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 at a public school in the beautiful Greensboro, Alabama, catfish capital of Alabama! My students all come from rural homes, meaning travel time is just a normal aspect of life. They are eager to learn and to prove what they know. While reading fluency may not be a common strength, my students do not give up easily. They are willing to tackle any project put in front of them.
I love how creative and intuitive my students are when it comes to interpreting stories.
They excel at discovering how any story can relate to their lives and make sense for them. I also want to encourage them to read non-fiction and develop academic vocabulary. My students are absolutely amazing individuals and I am honored to be their teacher this year.
My Project
This class set of books will help my students improve their reading and social understanding. My students are so bright and produce thoughtful discussions everyday in my classroom; I know this story will help spark even more in them. They need access to more novel-length texts. This book can be used in the classroom or sent home for students to have a text to read from their bedrooms. With COVID closing businesses and libraries, one of the only sources of academic texts for rural students is the school. Seventy-five percent of my students do not have Internet access in their homes. I need your help to provide meaningful reading material.
Black, rural students will identify with the story and work of Bryan Stevenson.
My students need more reading material that they can relate to. Bryan Stevenson's story and work takes place within a two-hour drive of their homes. Most of my ninth grade students are fearful of longer books, but I know Just Mercy will keep my students engaged.
I want to challenge my students to be activist-minded thinkers. While reading Just Mercy, my students will complete a research paper to compare the methods of Bryan Stevenson to a problem within their own community. They will learn from the story how they can take small actions to fight for their community and themselves. I can also incorporate a field trip to visit the EJI Legacy Museum so that my students can see more of this story come to life.
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
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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. Dominique and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
