My students need 3 novel sets with multicultural themes to improve making connections with literacy including Seedfolks, Number the Stars, and Esperanza Rising.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
"Can we read one more chapter? Do we have to go to lunch?" my 6th grade students begged, as I told them we had to wait until tomorrow to find out what happened to the main character, Anne Marie, at the end of Lois Lowry's suspenseful "Number the Stars."
My 6th grade students are mostly of Mexican descent, many are English Learners and are from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
My school serves about 700 K-6 students of whom 81% receive free or reduced lunch. We are located in a small town with a strong agricultural community and many of our families' income is tied to the ag industry. Some are seasonal and migrant workers or work in factories that support or are supported by agriculture such as fruit processing plants or farm supply companies. Some students come from strong two parent homes, but there are many more that come from single parent homes that do the best they can to support their children but that struggle to make ends meet.
My Project
We need novel sets to create classroom community and a love for literacy. This past year we read both Number the Stars and Seedfolks as a class, and the community that was created was amazing. Even though we didn't have a book for each student, we found creative ways for the students to access the book and completed many engaging projects to increase the literacy of the students. I would like every student to have access to their own book which will enrich their understanding of the novels. We will work on many cross curricular activities with each novel. Our class will explore the tragedies of WWII and the holocaust and Jewish culture as well. In Seedfolks, we will integrate math and science by having the students grow their own gardens and graph the results. Students will connect to their Mexican heritage by reading Esperanza Rising.
Donations to this project will allow each student access to high quality literature that will keep them engaged in reading.
The multicultural characters of these novels will help my students connect to literature in more authentic ways. The plots of these novels are of high interest to my students and will inspire them to read other books by these authors and to read in general. They will also help us transition more easily to the Common Core Standards.
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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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. Hernandez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
