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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Sierra from Chicago, IL is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Sierra is requesting

Urban-Themed Literature for City Savvy Students

My students need books that reflect their urban, multicultural experience including City By Numbers, Deshawn Days, Chinatown, and My Journey From Here to There.

FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Sierra's classroom raised $297

This project is fully funded

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

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

Please give my 2nd graders access to high-quality literature that reflects the lives and experiences of kids growing up in the city. My students need books including City By Numbers, Deshawn Days, Chinatown, and My Journey From Here to There. The multicultural perspectives of the city savvy characters in these books will be relatable and inspiring to my Chicago students.

Talcott students extend learning outside the walls of our school in West Town through our partnerships with Chicago's best museums.

These experiences make for students who creatively and boldly engage with their community. My class is truly special but we do have our work cut out for us this year. Talcott's 2nd graders are ranked in the 43rd percentile for reading which is slightly below the national average. I plan to boost student comprehension this year by using literature that students will relate to. If I can count on students linking their background knowledge to books steeped in urban culture, I can more easily teach them to predict, make connections, and infer.

My Project

Imagine sitting down with my students for a story. Three-quarters of the faces are Hispanic but you'll notice a Korean girl with dark, shiny hair and three or four Black boys and girls dispersed within the group. We have one student whose native language is Urdu and another who is learning her father's first language, Italian, on Saturdays. We are a diverse group living in Chicago's West Town. I introduce today's read-aloud: "Gettin' Through Thursday" by Melrose Cooper. I'll ask the class to recall a memory of something they really wanted but mom and dad did not have enough money to buy. I'll explain that this book is about Andre who feels the financial pinch when his family is waiting for mom's next payday. I've chosen this book not only because the character's race and life experience reflect that of my students, but also because the urban setting will be relatable. All the titles in this grant will be used similarly, woven into the fabric of my reading comprehension curriculum.

As a young girl growing up in Oregon, I would pretend I was Jessie from "The Boxcar Children." Jessie's abandoned boxcar in the forest and my treehouse among brambles of blackberries in my backyard were not too different, and I fell in love with the series because I could relate to the adventures on its pages.

From soaking fire hydrants on hot summer days to selling fruit on the street with grandpa, I want my students' lives to shine, page by glorious page.

Ms. Sierra Talcott Fine Arts Museum Academy Grades PreK-2

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Chicago, IL View local requests

More than half 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

25 students impacted 8donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Sierra is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
My Very Own Room/Mi propio cuartito • Amazon $15.26 1 $15.26
City 123 • Amazon $15.25 1 $15.25
Danitra Brown, Class Clown • Amazon $14.26 1 $14.26
Chinatown • Amazon $13.96 1 $13.96
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) • Amazon $13.76 1 $13.76
One Hot Summer Day • Amazon $13.23 1 $13.23
Yesterday I Had the Blues (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) • Amazon $11.97 1 $11.97
Estela's Swap • Amazon $10.44 1 $10.44
Deshawn Days • Amazon $8.06 1 $8.06
My Steps • Amazon $7.95 1 $7.95
Gettin' Through Thursday • Amazon $7.95 1 $7.95
Sam and the Lucky Money • Amazon $7.95 1 $7.95
My Diary From Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla • Amazon $7.95 1 $7.95
The Have a Good Day Cafe • Amazon $7.95 1 $7.95
Grandfather's Journey • Amazon $7.19 1 $7.19
Candy Shop • Amazon $7.16 1 $7.16
Something Beautiful • Amazon $6.29 1 $6.29
Meet Danitra Brown • Amazon $6.29 1 $6.29
My Name Is Yoon • Amazon $6.29 1 $6.29
Going Home (Trophy Picture Books) • Amazon $6.29 1 $6.29
City by Numbers • Amazon $6.29 1 $6.29
City Colors • Amazon $6.26 1 $6.26
Keena Ford and the Field Trip Mix-Up • Amazon $5.39 1 $5.39
Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up • Amazon $5.39 1 $5.39

Materials cost

$218.78

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.28

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$252.06

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$44.48

Total project goal

$296.54

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $296.54

6 Donors

-$182.72

Donations toward project cost

-$162.81

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$19.91

match offer

-$105.00

Match offer toward project cost

-$89.25

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$15.75

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$8.82

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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. Sierra and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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