Help me give my students the books they need to increase their independent reading skills, deepen their compassion for others through learning about the Holocaust, and to ignite their love of learning and reading.
My students need books to complete their independent reading goals. I have moved to a new grade level, so I need to update my classroom library to meet their growing needs.
For many students in our middle school, books are their ticket to explore new worlds.
These are amazing kids, but many of them don't get the chance to go outside our rural boundaries. Reading is one way to help expose them to possibilities beyond and to open their minds to new ideas and adventures.
In grades 6 to 8, we intentionally expose students to a wide variety of genres. The staff has worked hard to create an independent reading program that prepares them for high school and beyond. When students come with excitement about the book they are reading, that is a wonderful gift!
Our middle school is home to approximately 350 bright and talented students. We are a rural school in northern Idaho, and the nearest four-year college is over two hours away.
My Project
Last year, I moved to a new grade level, so my classroom books need to be updated. We require a variety of genres and independent reading texts throughout middle school. Moving to 8th grade requires many changes, including changing the books in my classroom library.
There is nothing like the excitement on a student's face when they find a book they absolutely love!
I created a Holocaust unit, and the kids have more questions than I have answers. To support this unit, they are asked to read both fiction and non-fiction books about the Holocaust. Then they use these resources to complete an essay.
Last year was the first year doing this unit, and I couldn't keep the books on my shelves. Even after they read the required ones, they were asking for more. I am requesting more copies of the "favorites" so they continue to have access to these amazing books!
Thanks to another teacher in our district, our middle school students are learning to identify Notice and Note signposts in their reading. They are finding these everywhere in their books, and an easy way to keep track of them is through sticky tabs. When students are reading, they tab the page with a color coded sticky note, and then later they can go back and identify their evidence for writing or book discussions. Students meet weekly to talk about their signposts and to explore the themes and share their discoveries that week. At the end of each unit we have a Socratic Seminar where students talk about all they have learned. Having their books ready with evidence gives them confidence to share all they have learned throughout the unit.
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. Hinthorn and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
