Nonfiction: Using Inspiring True Stories to Develop Skills
My students need nonfiction texts on their level. Unfortunately, the bulk of what my school has is fiction. Because of this, all of the data collected on my students shows a weakness in reading nonfiction.
Tucked away in a small rural town in Pennsylvania is a group of excitable young minds. They are quick to respond to questions and so full of energy that they sometimes forget to raise their hands! They are caring and bright students who motivate me as a teacher to go to work each day through their thoughtful actions and kind words.
RGHS is a rural school that serves approximately 432 students, ages 12-18.
A predominately disadvantaged junior/senior high school, RGHS serves a community in desperate need of resources and diversity. 41% of the students here eat free or reduced lunches due to the severe economic crisis that hit the area decades ago, with the closing of major companies and loss of many jobs. Despite the poverty that the community faces, my students show up every day asking energetically, "What are we doing today, Ms. P?"
My Project
My project is essential to the development of my young readers. I have students who hear that we are reading fiction and smile- they know how to read and comprehend fiction. When we get to a nonfiction unit, however, groans fill the room. They hate it because they are not proficient at it. They are unsure of how to process the information and lack the grit that is required to read a factual text.
By using these books to practice, my students will be given the gift of a positive guided reading experience.
The story that I have selected about boys who work together to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics will serve two purposes. It will firstly allow the students to practice their nonfiction reading skills, and secondly provide background information about Germany in 1936. Many students study this time period in their History classes, but much of history does not become real until we experience it vicariously through the eyes of another human being. This text will allow my students to do just that.
My school is comprised of reluctant readers who do not see the relevance of reading in their daily lives. When asked to read for homework, they balk, stating that they are "too busy" or "do not really enjoy reading". Creating positive experiences with books in the classroom will allow for my students to change the way they view reading and bolster their background knowledge of a turbulent time period.
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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. Prinkey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
