a classroom has materials, students feel a sense of self worth. Inner city classrooms are typically under resourced, and my classroom is no exception. My students know less than half of the fifty states, fewer then 25% of the state capitals, and many of them have never left their neighborhoods within the United States upon arrival. Many of them work full time jobs and arrive to school in the evening where they study until 10 pm. Having more supplies would give them the opportunity to experience what students in more affluent areas have in their schools, supplies and resources for learning. Giving my students these supplies would allow them to have access to knowledge and skills that would allow them greater access to active participation in literature, democracy and civic education. Please help me provide for the neediest students. Your gift will help my students’ curiosity grow and their world views expand.