I work with one of the most creative and bright groups of third graders that our city has to offer. My students come from a variety of backgrounds; in my last few years at our school, I have had representation from over ten countries around the world! Because we are located in the heart of an urban area, my students also come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, even though they all live in the same zip code. My school is Title I, so many of my students face poverty at home and make a great effort to come to school each day.
While they are diverse in every sense of the word, the one thing my kiddos have in common is that they truly love to learn.
In our classroom, students drive their own inquiries and ask questions about the world on a daily basis. They continuously wonder about topics from mathematics to reading to world cultures, and I do my best to foster their curiosity. Research is a skill especially important to my third graders as they build their independence as learners, and I am hoping to help them grow through a variety of research-driven projects this year.
My Project
We all know the drill: when students feel like they are being forced into reading, it becomes more of a chore and less of a fun activity that they actually WANT to do. As a teacher in a grade that deals with state testing, students often times burn out from reading and lose their interest in doing so.
Enter graphic novels: the types of stories that students absolutely LOVE to read.
We know that reading can be an escape from the stressors of day to day life. As a teacher, I want my students to WANT to read, and graphic novels are one genre that I know to be successful at motivating students to jump into books. I am asking for sets of graphic novels on high interest topics: sports, familiar fairy tales, and superheroes! With these books, I hope to get students out of their reading "funk" and to make reading fun for them again!
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. King and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
