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.
My Students
My students come from high poverty yet rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn. Our community was hit heavily by COVID-19 and we are now dealing with the reality of a shrinking budget for the upcoming school year. Despite the challenges, my rising eighth graders are creative and independent thinkers. This past year, they wrestled with ideas about how authors convey compelling stories in reading novels like Monster and The Crossover, and they developed their own personal narratives using various tech tools.
My students have been dealing with the uncertainty of what school will look like in the fall.
I am excited to teach many of the same students again this year, and want to provide them access to new genres of texts. My goal is to provide as consistent of an educational experience as possible, regardless of whether we're in the building or remote.
My Project
My school serves students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Since they are part of our community for so long, they often struggle with the transition to high school. In the last school year, my 8th graders read the memoir A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls LaNier. This year, I plan to expand on that unit by starting with a whole class memoir then breaking into book clubs with a variety of memoirs.
Students will read a memoir of their choice, discussing the book in small groups.
While they read, they will look at the techniques authors use to develop their own stories. They will also study how authors overcome adversity and build successful careers. At the end of the unit, students will develop a plan for success in the future using the lessons they have learned in their memoirs.
More than three‑quarters 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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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. Plachy-Feinstein and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
