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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Murray from Phoenix, AZ is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Fully Funded

Ms. Murray's classroom raised $648

What's My Destiny?: Alchemist Book Study

My students need 40 copies of "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

Classroom photo
Ms. Murray Paseo Hills Elementary School
Phoenix, AZ Grades 6-8

My Students

My students are searching for a way to reach for their dreams and to discover their destiny. Reading Paulo Coelho's fable, The Alchemist, can expose my students to the notion that through determination and effort all things are possible.

This is my fourth year of teaching Language Arts to 7th grade students in Arizona.

This is a Title 1 school with many of the population receiving free or reduced lunch. Our students look at school as their "safe place", a place where they can relax and just be a kid. My goal as their teacher is to help make this "safe place" a stepping stone on the path to a bright future founded on a strong education.

My Project

Students in this class are striving to achieve success, and I am determined to help them on their journey. Many of my students voice aspirations of becoming doctors, scientists, lawyers, and writers, but they don't actually believe in the possibility of achieving that dream. In this unit, students will read and analyze the novel The Alchemist in order to answer the question: How will I follow my destiny? The main character in this novel, Santiago, struggles with this very question. We will complete a novel study to dissect the journey of Santiago and apply his situational lessons to students' lives. This process will be supported by student blogs, developing digital representations of our dreams/goals, creating Mandalas to represent students' goals, holding Socratic Seminars where students will use evidence from the novel to support opinions, and finally by creating a future autobiography where students explain how they met their destinies.

It is imperative that students in middle school set goals for themselves, to dream big.

It's simple: if students can't believe in themselves, in their future, then they won't ever take a chance to do something special. I firmly believe that all students deserve a chance not only to dream big, but to learn to believe in that dream. Thank you for helping my students find, and follow, their destinies.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than half of students from low‑income households

120 students impacted 2 donors
Ms. Murray Paseo Hills Elementary School Grades 6-8

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Phoenix, AZ View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

120 students impacted 2donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Alchemist, The • AKJ Books $12.16 40 $486.40

Materials cost

$486.40

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $34.78

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.30

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$563.48

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$84.20

Total project goal

$647.68

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $647.68

1 Donor

-$323.84

Donations toward project cost

-$281.74

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$42.10

match offer

-$323.84

Match offer toward project cost

-$281.74

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$42.10

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Murray and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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