My project needs 34 paperback copies of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and one audio reading of Of Mice and Men on compact disc.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Rosenzweig's classroom raised $385
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.
I am a Language Arts teacher at Middle School 88 in Brooklyn, New York. I am teaching two 8th grade classes this year, which means our featured novel will Be the American classic, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.
This is my 10th year teaching and although my students change, their love for "Of Mice and Men" does not waiver. Teaching in a school where over 90% of the population is considered to be minority, they enjoy reading about the struggle of two men trying to attain their version of the "American dream."
My school only has one class set (34 copies) of "Of Mice and Men," which causes many teaching problems and obstacles. All 8th grade teachers who are interested in this book need to schedule months in advance for when they plan to use the books, since there are not enough books for more than one class/teacher to use at a time. Besides that inconvenience, the books are considerably worn, or damaged. It is not because the books have been mistreated or neglected, but from all of the wear and tear that they are put through by approximately 150 students each year.
In my class, I teach "Of Mice and Men" by way of a read-aloud. During this process, each child has a book in front of them, at their own desk, at all times. However, because the book is challenging on concept and vocabulary levels for many of my students, I read the book to them "out loud" while they follow the words in their own book. This provides me the opportunity to stop in the middle of a chapter and ask questions or give assignments to my students. By us all being on the same page at the same time, students can assist their classmates with difficulties that they are experiencing and discuss interesting and exciting parts of the novel.
By fulfilling this proposal, you will ensure that I will always have a class set of "Of Mice and Men" in my classroom that both myself and my students can use whenever we want. In addition to the brand new books, the 3 cd audio version of the book, read by Gary Sinise, will enrich the experience of my students by providing them with a professional reading by a professional actor. (Although they may not admit it, this will give my students a MUCH NEEDED break from hearing my voice all day long! I do my best with different voices for different characters and sound effects and all, but I am pretty sure that Gary Sinise might do a better job than I currently do.)
I will not only be able to use the books and audio cd this school year, but also for many years to come.
More than half 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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