Literature Circles Make Reading Relevant for Teens!
My project needs 7 copies of 22 book titles that will be used in literature circles.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Will's classroom raised $1,372
This project is fully funded
Imagine for a moment that you are a seventeen year old who is two years behind in school. You are responsible for feeding your 8 year old brother breakfast and making sure he gets to school, which starts at 9:00 - forty minutes after you're supposed to be in your first class. You try to get to school on time by dropping him off early, but sometimes the school won't let him in. When you arrive at school you are yelled at by security guards and then sent to a class where you have to read textbooks that have nothing to do with your life.
You truly want to finish high school to get your diploma, but you can't help but wonder if dropping out is a better option. School doesn't seem to help you with your current life, in fact, if it weren't for school you could find a job and help support your family.
I teach students who go through this dilemma every single day. At my inner-city Chicago high school, our budget for classroom books is basically $0. We are given textbooks that are not only boring, but also falling apart. Many teachers are so frustrated that they have a strict daily routine: read a story, answer the questions. I try to get away from this in my room and have purchased many books to give my students something relevant to read. Unfortunately, my salary doesn't allow for me to buy all of the books my students deserve.
I would like to create literature circles in my classroom to help students enjoy school and literature while learning to discuss and analyze it with their peers. These "mini book clubs" will give my students the chance to see how reading can be relevant to their lives. The titles I've chosen range from stories about gangs to novels about teen pregnancy. I've also included some titles that describe the lives of teenagers who are struggling elsewhere in the world. These novels will open my students minds while inspiring them to "keep at it" in school. I will need seven copies of each title so that my students can read in groups together.
This experience will give my students the opportunity to enjoy school again. I hope that it will show them how relevant it can be to their lives. Your donation make school a more interesting, meaningful place and will help these students stay on track to graduating.
More than three‑quarters of 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
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. Will and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"IL","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":4,"name":"High School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/literature-circles-make-reading-relevant/91572/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":80,"isEquityFocusV1":true,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Will","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"-338612631","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Chicago","teachersOnPage":[14958],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":91572,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"schoolId":5787,"schoolName":"Tilden Career Community Academy","authorIds":{"14958":{"owner":"Ms. Will","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[91572],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp14958_272x272.jpg?width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1467219495360","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":39316,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":14958,"schoolCounty":"Cook","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"IL","name":"Illinois"}}
