My poor students have a Language Arts textbook that is TEN-YEARS-OLD with articles about the US 1998 women's soccer team, and research studies from 1993! They are great kids and they TRY to stay engaged, but it's hard when the text is not current or about things they are interested in.
My students are 7th graders, and from a semi-rural community bordering a large urban area.
They have strong family values and treat one another with kindness and respect. They are eager learners, but are children of the modern age--used to a constant supply of current information about their world and culture--it is difficult for them to engage with outdated text. 7th Grade Standards are demanding; there is much for them to master. They need learning materials that they can relate to, that are current and about the issues, politics, celebrities and music of today, to engage them as they struggle to evaluate issues, write essays, and analyze literature. They also need curriculum that incorporates technology, interactive and internet-supported learning.
My Project
SCHOLASTIC (the same Scholastic that brought us book orders and exciting access to new literature as kids) has created an outstanding monthly magazine for middle school students called SCOPE. It has current news articles, stories, plays, debates issues, celebrity grammar, and much more. Each issue comes with a quality selection of response materials for my students that correlate with the 7th grade Language Arts standards and are also aligned to the new "Common Core Standards" that we'll be using soon. There is also online interactive activities for my students to participate in, and online quizzes and video clips to supplement the articles and essay contests.
These magazines interest, educate, and motivate my students!
A class set of 40 can be used for all my 210 students. When the new SCOPE magazines arrive, they dive with enthusiasm into the new articles and topics. (A wonderful change from getting out the old textbooks, let me assure you!) In addition to providing engaging, current topics, SCOPE has standards-based learning materials with each issue, and excellent online interactive material too! Alas, no money for these next year, PLEASE HELP!
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 Mrs. Hardy and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.