My students need young adult books and a second Kindle e-reader for our independent reading. We are also in need of a tripod and memory cards so that we can record speeches to share with others.
Our school has almost 2000 students, in a building that seemed crowded with 1500. As student numbers have rapidly increased, our ability to buy more books for independent reading has hit the wayside. Our school spends far less money per student per year than other high schools in the district.
While I have a small classroom library, there are always titles that are popular with students and ones that they cannot seem to find elsewhere.
I'm looking for specific titles that the students have asked me for. These are high-interest young adult fiction.
My students often come into class without books and usually don't buy books themselves. Some tell me that they "gave up" reading after elementary school, since they didn't have book fairs in middle school.
It would be great to offer highly sought-after titles in my classroom. Also, it's fun to have new books and not the ones that have been sitting in our school library for years without ever being checked out. As a HUGE fan of young adult literature myself, I am always reading new titles and looking for others that would be appealing to students.
My Project
For this project, I chose some young adult titles that the students have asked for as well as a bookshelf to hold those books. Many of these titles are not available in our school library or have extensive waiting lists, as many are eager to read these titles. I have included a Kindle e-reader, which can hold MANY books, which I can link to my own e-book library of over 115 titles. This is a great way to save a bit of shelf space and also to incorporate technology into the classroom.
After looking at our reading comprehension tests, I've found that 47% of my students read below grade level, with almost 35% reading BELOW middle school level (and these are high school students!).
If my students are willing to read instead of sitting on Snapchat all day long, I'm willing to beg for the books to put into their hands. The only way to become a better reader is to read more! And I have students who want to read! This is a win-win situation.
I've also asked for an extra battery and a tripod for our class video camera, so that they can record the speeches that they write and also book talks to get others excited about reading.
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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. Lee and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
