Somewhere along the way, my middle school students missed the chance to learn the basics of U.S. history. They've heard of the Civil War and World War II, although they're fuzzy on causes and effects, but they don't have a clue what the Cold War and Vietnam War were all about. We need to fix this!
My urban middle school students begin the year reading significantly below grade level.
We work hard in our mixed grade Language Arts classroom to strengthen literacy and build the skills needed for success in high school and beyond.
We like to explore topics together in depth, using a variety of texts to build background knowledge and vocabulary. Recently, as an aside to learning about war in South Sudan, my students read a poem by Jeffrey Harrison called "Vietnam Scrapbook." They were baffled by references to napalm and the Viet Cong. These young teens knew nothing about the events and conflicts which which contributed to the Cold War and the Vietnam War.
My Project
I'd like to help my students learn a little U.S. history as they build their reading and vocabulary skills. I'm asking for 16 copies of America's Story, a simplified U.S. history textbook to use as a basic building block. We will supplement this text with a variety of resources, but this easy-to-read modified text will provide all my struggling readers with a basic timeline of key events to begin fleshing out.
Learning to read well and easily is so important for my students.
When they become fluent readers, their chances of finishing high school and continuing on to college are greatly increased.
Learning history is also important. A simplified U.S. history textbook will help strengthen my students, both as readers and as informed citizens. Your contribution to this project is greatly appreciated.
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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. Livingstone and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
