Celebrating Equality - Building a Diverse Library One Book at a Time
Help me give my students the opportunity to have access to diverse books throughout the school year.
$319 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! 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.
I am a 1st-grade teacher in a Title 1 school in a Spanish Dual Immersion program in an elementary school in the Salt Lake City area. My students have a love for learning and have a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm. During the pandemic, we having reading groups four days a week. At the moment, there is no school on Fridays. I am hoping to build a classroom library that is accessible while students are present in school. I am building a bookshelf of titles that teach about other cultures. My dream is to create a special library of fiction and nonfiction book titles that educate on diversity-books in which students can see themselves reflected and books in which they can see and learn accurate depictions of other cultures.
My Project
My hope is to build a library that inspires my students to explore new genres in literature on equality and diversity and be lifelong learners.
We visit the school library only twice a month, and due to a shortened school week, we lose time to explore new titles.
For many of my students in Dual Immersion, this library visit may be the only time they have a chance to select books. The 2020 pandemic has altered school and library hours in our district and community. Many of our students do not have the opportunity to regularly visit their local library.
Our school has student population that is diverse with many cultures represented. My students read many fiction and nonfiction texts with partner talk in our reading lessons. We also discuss feelings and kindness through morning meetings. In addition to academics, the teaching of equality, understanding, and compassion for others is of paramount importance.
Students from various backgrounds come together on a daily basis for small reading groups for about 25 minutes. These first graders are full of emerging readers as well as reluctant and experienced readers. Exposing these students a variety of authors and texts can open new doors in their critical thinking. My hope is to provide students with books that offer them a window into the world of others. Spontaneous classroom discussions about justice, equality, and racism can transform thinking and provide opportunities to promote kindness toward each other. Most importantly, opportunities for reading, writing, and sharing these books creates a safe classroom community that celebrates diversity.
Building this bookshelf of diverse titles will allow my students to learn more about each other and most definitely become a gateway to building better reading skills that last a lifetime.
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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. Dodson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
