My students need 30 copies of The Lightning Thief.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Gioia's classroom raised $296
This project is fully funded
My Students
Most students in my region claim they do not enjoy reading! I believe this is because they have only read excerpts out of moldy old textbooks. They have not been given the chance to read an entire novel, and especially not a novel that will capture their imaginations like this one.
This summer I began teaching down here in Mississippi.
I taught a class of 11th and 12th graders. One day I asked them to think of their favorite book, and many of them claimed to have never read an entire book! At first I didn't believe them, but as we discussed it I realized they weren't joking. For the school year I am teaching reading to sixth graders (the year starts Thursday!) The students I have encountered so far are bright and eager. They are full of energy! The problem is, good reading material has never been made available to them, and now they believe that reading is a miserable chore, which is unacceptable. Aside from being the most important academic skill, reading can be very fulfilling and joyful. I want to offer that to my students.
My Project
These students are full of energy, often find it difficult to concentrate because they have a lot going on in their home lives, and think they don't like to read. That's why they need an engaging, exciting, and well-written book like The Lightning Thief to draw them in. The book is simple enough for sixth graders to read while remaining complex enough to use as material to study a wide array of Language Arts components. Aside from being an awesome read that kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Percy Jackson connects the kids with Greek mythology, which is great because: a.) Greek mythology is fascinating, beautiful, and very informative about the human condition; and b.) Literature is littered with allusions to Greek mythology, so it's important for a good reader to be connected to those roots.
I haven't met my students for the year yet, but I anticipate them being (on average) on a fourth grade reading level despite being in the sixth grade.
We are going to read A LOT in my class. Reading is the fundamental academic skill. Help close the abominable "achievement gap" by helping my students get the resources they need to improve their literacy. Thank you very much!
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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