This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I teach at a large Illinois inner city elementary school. I teach 7th and 8th grades. My students are from low-income families and are all eligible for free lunch. As a teacher and lover of literature, I want to instill that love in my students.
It is with books that knowledge can be gained about ones own culture as well as other cultures.
Knowledge is power and being able to accept all people, even those with different cultures than ones own, is something I want my students to learn. I also want my students to be able to analyze and critically discuss literary elements. Our society is in a “state of crisis” with our African American male students. Our female students have been outscoring our males on standardized tests for the last several years. My students will be able to relate to this book because they, like the protagonists, live in constant fear of gang violence, domestic violence and failing academically and socially. This book may help my boys face their fears, and succeed in spite of them.
My Project
I would be grateful if you are able to fund 25 "The Pact" books by Sampson Davis for my 50 (two classes) male students. I am in search of quality reading material that will appeal to my boys. This book's protagonists are three boys growing up in the inner city, like my students. This book is a memoir that is gripping, funny and ultimately unforgettable. This book, The Pact, will also allow me to teach symbolism, vocabulary, characterization, writing, inference and fact/opinion. The Pact will also introduce my students to memoir style writing. The characters in this book escaped, poverty, gang violence, crime and drugs. These are things that my students face each day. I am hopeful that this book will show my students that because someone lives with poverty, drugs and crime in the community, they can overcome all of the obstacles to become educated, successful adults.
This would be a great reading and learning experience for my current students, as well as future students, and would continue to mold them into life-long lovers of literature and help close the achievement gap.
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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 Mrs. Long and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
