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
My students are the first students I have ever taught but no can convince me they are not the most resilient young adults in the world! More than half of my students are Engish Language Learners and 100% percent are distinct individuals. I've worked hard to create an inclusive and welcoming classroom where my students can feel encouraged and inspired, despite the life that awaits them outside of my classroom. Books are a tool that we have used to manifest their inspiration and better understand themselves.
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” — Frederick Douglass
My Project
Reading and analyzing Classic novels is an important skill for students to obtain. However many of my students who are English Language learners, come from low-income households, or other life circumstances don't see how these books can be relevant to them. That is because most Classics were not written with the intention of being consumed by diverse readers. Nor are these stories written in a way that explicitly reflects their lives. The students I teach come from many walks of life and many young adult novels speak to them directly. These young adult novels also have the same themes as the classic novels they struggle to connect to.
For this reason, many of my students shy away from reading, something they can not afford due to their low reading level average.
The only way they can improve their reading skills is through practice. With your help, my students will participate in lit circles as well as independent pleasure reading. The books I have selected have similar themes to the books in our unit plan and feature diverse, interesting and inspiring characters that my students can identify with. This will make the Classic Novels my students have to read more accessible and interesting to them. Encouraging Independent reading will allow my students to build their vocabulary, stamina and other skills so they can feel more qualified to tackle the tough novels they need to experience.
Again the books I selected will be used for our lit circles while we study "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury and "Night" by Elie Wiesel. The "Fahrenheit 451" companion books are diverse, thriller dystopian novels that address censorship, technology, and themes of knowledge vs. ignorance. While the companions for "Night" explore current injustices our students see and will add relevance.
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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. Kleckley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
