Addressing Reading Underachievement Through Culturally Responsive Anchor Texts
Help me give my students the gift of culturally responsive literature and the critical thinking skills necessary to change the world!
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Richardson's classroom raised $903
This project is fully funded
My Students
The students I work with are some of the brightest spirits I have ever met. Growing up in the Black Belt Queen City of Selma, they see history around them daily. From their grandparents, many of whom served in the Civil Rights Movement, to the historic halls of the once segregated school in which they walk. These students are bright minds and spirits, but they suffer from the historical denigration of living in Alabama's Black Belt. Living in a town that's history shaped the Civil Rights Movement, these students and their educational gains have largely been forgotten. When coupled with the emphasis placed on STEM education, many of these student's literacy skills suffer.
These students need relevant texts to help improve their literacy skills while encouraging social justice and activism.
The majority of the text in our library are out of date or do not touch on the the issues that are relevant to these students and their navigating the world has young black adults and persons of color.
My Project
In this project, I plan to include Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 by Kendi Ibram and Keisha Blain as an anchor text in my Modern World History class. This text, allows students to receive fresh takes on history through new voices.
From poetry to historical analysis of primary sources, this text will be used to cultivate the student voice and cultivate the critical consciousness.
I will use this text to create engaging curriculum pieces that utilize various ways for students to engage themselves. From Poetry Cafe days were we analyze the text, to literary analysis projects, this will help us utilize ELA skills in the classroom.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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