Fighting For Identity, Freedom And Voice Through Literature
My students need 30 copies of "In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer" and 30 copies of "I Have Lived a Thousand Years:Growing Up in The Holocaust".
Inspiring high school students to read is one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of being a high school English teacher. As a teacher at a very high needs school, finding engaging, relevant, and meaningful texts for high school students is a must. Unfortunately, many of my students do not read for a variety of reasons. Inspiring them to become life-long readers by finding literature they are passionate about is my ultimate goal for all students, many of which are English Language Learners, have learning disabilities, and come to school with a variety of cultural and learning backgrounds and experiences. By incorporating students' lives into the classroom through literature and art-making, a safe and nurturing learning community occurs.
Unfortunately, I have had to purchase the majority of novels I have taught over the past seven years on my own, because of limited funding and the dire need for students to be able to take a book home they might actually like reading. All of the units I teach with my tenth graders revolve around the theme of an individual finding his/her voice in society and speaking up against atrocities. This particular unit involves students reading about individuals who have dealt with the atrocities of the Holocaust. Both of these memoirs are true stories of survivors who share their compelling stories with readers.
By reading these memoirs, students will learn about the importance of speaking up and sharing their own stories through writing,discussion, and art-making. All of my students will be able to relate to and connect with the characters in these memoirs, and ultimately, have a powerful and meaningful experience with reading.
Your help will ensure that all of my students will have a chance to enter into a new time and place, and will give them a voice in their own lives.
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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. Mattioli and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.