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
Many students do not love reading because they have never had a pleasurable and meaningful reading experience. Reading "Before I Fall" while considering the obligation of humans to behave morally will be a crucial experience for the developing literacy of my students.
My students are predominantly African-American and Latino, and they come from some of the most violent and impoverished neighborhoods in our state.
As learners and thinkers, my students possess a remarkable capacity for creative expression. They are astonishingly brave in the risks they take to express an idea or communicate a feeling. However, when navigating print texts or utilizing written prose as a medium of expression, their reach often exceeds their grasp. In a typical 11th class at my school the reading levels vary from students at a 3rd grade level to students capable of reading Toni Morrison. Many of my students were not exposed to reading on a consistent basis during crucial years of their formative development. As such, some of my students need intensive work to repair literacy deficits stemming from their early years, while others need to be challenged even further in their reading.
My Project
This year, I am working with the United States History teacher at my school to align the English Language Arts and United States History classes in the 11th Grade. It is our belief that students learn best when their teachers are coordinated and the material they are studying is thematically linked across the academic disciplines. Aligning these classes will allow for powerful cross-hybridization in our students' learning. In English class, students will engage with narratives from our country's past to deepen the texture of their understanding of United States History; while in United States History class, students will use their reading and writing skills to fuel their inquiry into the causes and effects of momentous historical events. In our class, we will be reading Before I Fall while studying World War II and thinking about the moral obligations we have towards other humans.
Enjoying reading is a crucial element of developing proficient literacy skills.
Many of my students have not had the opportunity to have a pleasurable reading experience in a meaningful context. Reading "Before I Fall" during our unit on Moral Obligation will be that experience.
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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 Mr. Doyle and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.