The community of our elementary school is rapidly changing and becoming increasingly diverse. My students are curious, smart, creative, and in need of fantastic literature. They, as individuals, need to be reflected in the world that they are reading.
I teach two groups of diverse fourth graders who are starving to see themselves in texts or as the writers of those texts!
Although I love my students, and can empathize, sympathize, and love on them more than I ever thought possible, we are all different and my personal story does not always match their story. This is where diverse literature and authors will be vastly beneficial. When students see people who look like them, have families like theirs, authors similar to them, etc., they know they are not alone. They know that they too can achieve like the characters in the story or authors who wrote them.
My Project
Since I teach fourth grade language arts, it is not difficult to understand that the most important part of our classroom is our classroom library. Currently my students have a solid selection of high-interest books, but they are your typical fantasy, realistic fiction, etc. They do not reflect the extensive differences in backgrounds that can be in any given classroom. The books that would be added to my classroom were carefully selected, with student input, to add in the types of characters and stories available.
This generation is one of the most diverse we have ever had the pleasure of teaching, and my students deserve to have engaging books that are reflective of different stories, characters, authors, where they can see themselves and learn about different cultures and lifestyles.
I have chosen books like Ruby on the Outside, a story about a girl who is looking for somebody, anybody, to trust enough to tell that her mother is in jail. The Trouble with Donovan Croft was chosen to provide an avenue for students in foster care to see themselves in print. Little Leaders is a fantastic book about women of color and their amazing trailblazing history in our country. Many of the other books were chosen with the help of students and countless professionals to support my students in seeing more than simply the mainstream or typical story on a page.
Wonderstruck (Schneider Family Book Award - Middle School Winner)
• Amazon Business
$19.93
1
$19.93
Nothing but Trouble
• Amazon Business
$9.34
2
$18.68
Ghost (Track)
• Amazon Business
$6.21
3
$18.63
Too Much Trouble
• Amazon Business
$8.26
2
$16.52
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal (Exceptional Social Studies Titles for Intermediate Grades) (Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux)
• Amazon Business
$14.87
1
$14.87
Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491
• Amazon Business
$14.31
1
$14.31
We're All Wonders
• Amazon Business
$13.05
1
$13.05
The Invisible Boy
• Amazon Business
$12.66
1
$12.66
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark
• Amazon Business
$12.24
1
$12.24
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Women Who Changed Our World)
• Amazon Business
$11.98
1
$11.98
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist
• Amazon Business
$11.98
1
$11.98
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Familys Fight for Desegregation (Jane Addams Award Book (Awards))
• Amazon Business
$11.94
1
$11.94
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
• Amazon Business
$11.68
1
$11.68
Come With Me
• Amazon Business
$11.54
1
$11.54
Most People
• Amazon Business
$9.79
1
$9.79
The Name Jar
• Amazon Business
$7.67
1
$7.67
Materials cost
$259.23
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$3.89
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$293.12
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$51.73
Total project goal
$344.85
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$344.85
5 Donors
-$319.85
Donations toward project cost
-$271.87
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$47.98
match offer
-$25.00
Match offer toward project cost
-$21.25
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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. Molitoris and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
