I teach 6th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies at a large, under-resourced, public middle school in the South Bronx. In the community where I teach, middle school students' everyday struggles for survival sometimes get in the way of obtaining a good education. In order to simply survive from day to day, the sixth-graders who I teach must deal with drugs, poverty and gangs. Yet, my students are hard working, smart and have the potential to graduate high-school, college and even graduate school, if they believe in themselves. Last year, my students increased their reading levels an average of 1.8 grade levels, and this year I'm hoping for even better results. This year, I hope to engage every single student from the very beginning of school by reading a special class novel.
"We Beat the Street" is the true story of three inner city boys who, while cutting class, chanced upon a presentation about a Pre-Medical program. The boys make a pact to try to get into the program, and ultimately, all three succeed not only in gaining acceptance to medical school, but in graduating and becoming doctors.
The characters in the book are individuals to whom many of my students will easily relate because of their shared backgrounds and experiences. While the boys in the book are a little bit older than my students, this only adds to the appeal as middle school students often look up to teenagers and enjoy reading about them. This book is perfect for my class because it is written on an appropriate reading level, tells a story that my students can relate to and be inspired by, and will allow my students to gain a great appreciation for non-fiction books. While the success of the characters in this book is exceptional rather than the norm for inner city minorities, I want to show my students that those exceptions do exist. Furthermore, the fact that the characters in the book are exceptional will lead to wonderful debates and connections to our Social Studies curriculum as we talk about ideas of equality and social justice.
We need 62 copies of the novel in order for every student to have a copy to read independently. .
Please fund my proposal and help my kids "Beat the Streets" through reading!
Nearly all 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
We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to Success Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, Sharon M. Draper, With Sharon M. Draper
• Barnes and Noble
$6.29
62
$389.98
Materials cost
$389.98
Vendor shipping charges
$39.00
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$9.75
Fulfillment labor & materials
$17.00
Total project cost
$456.00
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$100.10
Total project goal
$556.10
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$556.10
6 Donors
-$536.47
Donations toward project cost
-$456.00
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
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. S. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.