My students need young adolescent novels that deal with the social issues they face daily: school violence, drugs, suicide, incarceration, and human differences. Titles include Shine, Wonder, and Go Ask Alice.
"It's the power of literature - it interprets our lives and tells us what we want to know. Literature is magical." I want my students to experience success and pride as they read quality literature, and learn to deal positively with social issues like suicide, drugs, teen pregnancy, and school violence.
Our school is a title I school with 85% minority, a growing ESL population, and 90% qualifying for free/reduced price lunch.
Our students come from predominantly single parent homes where survival, and not literacy, is paramount.
Our school received an "F" rating for the past two years, due to progressively worsening state test scores. We have a dedicated, highly professional faculty, yet "extra" materials to enhance curriculum are not a priority. Most teachers write grants and/or spend their own funds in order to facilitate the basic needs of our children.
Children of poverty need to be exposed to authors who deal with issues such as: school violence, drugs, suicide, teen pregnancy, incarceration, and human differences. Current literacy research states, "in the very near future, public schools will draw students from primarily minority populations...thus using authentic texts and giving children choices are powerful and necessary conditions in the development thinking, learning, and autonomy."
My Project
My reading intervention classes are comprised of students (grades 6-8) who are struggling readers (reading below a 4th grade level). My inner city children deal with horrific issues on a daily basis. What a difference these novels will make in their lives as they realize they are not alone in dealing with death, violence, bullying, or drugs!
After completing each novel, the students will create an art project that displays their understandings and interpretations of the novel."Tech-to-Stretch" is one project where the children represent their comprehension via an iMovie or Keynote. Another project,"Sketch-to-Stretch" empowers kids to represent their thinking with color, shape and symbol-only. Literacy research has shown that when we "recast" our thinking in another media we greatly enhance our critical skills.
These children rarely receive instructional materials that truly benefit them for years to come.
I want them to become proud of who they are, and the contributions that they will eventually make to improve their communities. Through awareness of the social pitfalls in our society, my students will be equipped to make positive choices.
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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. Saunders and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
