When I Grow Up ... Help Inspire Students with Biographies
Help me give my students updated biographies to learn about famous people - including
scientists and inventors - in an engaging way.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Moore's classroom raised $406
This project is fully funded
My Students
I am the librarian for two elementary schools, both filled with creative, fun kids who look to me as an “information specialist.” They come from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, but in the library, they share excitement over new books.
According to KidsCount, 43% of students in our district are eligible for free and reduced lunch – 7 out of 15 elementary schools are Title I – and 14% receive special education services.
Many students cannot get to the public library, so their checkouts at the school library are their main access to books - both for pleasure reading and classroom projects.
My Project
After getting requests for biographies at both of my schools this year, I would like to add more recent books – including those about more recent and diverse notable people – to our libraries.
As well as supporting curriculum, these biographies will entertain and inspire two schools full of kids.
One set of requests was generated by the Grade 5 “wax museum”; kids read about a famous person, write a report, and deliver the information to their fellow students and families while dressed as that person.
In addition, Grade 5 students completed a “life mobile” project in February for Black History Month. Grade 2 students at my other school will be working on Women’s History Month presentations in March.
Author Chris Raschka has stated how biographies affected him as a student: "Of my first school library, I remember the shelf with the biographies best - I loved them. It didn't matter who the subject was. President, scientist, musician, artist, football quarterback, I read them all. Perhaps I liked them so well because I discovered that there was another way for me to have a real experience all on my own."
Most of the books start out describing the famous person's childhood, and show how their interests then led to them becoming internationally-recognized experts in their field. They will remind my kids that it's possible to use their talents to change the world and help them discover new heroes and heroines.
More than a third 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. Moore and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
