Literacy and knowledge of the outside world are two important areas that today's students need to work in. In order to facilitate both of these simultaneously we need sets of books to do book talks, blogging, and classroom discussions around.
My students are all freshmen in high school, and are eager learners.
I work with students from varying levels and backgrounds. The school is in a rural area with a small liberal arts college in town. This creates an extremely diverse set of learning styles and abilities. All of my students have expressed interest in the world outside of our borders. The class is entitled Geography and Contemporary World Issues. All of the books deal with a different concept that relates to the core of the course.
My Project
In the past I have set my students loose in the library with some guidance as to what books to select. I created a list of potential books, but left it up to them in the end. The criteria was simple: Find books (fiction or non) that pertain to another culture -- and ones that you will be interested to read. Once the students selected a book they were to read it and then create a short presentation describing the "world issue" included in the book. For about half of my students this was a successful model. However, I want all students to get a lot out of this assignment, so I am planning to give it an overhaul. I would like to have groups of three (or four) students reading the same book. The books I have selected are all highly rated and recommended by colleagues and students. Once the students are in their groups they will have others with whom to consult. The groups will work together to understand the concepts in the books. They will blog, discuss, and present in the end.
This project will broaden the geographic knowledge of all of my students, and of my classes as a whole.
These books will be used in the formal group project, and as choice books for students at other junctures during the year. My hope is that it will inspire students to continue learning on their own about the rest of the world. I also hope that they will care about the state of poverty, education, rights, etc. in the world around them.
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
Girls of Riyadh Rajaa Alsanea, Marilyn Booth (Translator), Rajaa Alsanea (Translator)
• Barnes and Noble
$9.57
3
$28.71
What Is the What Dave Eggers
• Barnes and Noble
$10.90
2
$21.80
Strength in What Remains Tracy Kidder
• Barnes and Noble
$10.94
3
$32.82
On that Day, Everybody Ate Margaret Trost
• Barnes and Noble
$10.90
3
$32.70
Bookseller of Kabul Asne Seierstad, Ingrid Christophersen, Ingrid Christophersen (Translator)
• Barnes and Noble
$9.56
2
$19.12
The Diary of Ma Yan: The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl Ma Yan, Pierre Haski, Lisa Appignanesi (Translator), He Yanping (Translator)
• Barnes and Noble
$5.12
4
$20.48
Beneath My Mother's Feet Amjed Qamar
• Barnes and Noble
$13.79
3
$41.37
Broken Moon Kim Antieau
• Barnes and Noble
$13.79
3
$41.37
When I Was Puerto Rican Esmeralda Santiago
• Barnes and Noble
$12.53
3
$37.59
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America Firoozeh Dumas
• Barnes and Noble
$9.57
3
$28.71
My Forbidden Face: Growing up under the Taliban: A Young Woman's Story Latifa, Shekeba Hachemi, Linda Coverdale (Translator), With Shekeba Hachemi, Preface by Karenna Gore Schiff
• Barnes and Noble
$8.88
3
$26.64
Little Brother Cory Doctorow
• Barnes and Noble
$8.54
2
$17.08
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
• Barnes and Noble
$8.89
2
$17.78
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal Eric Schlosser
• Barnes and Noble
$10.25
3
$30.75
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers Loung Ung
• Barnes and Noble
$9.56
3
$28.68
The Forever War Dexter Filkins
• Barnes and Noble
$10.26
3
$30.78
Materials cost
$456.38
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$22.82
3rd party payment processing fee
$6.85
Fulfillment labor & materials
$9.00
Total project cost
$495.05
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$108.67
Total project goal
$603.72
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$603.72
18 Donors
-$591.43
Donations toward project cost
-$495.05
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 Mr. D. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.