This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Our library media center does not have a “typical” day: each day is as varied as our Pre-K-5 students. You may find a class of First Graders singing about the weather cycle; students listening to an audiobook; small groups researching; tutors teaching; kids coding; and 400-plus books circulating.
My school is a large elementary school with a wide diversity of socio-economic, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds.
Of our approximately 850 students, 67% qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. Minority students, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and multi-racial constitute 70% of our student body. Our students speak several languages, in addition to English. Our diversity is our strength.
My school is a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). As teachers, our goal is to prepare each student "to become active, caring, lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others and have the capacity to participate in the world around them." Most of our students are eager learners, curious about the world around them. They embody our school motto of being “principled, enthusiastic seekers who engage the world.” Our student body is a transient one; however, our teaching staff works hard to an inclusive learning environment.
My Project
Carl Sagan stated that “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” My desire is to change the way my students think by giving them high quality informational text on our planet, particularly earth science, geology, meteorology, and ecosystems.
Our school recently went through state-level library compliance. Our collection was deemed "aged" by state standards, with an average copyright age of 2001 for the areas of science and technology. In order to bring our collection into compliance, I have weeded 549 of books from the areas of science and technology bringing the average copyright date to 2003.
We need the Ecosystems Inside and Out, Rock-ology, and First Step Nonfiction series to successfully complete research projects on our planet. We need more new materials to update the areas of science and technology. I routinely collaborate with classroom teachers to incorporate these topics in our library lessons. These materials would aid in collaboration. I envision using these books in research and inquiry-based lessons, as well as being made available to all students for checkout.
Because so many of our students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, often the school library media center is the only place they have access to informational text on a day-to-day basis.
The areas of science and technology are highly circulated. One of our school’s required IB Units of Inquiry is “Sharing the Planet.” Through these new titles on rainforests, climate, and geology our students will be given the ability to discover an interconnectedness with our planet.
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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 Mrs. Barnett and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
