Books as National Conversation: Help Us Participate!
My students need more books like these from the National Book Award lists.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Cheby's classroom raised $524
This project is fully funded
Celebrating 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
Our school is an urban high school in Los Angeles serving 1,400 students through our comprehensive program and our VAPA and STEM-Multimedia Magnets. A Title I school, almost 75% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Our students come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse talents and learning styles. About 70% of our students are classified as Long Term English language learners, thus many struggle to keep up with today's complex literacy demands. Additionally, we serve about 100 students with Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and about 100 students classified as Gifted And Talented (GATE).
In a world where students are increasingly bombarded with multimedia, they sometimes forget that there are creators behind all these messages.
By bringing in writers in different genres, our school's library is able to help students make connections between the texts they encounter and the intentions behind them.
As the writers share their own experiences and processes with writing and publishing, students are also challenged to see themselves as creators of media, not just consumers. We are lucky to live in a literary-rich city with prominent writers who are willing to come to speak to our students and to share their work.
My Project
The books we read connect us to others in our community, nation, and world, both by allowing us to access stories we normally would not hear or experience, and by providing common narratives we all read.
Our students love to read and are always seeking the latest books, like these titles from the National Book Awards finalist and a long lists.
By providing students books that are being talked about in news and social media, we can get students to engage in independent reading. This alone -- turning students into active, life-long readers -- may be one of the greatest achievements as educators. However, these titles also provide students with insight into world issues that we see on the news, creating empathy and critical thinking as they grow into voters and leaders in our society.
Since the state and local school district do not allocate any funds for collection development, we depend on campaigns like this and the generosity of other book-lovers to provide current selections for our students.
More than three‑quarters of 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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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. Cheby and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
