My students need 65 copies of National Geographic Explorer magazine.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Reeves's classroom raised $329
This project is fully funded
Our school was built 5 years ago to relieve crowding in 5 other neighborhood underachieving schools. The families in this neighborhood are low poverty; 98% of our students receive free breakfast and lunch. Our transfer percentage is over 30% each year. Many students live in the shelter adjacent to our school. I coordinate the science instruction for the school.
The 6th grade curriculum focuses on ancient history and earth science. Getting students to read (or care) about these two subjects is not always a day at the beach. Our world is getting smaller but our students seldom leave the neighborhood to visit the resources of our city, much less listen to news or radio about what is going on in the world. Their reading levels are below their grade level so the text books are often hard for them to figure out, and they give up.
The National Geographic Explorer magazine has a bright glossy cover, intriguing pictures and articles about people, animals and land forms from all over the world. We received some sample magazines with stories of how explorers learn about the world, and the students grabbed onto them. The important vocabulary in each article is bolded, and there are graphs accompanying each story to illustrate the ideas mentioned. Most of our state test is non-fiction reading and this magazine would give the students practice in ways that intrigues and excites them. Language arts can be taught from this magazine, as well as earth science and even history and culture. The sample magazine we saw had articles on habitats and making observations, using math to describe the natural world, how technology is being used to save ancient books, and a look inside the human body. There was something for everyone! It was thrilling to see them interested and excited. Even students who could not read the entire article got information from the pictures and graphs to share in the discussions.
If one sample magazine caused such a stir, imagine the delight and excitement if each student in our 6th grade received a magazine each month. In the accompanying teachers guide were graphic organizers to help students understand what they read, and thought provoking questions to encourage creative writing. Using this magazine will open the world to these inner city students, and allow them the opportunity to lose themselves in a good story. It's a wonderful gift to be able to give a child.
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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