My students need 25 copies of "The Color of Water : A Black Man''s Tribute to His White Mother" to prove the attainability of the American dream.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Granado's classroom raised $395
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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
Show my students that the American dream is very much attainable!
Much of American Literature addresses the American dream, especially how elusive this dream can be. The Color of Water depicts life's hardships, but it also shows that the American dream is very much attainable.
My students are very much like James McBride, from Brooklyn and Queens.
They face a similar reality that McBride faced with the temptations of drugs, neighborhoods ridden with violence, the risk of dropping out, and conflict at home.
Some are counterparts to Ruth, a few Polish and immigrants, and a great many Caribbean and Latin students who can also relate to her immigrant experience.
My Project
Help me show my young Ruths and McBrides a more positive and relevant outlook of the American dream with McBride's story of coming of age to discover his identity, to pursue college, and to find his career as an artist, a musician and a writer.
My students will not only be able to prove the attainability of the American dream in their research projects, but they will also be able to finish this unit with a book that has a more uplifting and inspirational ending, an ending that they may very well duplicate in their own lives. They will write narratives, not just theirs but also that of the most important person in their lives. This project will lead directly to their college essays.
If Ruth, in her prime, and McBride with all his mistakes could both achieve their dreams of college and more, so can my students! This book will be their inspiration.
For many of my students, this book, The Color of Water : A Black Man''s Tribute to His White Mother, will be the difference between just getting a job right after high school and taking a chance on themselves, applying to college and achieving their dreams like Ruth and McBride.
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
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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. Granado and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
