You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Stith from New London, TX is requesting classroom basics through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Stith is requesting

Canterbury Tales comes to Texas!

Help me give my students a taste of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by creating their own trip in the classroom.

  • $297 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Stith for her next project!

Help Ms. Stith

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Stith for her next project!

My Students

I starting teaching here last year, and I am so lucky to be on staff. Our student population is over 70% economically disadvantaged, with a majority of our students living in rural areas who are bused in to our consolidated high school. Their ability to buy supplies for themselves is minimal at times. The school and teachers often buy extra supplies to have on hand for students so that learning can continue and a lack of materials for class isn't an issue.

Many of these students live with one parent or no parents (a grandparent or family member has taken on the responsibility of raising them).

I've worked in a district similar to this before, and many of them just need a place to belong. They need a place to feel safe and loved.

My Project

Canterbury Tales has always been a little hard for students to get into because of the language, and because learning about people "back in the day" seems boring in the beginning. I'm hoping that by giving my kids the same experience that the pilgrims went through, this year will be different. We'll be taking "trips," documenting our journey, and earning badges to show how far we've gone. They are used to showing their lives on the internet, so hopefully that part of this activity will translate to the literature. Chaucer was trying to show a broad spectrum of society when he wrote Canterbury Tales, and once students get used to the language, they tend to enjoy it, finding some crazy characters, and some people they wish were lost along the way.

The hardest part of teaching this unit is finding a way to show students that those thing still apply, just in a different context.

For many of my students, the ideas presented by the pilgrims are foreign to them, such as traveling with strangers to a holy site. We make fake stained glass because, despite their religious affiliation, most students can agree that the churches were beautiful, whether they would travel to them for religious reasons or not. And we do group hunts for things because, despite their protests about being with other people, most students will follow others around campus for the chance to win a sticker! When you explain these ideas in the context of Chaucer, it usually clicks for kids and they start to understand why people did some of the activities described in the text. I'm excited to be able to create more fun things this year like actual badges, large "stained glass" pieces, and fake passports to wherever their trips take them!

Ms. Stith West Rusk High School Grades 9-12

More about Ms. Stith

New London, TX View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

130 students impacted 4donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

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

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Passport Notebooks Bulk Set, Travel Journal in 4 Colors (4 x 5.5 in, 24-Pack) $17.99 2 $35.98
IRIS USA Letter & Legal Size Plastic Storage Bin Tote Organizing File Box with Durable and Secure Latching Lid, Stackable and Nestable, 4 Pack, Black $34.99 1 $34.99
Kittrich KIT60FC9AD76 Contact Adhesive Roll, 18" Width, 60' Length, Clear $29.97 1 $29.97
Avery Clip Name Tags, Print or Write, 3" x 4", 100 Inserts & Badge Holders with Clips (74541) $29.10 1 $29.10
Sharpie Tank Highlighters, Chisel Tip, Assorted Color Highlighters, Value Pack, 36 Count $18.99 1 $18.99
Hygloss Products Overhead Projector Sheets Acetate Transparency Film, For Arts And Craft Projects and Classrooms, Not for Printers, 8.5” x 11”, 25 Sheets $13.08 1 $13.08
Sharpie Permanent Markers Variety Pack, Featuring Fine, Ultra Fine, and Chisel Point Markers, Black, 6 Count $4.97 2 $9.94
SunWorks Construction Paper, Black, 12" x 18", 100 Sheets $9.59 1 $9.59
20 Pack Clear Plastic Ruler 12 Inch Straight Ruler Flexible Ruler With Inches and Metric for School Classroom, Home, or Office (Clear) $9.29 1 $9.29

Materials cost

$190.93

Vendor shipping charges

 $27.90

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$2.86

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$251.69

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$44.42

Total project goal

$296.11

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $296.11

2 Donors

-$148.06

Donations toward project cost

-$125.85

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$22.21

Matching donations from our partners

-$148.05

Match offers toward project cost

-$125.84

Match offers to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$22.21

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

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. Stith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"TX","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":4,"name":"High School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/canterbury-tales-comes-to-texas/5657856/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":130,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Stith","isEquityFocus":false,"proposalHash":"-169538050","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"New London","teachersOnPage":[6457693],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":5657856,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"6457693":{"owner":"Ms. Stith","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[5657856],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp6457693_orig.png?crop=332,332,x0,y7&width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1602098171198","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":21393178,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":6457693,"schoolCounty":"Rusk","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"TX","name":"Texas"}}