My students love stories. When they choose what the read, they are engaged and love discussing their books and novels. My students come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. They love learning and collaborating with their peers.
If you walk past our doorway when the silent reading timer goes off, and I tell them it's time to put their books away, you'll hear a number of students each time asking for "5 more minutes" or "one more chapter." Let's get some more books in these eager hands!
Help me support my 7th grade readers at all levels by bringing literature circles (and a whole lot of student choice and independence) to the Spring semester at our school.
My Project
In the Spring, four years running, I teach a novel study using Jacqueline Woodson's memoir Brown Girl Dreaming. In August 2019 I attended an Oregon Writing Project curriculum camp and rewrote this unit so that it increased student choice.
The books in this Donors Choose project offer windows and mirrors for my 7th grade students; chances for students to see themselves reflected in the characters and texts, and opportunities to get a glimpse of what it's like to live someone else's experience.
Traditional novel studies force all students to read the same texts at the same time. Literature circles are magical because students work within littler "book groups" or "book clubs." Students in our class will be able to choose between Jacqueline Woodson's memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, The List by Patricia Forde, and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. I'm so excited for students to have more choice in their whole class reading.
Each book in this lit. circle focuses on the same theme: how can writing be a powerful tool for change? No matter which book students choose they will explore similar topics and guiding questions about: conflict and power, family, and the power of words and writing to create change.
Another benefit of literature circles is that they allow students to showcase more independence. Students themselves will work with their book club to create a reading schedule. Students will collaborate and discuss their novels. By the spring my students are ready for this level of rigor and responsibility.
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. Vernon and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
