Help me give my students books to build their prior knowledge about the Age of Exploration, key explorers, and the beginning of the colonization of the western hemisphere.
Fifth graders are an interesting age group to teach. They start to really come into their own, and are naturally curious about everything! They ask interesting and sometimes very tough-to-answer questions. They are a joy!
The best thing about this age group: they want to know more about the world beyond the classroom.
For many of my students, learning about different countries, far away places, or different points in history can be challenging because they have little background knowledge on these topics. Despite this challenge, they are hungry for knew information and love reading about these new places and time periods.
My students love "traveling" the world and time through reading about different countries, cultures, and traditions. It is my hope that through the exposure to the world early on, they develop a desire to travel and will one day travel to the places we learn about. More importantly, I hope they develop a sense of respect and empathy for those who are different, and help create a peaceful and loving world.
My Project
With the availablity of these informational texts in the classroom, students are more likely to read and learn about historical events and people. Typically, when my students visit the school library, they check out chapter books (which is great!) but they tend to avoid informational texts.
These books will be placed prominently at the front of my room, with the understanding that students can borrow one at any time as long as it is returned as soon as he or she finishes reading it!
With the different levels and styles of books I have chosen, most every child will have at least 5 books on their reading level that appeal to their learning styles.
By building this background knowledge and adding to each child's knowledge "bank", students will be more likely to connect to new information about these different locations, people and events throughout history. This will also allow them to better understand texts on similar topics as they encounter more challenging literature and concepts throughout their school career.
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
The World Made New: Why the Age of Exploration Happened and How It Changed the World (National Geographic Timelines)
• Amazon Business
$13.69
1
$13.69
Explorers Who Got Lost
• Amazon Business
$11.66
1
$11.66
Teacher Created Materials - Primary Source Readers: The Southern Colonies: First and Last of 13 - Grades 4-5 - Guided Reading Level M
• Amazon Business
$9.99
1
$9.99
Teacher Created Materials - Primary Source Readers: Racing to Colonize the New World - Grades 4-5 - Guided Reading Level N
• Amazon Business
$9.99
1
$9.99
Explore with Leif Eriksson (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$9.95
1
$9.95
Explore With Jacques Cartier (Travel With the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$9.95
1
$9.95
Explore With Christopher Columbus (Travel With the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$9.95
1
$9.95
Explore with Marco Polo (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$9.95
1
$9.95
You Wouldn't Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party! (Revised Edition) (You Wouldn't Want to…: American History)
• Amazon Business
$9.95
1
$9.95
Explore with Ferdinand Magellan (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$9.95
1
$9.95
You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower! (Revised Edition) (You Wouldn't Want to…: History of the World)
• Amazon Business
$9.47
1
$9.47
Teacher Created Materials - Primary Source Readers: Life in the Colonies - Grade 5 - Guided Reading Level P
• Amazon Business
$8.99
1
$8.99
Teacher Created Materials - Primary Source Readers: The Middle Colonies: Breadbasket of the New World - Grades 4-5 - Guided Reading Level M
• Amazon Business
$8.63
1
$8.63
Teacher Created Materials - Primary Source Readers: The New England Colonies: A Place for Puritans - Grades 4-5 - Guided Reading Level O
• Amazon Business
$8.62
1
$8.62
Teacher Created Materials - Primary Source Readers: Early Explorers - Grades 4-5 - Guided Reading Level O
• Amazon Business
$8.62
1
$8.62
Explore with Ponce de Leon (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$8.11
1
$8.11
You Wouldn't Want to Sail With Christopher Columbus! (Revised Edition) (You Wouldn't Want to…: Adventurers and Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$8.11
1
$8.11
You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Colonist! (Revised Edition) (You Wouldn't Want to…: American History)
• Amazon Business
$8.10
1
$8.10
Explore with Hernando de Soto (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$8.10
1
$8.10
Explore with Henry Hudson (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$8.09
1
$8.09
Explore with John Cabot (Travel with the Great Explorers)
• Amazon Business
$8.08
1
$8.08
The Dreadful, Smelly Colonies: The Disgusting Details About Life in Colonial America (Disgusting History)
• Amazon Business
$7.10
1
$7.10
Encounter (Voyager Books)
• Amazon Business
$6.99
1
$6.99
Who Was Marco Polo?
• Amazon Business
$5.99
1
$5.99
Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?
• Amazon Business
$5.99
1
$5.99
Who Was Queen Elizabeth?
• Amazon Business
$5.99
1
$5.99
Who Was Leif Erikson?
• Amazon Business
$5.99
1
$5.99
Who Was Christopher Columbus?
• Amazon Business
$4.99
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$4.99
Materials cost
$240.99
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$18.80
3rd party payment processing fee
$3.61
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$293.40
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$51.78
Total project goal
$345.18
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$345.18
7 Donors
-$231.00
Donations toward project cost
-$196.35
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$34.65
match offer
-$114.18
Match offer toward project cost
-$97.05
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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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. Sinnott and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
