My students need Scope magazine and the online resources that come with it to engage their interests and build their abilities to solve unknown vocabulary words, summarize, synthesize new information, and evaluate sources.
We serve 580 fifth and sixth graders at a rural school in Western North Carolina. About 50% are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. About a fourth of them report reading for fun. Most would be the first in their families to attend college. I am the language arts and social studies teacher for a team of 60 sixth graders at this school.
My students respond to texts that have fresh, engaging layouts and content that excites them!
They are energized by projects that engage them socially, creatively, and kinesthetically. Every unit has an art component, a food component, and a collaborative presentation component. This year, I plan to increase my emphasis on service learning and mindfulness.
My Project
Every issue of Scope magazine contains thematically connected articles, grammar instruction, differentiated assessments, fully formed and differentiated writing assignments, a play, poetry, a piece of fiction, and a focus on a real kid my student's age. In addition, kids build background with the expertly created videos that accompany each issue. Students with reading challenges can access a read-aloud program online.
Every time a new issue of Scope appeared on my kids' desks, they dropped everything and poured over each article.
Last year, they learned about subjects spanning from Gilgamesh to zeppelins, from Anne Frank to Syrian refugees! My past success with these proves that kids respond to them. I know the materials directly improved their reading skills.
Last year, I had huge success with Scope (funded through Donor's Choose!) and my school has agreed to kick in for 10 subscriptions this year. This grant would pay for 20 subscriptions. I have 30 students in each of my two classes, so there would be enough for each kid to have one hard copy and be able to get online. Having these will directly improve the engagement and literacy achievement of my students.
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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. Tarantino and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
