Murder, Magic, and Madness: Devil in the White City
My students need 30 copies of the book Devil in the White City to read during Literature Circles and Interactive Read Alouds.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Magnan's classroom raised $506
This project is fully funded
My Students
"Wars against nations are fought to change maps; wars against poverty are fought to map change."
This change must be positive to make a difference. Poverty can be the underestimated culprit that inhibits many students from succeeding in school. With reading comes change, and with change comes success.
My students are trapped in poverty and struggling with gang violence on the far south side of Chicago.
They do not dare walk to the nearby public library. They often lack hope and a sense of future. Because of our dedicated administration and faculty, our school is the one bright light in our students' lives and their White City. The parents are also supportive of the school-wide effort to boost literacy, and our rising test scores prove that things can be done with modest resources, such as novels, and a great deal of caring and unconditional love.
My Project
While reading "Devil in the White City," students will make connections between present day life in Chicago and the past. This book is highly engaging and consistently captivates young readers, even those with reading difficulties. I will facilitate daily Interactive Read Alouds to engage students and entice higher level discussions and debates. I will also assist students in Literature Circles to grasp comprehension mastery, summary skills, and fluency.
This unit will integrate reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. My students will identify with the characters and their circumstances. The characters in this book are unique and touchingly familiar in their behavior and appreciation for life in Chicago. Students will discuss the courage that characters exhibit in the face of daunting conditions. They will draw parallels between the past and the present in Chicago.
Knowledge is critical for positive changes.
Reading creates knowledge. Reading provides my students with the opportunity to transcend their circumstances and experience other people and places. Reading is especially important to students like mine who cannot leave their own neighborhoods and make these connections. I hope to capture my students' imagination and promote higher order thinking through read alouds, literature circles, and hands-on projects from Devil in the White City.
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. Magnan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
