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Mrs. Gramza from Buffalo NY is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

We Need Diverse Books!

My students need diverse books that can help them learn about and understand the world around them. Students should see characters in books that they can relate to, and share connections with.

  • $492 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrate Black Teachers and Students

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

I teach a diverse class of first grade students in a city school. Our charter school is the largest in the city, and students come from all areas of the city to attend. With class sizes of 26 students, it can sometimes be difficult to find the amount of supplies and resources to differentiate instruction for all students. The diversity of our school community is what makes it so unique. We have students from many different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

My Project

The texts I have selected are books that teach important lessons that students will be able to learn through read aloud and group discussion. Read aloud is an important time in which students are able to travel the world, or explore new ideas. Some of the books such as "My Mouth Is A Volcano" explore social expectations in the classroom. This text and others can be a model that students will use in order to be successful and build positive relationships with peers. Books like "Ada Twist, Scientist" are able to depict characters from diverse backgrounds with all different colors of skin. This important in teaching students to celebrate what makes them different. These types of texts also demonstrate that people of all colors, backgrounds, ages and genders are able to achieve their dreams.

Some students never see texts with diverse characters!

Traditionally there is a lack of children's books that depict diverse characters, or characters that are female. Students need to see themselves in the character, and they need to be able to put themselves in the character's position. Often book characters can serve as role models that students can look up to to help them make positive choices. My dream is to have books that students of all different ethnicities and genders can relate to! My dream is to provide positive role models for students and inspire them to dream to do anything they want in life.

Overall, all students can learn and benefit from reading texts that celebrate differences in humanity, whether it be the color of your skin, the traditions you celebrate, where you live, or what your dreams are. Students should be exposed to diversity in order to learn empathy and kindness, and learn to be tolerate of others, not matter what their background.

Mrs. Gramza
Grades PreK-2

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
Raising a Hero • Amazon Business $16.72 1 $16.72
The Word Collector • Amazon Business $14.61 1 $14.61
Elmore • Amazon Business $14.53 1 $14.53
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood • Amazon Business $14.29 1 $14.29
Good People Everywhere • Amazon Business $13.22 1 $13.22
Malala's Magic Pencil • Amazon Business $12.35 1 $12.35
Unplugged • Amazon Business $12.14 1 $12.14
The Big Umbrella • Amazon Business $12.14 1 $12.14
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad • Amazon Business $11.96 1 $11.96
One Green Apple • Amazon Business $11.87 1 $11.87
The Bad Seed • Amazon Business $11.80 1 $11.80
Love • Amazon Business $11.77 1 $11.77
Wordy Birdy • Amazon Business $11.72 1 $11.72
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History • Amazon Business $11.68 1 $11.68
What Do You Do With a Problem? • Amazon Business $11.00 1 $11.00
When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop (Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent) • Amazon Business $10.98 1 $10.98
Listening to My Body: A guide to helping kids understand the connection between their sensations (what the heck are those?) and feelings so that they can get better at figuring out what they need. • Amazon Business $10.71 1 $10.71
Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast • Amazon Business $10.46 1 $10.46
I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem • Amazon Business $10.45 1 $10.45
Even Superheroes Have Bad Days • Amazon Business $10.07 1 $10.07
The Three Little Javelinas (Reading Rainbow Book) • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Same, Same But Different • Amazon Business $9.44 1 $9.44
Mr. Lincoln's Way • Amazon Business $8.76 1 $8.76
The Name Jar • Amazon Business $7.67 1 $7.67
Feelings (Reading Rainbow Book) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Those Shoes • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
A Bike Like Sergio's • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
The Princess and the Pea • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Jamaica's Find (Reading Rainbow) • Amazon Business $6.95 1 $6.95
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You Are • Amazon Business $6.89 1 $6.89
The Jelly Donut Difference: Sharing Kindness with the World • Amazon Business $6.71 1 $6.71
The Paper Crane (Reading Rainbow Book) • Amazon Business $6.63 1 $6.63
Pet Show! (Picture Puffins) • Amazon Business $6.62 1 $6.62
My Mouth Is a Volcano! • Amazon Business $6.32 1 $6.32
But No Elephants (Once upon a Time) • Amazon Business $6.00 1 $6.00
What If Everybody Did That? (What If Everybody? Series) • Amazon Business $5.39 1 $5.39
Miami Jackson Makes the Play (A Stepping Stone Book) • Amazon Business $4.99 1 $4.99
The Adventures of Captain Underpants • Amazon Business $4.50 1 $4.50
A Chair for My Mother 25th Anniversary Edition (Reading Rainbow Books) • Amazon Business $4.38 1 $4.38
Whoever You Are (Reading Rainbow Books) • Amazon Business $3.99 1 $3.99
Helen Keller: Courage In The Dark • Amazon Business $3.99 1 $3.99

Materials cost

$381.65

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.72

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$417.37

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$73.65

Total project goal

$491.02

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$491.02

2 Donors

-$489.26

Donations toward project cost

-$417.37

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$71.89

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$1.76

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

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

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Project Activity

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