Help me give my students novels that will expand the diversity of our selections this year, from powerful contemporary titles such as Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017 National Book Award Winner) to classics like Pride and Prejudice.
I teach in a public arts high school where students attend academic classes in the morning followed by an intense conservatory program in the afternoon. A diverse group of artistically talented young people from every ward in the city, our students' commute to school might be as short as fifteen minutes or as long as two and a half hours. Buzzing with energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm, our Scholar Artists are dedicated to improving not only their skills as artists, but also as thinkers, leaders, and innovators in a wide variety of fields.
My students are singers, dancers, visual artists, creative writers, actors, and musicians, and as artists, they thrive on literature that reflects the diverse world they inhabit.
Centering students' voices and stories is the heart of a teacher's work, and I am passionate about co-creating the learning space with students. In AP Literature and Composition and Senior Honors English this year, I want to offer a wide range of powerful texts that both honor the identities present in my class, and also provide them with windows into experiences different from their own.
My Project
Last school year, I designed an independent reading project where AP Literature students selected a novel from a list of trending titles (texts frequently featured on the AP Exam) and presented their analytic, creative projects to the class. Not only did they demonstrate mastery of composing literary arguments, their creative pieces (original compositions, vocal performances, paintings) were absolutely stunning!
As AP Literature Exam reader Farrah Hilton shares her recent experience reading student essays on the 2020-21 AP Exam: "It was apparent that students are reading and teachers are giving students the autonomy to read what interests them while offering them challenging texts." She adds, "Students are thinking critically and carefully about what they are reading; they are questioning the implications presented in texts in their own lives.
For that, teachers should feel accomplished." (Hilton, Farrah. 2021 Reading Reflections).
Clearly, choice matters - for the individual student and the classroom as a whole. As their AP Literature teacher, it is my responsibility to empower students to select texts that they want to read and to create space for them to share what resonates with them. Where do they see beauty and truth in the text?
These diverse books examine a range of experiences to engage students, pique their curiosity, and sharpen their skills as analytical readers. Co-creating the classroom community and curriculum is a collaborative process, and hearing students’ enthusiasm and excitement over books - yes, I love my work!
The House of the Spirits: A Novel
• Amazon Business
$12.79
3
$38.37
Jane Austen Complete 6 Books Collection Box Set (Northanger Abbey, Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Senesibility, Persuasion & Mansfield Park)
• Amazon Business
$37.50
1
$37.50
La casa de los espiritus: The House of the Spirits - Spanish-language Edition (Spanish Edition)
• Amazon Business
$14.38
2
$28.76
On the Come Up
• Amazon Business
$12.99
1
$12.99
Materials cost
$200.74
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$3.01
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$233.75
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$41.25
Total project goal
$275.00
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$275.00
4 Donors
-$183.33
Donations toward project cost
-$155.84
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$27.49
match offer
-$91.67
Match offer toward project cost
-$77.92
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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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. Arbeiter and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.