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
Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.
–John Green
My students struggle with reading and writing skills.
Most are impoverished, and school provides an escape for them, but often, school can be just as challenging as home.
I teach seniors at Center High School, an urban school in Kansas City, Missouri. Over 80% of my students are minorities, and most read below grade level.
When my students are confronted with a difficult, antiquated, and irrelevant text, they are quick to give up, but there are ways in which we, as teachers, can help them develop the skills they need to be successful as well as engaged in what they are reading.
Many also possess a biased view on the world, or simply an uneducated idea of other cultures. The purpose of the World Literature course is to prepare them for life outside of school and to introduce them to diverse thought and experiences.
My Project
In utilizing the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, students will analyze some people's lives in the Middle East as well as how an author develops characters, how characters can display a theme, and how characters can develop a plot.
Research shows that students learn better and are more likely to read if they are interested in the subject and material. This novel is captivating and students will easily be able to connect the characters (especially the conflict that Amir, the protagonist faces).
In today's political climate, there are many skewed ideas about the Middle East and the people within it, but everyone can connect to the idea of oppression, even on a small scale.
My students especially can relate to these ideas.
It's vital for students to have an idea of the world around them in order to be understanding and sympathetic members of society.
Many of my students have narrow worldviews, and reading about different cultures helps them to understand varying perspectives.
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 Ms. Mahoney and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
