You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

See this teacher's page

Ms. Watkins from Dallas TX is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

7th Grade Makes The Most of Second Chances: Monster Unit

My students need a class set of the novel "Monster" and a teacher copy of "Harlem"; by Walter Dean Myers to read as a class.

  • $326 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

Do you remember what it was like the first time you read a book that you couldn't put down? My students have not yet discovered books that are relevant and meaningful, but they have also not met Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old on trial for murder in Harlem.

We are the class of 2017!

This is my third year teaching 7th grade English Language Arts at a Title 1 school in Texas and I am lucky enough to have some of the best students in the world. At least 90% of my students are Hispanic and are still transitioning between English and Spanish. Learning English is something that at times can be challenging for them, but they are always ready to learn. My classes are eager to learn anything I throw at them and love to read novels they can relate to. My students' past education has been heavily focused on state assessment reading passages and rarely have they been exposed to novels. This year I want to expose them to Monster, a novel in which many will be able to relate, and create writing portfolios. With this book, my reluctant readers will be able to increase their literacy skills while focusing on the question, is everyone considered innocent until proven guilty?

My Project

Having a teacher copy of Harlem will help students build prior knowledge through a read aloud before reading Monster. These books will allow my students to gain a wider appreciation for novels and learn the importance of making the most of second chances. Monster is the story of a 16-year-old boy, Steve, who is on trial for a drug store robbery. Although Steve wasn't guilty, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is something that all my students can relate to. For many of them, they have seen first hand what it means to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in their own community. With a large gang population in the community, many of these times have been results from gang or peer pressure outside of school. Reading these books will forever change my students because these story will provoke meaningful discussions and passionate writing. Students will be able to reflect and share their own point-of-view on discrimination.

Today, reading and writing have taken a back seat in many of students lives.

It has become something that most of them are only exposed to in school. Reading Harlem to my students will give them the necessary background knowledge that will increase their comprehension of Monster. Having a class set of the novel Monster and a teacher copy of Harlem will provide my classes with endless opportunities to grow academically and as individuals.

Ms. Watkins
Grades 6-8

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Watkins is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
Monster • AKJ Books $7.01 32 $224.32
Harlem • AKJ Books $14.03 1 $14.03

Materials cost

$238.35

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.58

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$276.93

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$48.87

Total project goal

$325.80

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$325.80

4 Donors

-$325.80

Donations toward project cost

-$276.93

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$48.87

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

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

View complete list Show less

Support your local school!

Donate directly to any school in the US. Your donation will go towards directly purchasing urgent supplies.

Find a local school

Project Activity

{"pmaHash":"","schoolCity":"Dallas","showProjectRecommendations":true,"teachersOnPage":[434385],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"TX","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"proposalId":606130,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/7th-grade-makes-the-most-of-second-chanc/606130/","verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":150,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Watkins","isEquityFocus":true,"authorIds":{"434385":{"owner":"Ms. Watkins","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[606130],"proposalHash":"1630512034","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp434385_orig.jpg?crop=2291,2291,x0,y290&width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1552576493649","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":31867,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["MTAzNTU0NA==","NDY0MTI2","MTAzNzM5Ng==","NDc2NzUx"],"teacherId":434385,"schoolCounty":"Dallas","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"TX","name":"Texas"}}