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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Seals Schwanke from Topeka, KS is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Seals Schwanke is requesting

New Nonfiction for Middle School

Help me give my students updated nonfiction books to keep their school library relevant and engaging!

FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Seals Schwanke's classroom raised $890

This project is fully funded

My Project

Think about how much has changed in your lifetime. Smartphones were invented. Pluto's classification has changed. How many presidents have you gone through? Heck, we've all experienced a global pandemic.

Nonfiction books get outdated quickly and need replacing with relevant and engaging texts that will get kids reading.

The books you were reading in middle school are not always relevant or even factual with up-to-date information. The best nonfiction for middle schoolers will grab their attention and are non-threatening even to kids who lack reading stamina - they can read a little at a time, check out the pictures, and often they can choose to skip around to the information that is most interesting to them.

My readers that struggle the most tend to gravitate toward nonfiction books with smaller chunks of text and great images to help support their comprehension.

Beautiful, glossy, full-color nonfiction can also be tough on our budget, so we need some help with some serious updates!

Ms. Seals Schwanke Chase Middle School Grades 6-8

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Topeka, KS View local requests

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

390 students impacted 8donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Mammals • Amazon Business $12.99 2 $25.98
Born to Be Wild • Amazon Business $24.99 1 $24.99
The Replay: 25 Greatest Moments in Sports • Amazon Business $22.99 1 $22.99
American Sign Language for Kids: 101 Easy Signs for Nonverbal Communication • Amazon Business $22.99 1 $22.99
The Highlights Book of How: Discover the Science Behind How the World Works (Highlights Books of Doing) • Amazon Business $22.80 1 $22.80
Super Simple Chemistry: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide • Amazon Business $21.99 1 $21.99
We Can Sign!: An Essential Illustrated Guide to American Sign Language for Kids • Amazon Business $21.49 1 $21.49
World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained • Amazon Business $20.49 1 $20.49
Turn It Up!: A pitch-perfect history of music that rocked the world • Amazon Business $19.99 1 $19.99
An Anthology of Aquatic Life (DK Children's Anthologies) • Amazon Business $19.50 1 $19.50
Nature's Treasures: Tales Of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects From Nature (DK Treasures) • Amazon Business $19.24 1 $19.24
Amazing Treasures: 100+ Objects and Places That Will Boggle Your Mind (Our Amazing World, 2) • Amazon Business $19.20 1 $19.20
The Snowy Owl Scientist (Scientists in the Field) • Amazon Business $18.99 1 $18.99
The Secret World of Plants: Tales of More Than 100 Remarkable Flowers, Trees, and Seeds (DK Treasures) • Amazon Business $18.99 1 $18.99
Super Simple Physics: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide • Amazon Business $18.69 1 $18.69
Even More Lesser Spotted Animals • Amazon Business $18.23 1 $18.23
Big Book of W.O.W.: Astounding Animals, Bizarre Phenomena, Sensational Space, and More Wonders of Our World • Amazon Business $18.19 1 $18.19
Bomb (Graphic Novel): The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
5,000 Awesome Facts About Animals • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice • Amazon Business $17.18 1 $17.18
Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids) • Amazon Business $15.69 1 $15.69
The Coolest Stuff on Earth: A Closer Look at the Weird, Wild, and Wonderful (National Geographic Kids) • Amazon Business $14.59 1 $14.59
Everything Awesome About Space and Other Galactic Facts! • Amazon Business $13.99 1 $13.99
Super Simple Biology: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide • Amazon Business $13.37 1 $13.37
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians: Find Adventure! Go Outside! Have Fun! Be a Backyard Ranger and Amphibian Adventurer • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements: Understanding the Building Blocks of Everything • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Hardcourt: Stories from 75 Years of the National Basketball Association • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Weird But True Know-It-All: Ancient Egypt • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Wildflowers • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
What's the Difference? Animals: Spot the difference in the animal kingdom! • Amazon Business $12.89 1 $12.89
Everything Awesome About Sharks and Other Underwater Creatures! • Amazon Business $12.89 1 $12.89
It's a Numbers Game! Baseball: The math behind the perfect pitch, the game-winning grand slam, and so much more! • Amazon Business $12.39 1 $12.39
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Birds • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Weird But True Know-It-All: Rocks & Minerals • Amazon Business $11.89 1 $11.89
Science Comics: The Digestive System: A Tour Through Your Guts • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Science Comics: Birds of Prey: Terrifying Talons • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Inspirational Sports Stories for Young Readers: How 12 World-Class Athletes Overcame Challenges and Rose to the Top • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Night Sky: Find Adventure! Go Outside! Have Fun! Be a Backyard Stargazer! (National Geographic Kids Ultimate Explorer Field Guide) • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals • Amazon Business $9.49 1 $9.49
Packing for Mars for Kids • Amazon Business $9.39 1 $9.39
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Trees • Amazon Business $8.29 1 $8.29
Skate for Your Life (Pocket Change Collective) • Amazon Business $6.39 1 $6.39

Materials cost

$669.06

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $47.17

3rd party payment processing fee

$10.04

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$756.27

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$133.46

Total project goal

$889.73

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $889.73

7 Donors

-$677.26

Donations toward project cost

-$576.50

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$100.76

match offer

-$211.50

Match offer toward project cost

-$179.78

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$31.72

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$0.98

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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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. Seals Schwanke and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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