NH is not known for its diversity, this, however, is not true of my teaching community. My students are comprised of students from all over the world, yet many who have never left the community they were born and raised in. We see many refugees in our school, some who have never attended an American school, while others who have moved throughout our large city.
Our school district is the largest in NH, while my students are some of the most impoverished in the state.
My Project
Ghost Boys will be the mentor text for my thematic unit on Connection and Friendship. My 6th-grade students will explore the relationship between the main character, the ghost boys, and the daughter of the policeman who killed the main character.
To support these mentor texts, I often search for quality short pieces to engage reluctant readers, introduce themes, explore literary elements, and teach life lessons.
I had an ah-ha moment while listening to a podcast! Why am I searching for short stories when I can use picture books? Picture books aren't traditional in the middle school classroom, but a carefully curated picture book library will profoundly benefit my students and help develop a classroom community. Each book was chosen to support my current curriculum and reinforce my desire to create students who are curious, empathetic, and informed.
I plan to add a picture book read aloud to the start of my class. These readings will connect to the current theme and introduce the lesson. In addition to supporting classroom academics, building a community is a hallmark of restorative justice, which is a practice I would like to further explore in my classroom. Many of these titles specifically support relationship building.
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
$15.98
1
$15.98
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood
• Amazon Business
$14.78
1
$14.78
Girl Running
• Amazon Business
$14.28
1
$14.28
The Most Magnificent Thing
• Amazon Business
$14.01
1
$14.01
A Piece of Home
• Amazon Business
$13.94
1
$13.94
Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great
• Amazon Business
$13.71
1
$13.71
Jacob's New Dress
• Amazon Business
$13.59
1
$13.59
Paul Meets Bernadette
• Amazon Business
$13.24
1
$13.24
The Day the Crayons Quit
• Amazon Business
$12.69
1
$12.69
The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
• Amazon Business
$12.47
1
$12.47
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
• Amazon Business
$12.32
1
$12.32
The Invisible Boy
• Amazon Business
$12.06
1
$12.06
The Night Gardener
• Amazon Business
$11.98
1
$11.98
Ida, Always
• Amazon Business
$10.33
1
$10.33
The Bear and the Piano
• Amazon Business
$10.19
1
$10.19
White Water
• Amazon Business
$7.99
1
$7.99
A Sweet Smell of Roses
• Amazon Business
$7.19
1
$7.19
Materials cost
$550.63
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$8.26
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$588.89
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$103.92
Total project goal
$692.81
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$692.81
3 Donors
-$692.81
Donations toward project cost
-$588.89
Donations 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 Mrs. Twomey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
