Our class is fantastic bunch. They are of Latino, African, and Afro-Caribbean descent and live in an economically disadvantaged part of Harlem, NYC.
Why am I seeking funds to purchase a Young Person's History of the United States by Howard Zinn for my second graders?
During a very challenging year, my six fully remote second-graders have performed beautifully and worked really hard, especially in social studies. They have asked some incredibly deep questions about the true nature of the colonization and settlement process of our nation and I want to offer them the chance to continue to engage their curiosity about the roots of American society, long after class is over. Historian Howard Zinn has had a huge influence on my own understanding of how using primary sources offers an extremely valuable perspective.
In a Young People's History, Zinn highlights voices often left out of traditional social studies texts such as Native Americans, Africans and Black Americans, poor and working class immigrants, women, and children, among many others. With your generous donation, I can purchase each student their own copy of this incredibly powerful and empowering text.
My Project
These books will be invaluable resources for students for years to come. Through Zinn, they will be able to see how rich a tapestry history can be. These rising third graders have already developed a passion for decolonized history and this book will support their growth along this journey.
Zinn's chapter on European relationships with the Indigenous people of this continent will enrich the conversations we've begun this year, and the book covers American life all the way up to the current era.
This is a resource to which students will be able to return year after year for primary source documents which detail whichever phase of American life they are curious about at the moment.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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