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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Thurman from Memphis, TN is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Thurman is requesting

Let's Have a Conversation

Help me give my students books to teach them about diversity and cultural awareness.

  • $510 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Ms. Thurman has another project! Donate to The Word in the School to help her classroom.

$308 - complete this project and be a hero
Help Ms. Thurman

Ms. Thurman has another project! Donate to The Word in the School to help her classroom.

$308 - complete this project and be a hero

My Students

My students are a bundle of energy ranging in ages from 5 to 6. Ninety-eight percent of my students are African Americans. My students love listening to me read stories to them. During read-aloud story time, I have to find literature that is very engaging in order to hold their attention. When the students can identify with the characters, they are more engaged in the question and answer part of the lesson. In my classroom library as well as in the reading curriculum, there is a need for more books that deal with diversity and culture awareness.

My Project

My project is titled “Let’s Have A Conversation.” During my read-aloud story time, I would like to read books about diversity to start a conversation with students about cultural awareness. I would like to read at least 2 to 3 books each nine weeks. By taking a proactive approach at the beginning of the school year, I hope to address some of the concerns or questions that very young students may have about race in America. It is my goal to teach students about events happening in our society in a way in which they will understand. Using books about diversity during read-aloud story time will help students to develop active listening skills. The students will be called upon to share and discuss the books with the teacher as well as with their classmates.

Students will be able to make a real-life connection between the stories using their prior background knowledge.

The use of these books, along with multi-cultural puppets, will help students identify with characters who look like them. Finally, I hope to develop my students’ vocabulary by choosing one or two words from a book and having the students write or draw a picture to describe the word in their weekly journal. By giving my students a platform to discuss diversity in literature, I hope to improve their comprehension skills as well as their cultural awareness skills.

Ms. Thurman Holmes Rd Elementary School Grades PreK-2

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. Thurman

Memphis, TN View local requests

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

20 students impacted 14donors

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

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
African American Stories (10 Books) • AKJ Education $53.05 1 $53.05
Multicultural Stories (8 books) • AKJ Education $48.04 1 $48.04
Chocolate Me! • AKJ Education $16.19 1 $16.19
Mixed Me! • AKJ Education $16.19 1 $16.19
Happy in Our Skin • AKJ Education $15.29 1 $15.29
A Story, A Story: An African Tale (Common Core Exemplar) • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
Shaking Things Up • AKJ Education $13.86 1 $13.86
Giant Steps to Change the World • AKJ Education $13.86 1 $13.86
The Best Part of Me • AKJ Education $13.86 1 $13.86
Separate Is Never Equal • AKJ Education $13.83 1 $13.83
The Youngest Marcher • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
One Word from Sophia • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Princess Hair • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Emmanuel's Dream • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Maybe Something Beautiful • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Henry's Freedom Box • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
What Can a Citizen Do? • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Daniel's Good Day • AKJ Education $12.40 1 $12.40
A Bike Like Sergio's • AKJ Education $11.67 1 $11.67
Our Children Can Soar • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
Visiting Day • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
I Love My Hair! • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
Max and the Tag-Along Moon • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
A Girl Named Misty • AKJ Education $3.64 1 $3.64

Materials cost

$390.88

Vendor shipping charges

 $6.00

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.86

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$432.74

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$76.37

Total project goal

$509.11

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $509.11

11 Donors

-$267.06

Donations toward project cost

-$227.00

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$40.06

match offer

-$242.05

Match offer toward project cost

-$205.74

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$36.31

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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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. Thurman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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