Seventh and Eighth Grade: Journeys and Survival - Novels to Inspire
My students need a class set of a compelling novel, A Long Walk to Water, to analyze and connect to informational text as they explore the theme of survival in challenging environments.
Surviving middle school is always a challenge. I want to share inspiring literature of determined survivors whose stories will help my students find the future they are hoping for.
My students are seventh and eighth grade struggling readers in an urban K-8 school where almost 90% of the students receive free and reduced price lunch.
With some 20 different languages spoken throughout our school, our student population is very diverse.
While bright and engaging, my students face academic challenges due to the lack of learning resources in their own homes and at school. Three years ago our school tragically burnt. We are finally back in our rebuilt school, but are still striving to replenish our depleted classroom libraries.
My Project
I have requested a class set of the novel, A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park because it is a compelling story that will capture the students' interest. Many of my students are not independent readers and rarely finish a book on their own. They are especially reluctant to read informational text.
I will use this powerful novel to motivate the students as we read together related articles on Sudanese tribes and Sudan's Refugee Crisis. They will read from different texts about the same topic to build their understanding. We will be able to use this as a starting point for our explorations of how culture, time, and place influence the development of identity.
Ultimately, the students will be able to draw inferences about how individual survival in challenging environments requires both physical and emotional resources. The students' analysis of the characters and theme in the novel and their research about the experiences of the people of Southern Sudan will help them to develop survival attitudes in their own lives.
The majority of my seventh and eighth grade students will not enter the school year meeting the state reading benchmarks.
I need engaging books to kick off the school year and immerse them in the challenges and wonder of reading.
Middle school students have an overwhelming sense of justice and a drive to explore the role of individual identity. This novel study will develop their reading proficiencies, while fueling their expanding social awareness.
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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. Murray and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
