My students need books that will appeal to the boys! I'd love to teach this football novel, "Quarterback Season," with my class and encourage boys to want to read more of the Fred Bowen series!
"Reading is for girls!" Fred Bowen has written sports novels that appeal to boys. I want to teach the novel Quarterback Season with my students because it follows the story of a middle school quarterback whose English teacher makes him keep a daily journal. His writing improves as the story goes on!
My students are hilarious, hormonal seventh-graders who drive me crazy, and I can't imagine being anywhere else!
While it's true that most of them come from underprivileged backgrounds where education is not always a family's strength, it's also true that they crave relevant reading material and opportunities to achieve. My students don't have iPads, Xboxes, or fancy phones, and they also don't have books at home. They play football at the park with the other kids in the neighborhood, and they take care of their younger siblings after school. They want to learn, they want to succeed, and they are grateful for everything they have!
My Project
The specific book that I want to share with my students is about a second-string middle school quarterback whose English teacher makes him keep a daily journal. At the beginning of the book, his entries are full of mistakes and errors. His writing improves as the book goes on. The novel also incorporates a lesson for student-athletes: that teamwork is more important than winning. His daily journal becomes an account of the ups and downs of the team's season, and is full of high-interest football and sports content that the boys will enjoy - even if they don't admit it.
Youth sports teach us valuable life lessons - teamwork, winning, losing, even not making the team.
A lot of my students do not have access to organized sports; therefore lose the opportunity to learn those life lessons. I believe that reading one of Fred Bowen's Sport Stories will encourage boy readers (who, research shows, are already behind their female classmates in reading by grade 3) to pick up another Fred Bowen Sports Story and understand the concept of winning by hard work and practice.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mrs. Allen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.