Neil Armstrong said "Research means to investigate something you do not know or understand". My students need access to basic, accurate information on a wide array of topics. In other words, they need an encyclopedia for research.
My school is located near two military bases and has a significant number of students who are children of deployed military personnel.
We have a tradition of being a neighborhood school, but now we are a school in transition. The population in the neighborhood is changing. According to the last US Census, the average per capita income was 1/3 below the city average. Over 1/2 of the current students qualify for free and reduced breakfast and lunch, but we are not a Title I school. And although they represent the very best in America, many students do not have the funds for necessary school supplies or appropriate reading materials.
Our student population is racially and ethnically diverse. It is 39% Anglo; 14% African American/Black; 16% Alaskan Native and American Indian; 7% Asian; 6% Hispanic; 3% Filipino; 15% multi-racial. Over 10% of the population are in bilingual/bicultural programs or ELL.
My Project
My library serves a population that has a significant number of at-risk and bilingual students. At our school, many students are handicapped because they do not know how to use library research materials to write a report. Also, the library reference collection is woefully out of date.
I plan to use the funds from this grant to begin to revitalize our library reference collection. We need a broad range of materials—an encyclopedia, thesauri, specialized dictionaries in a variety of formats but I am going to start with a new encyclopedia which will help overcome the very real barriers to high-level literacy that my students experience. A new encyclopedia will create interest and excitement in doing research.
Classroom teachers will work with the librarian to craft new lessons--lessons that will prepare students for success in middle and high school.
The report “School Libraries Work!” (2006) said that the school library is critical to every student’s learning experience.
Libraries must provide equal learning opportunities to all students, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the community. It said good libraries support the curriculum and address a variety of learning styles. This grant will help level the learning field for my students. We need something published in this century for research. We need a new encyclopedia.
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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 Ms. H. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.