Cormac McCarthy's novel, The Road, is a personal favorite and I would like to share my passion with my students. Our English department, however, doesn't have any copies of the novel. Each of my students needs their own copy of the novel for study.
I teach a combination of sophomores, juniors, and seniors at a high-poverty, rural high school in Ohio.
Money is always a concern in my district and a budget for essential materials is essentially nonexistent. Since I can't count on school or department funding for classroom sets of novels, I turn to Donorschoose and the kindness of others to provide my classroom with books and necessary materials. My students deserve to have access to the materials they need to succeed in class, regardless of the budgets of the school or their families. For my Contemporary Reading course, my students deserve to have access to great literature that is relevant to their lives.
My Project
Cormac McCarthy's, The Road, is regarded by many as one of the greatest works of American literature in recent years, and it also won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. It also happens to be one of my favorite novels. I believe that great things can happen when a teacher is allowed to combine their personal passion for a work of literature with their passion for education. I feel that this is not just a novel that I would like to teach; it is a novel that I need to teach and my students need to experience it.
If you are not familiar with the novel, The Road, it is a work of fiction that follows a father and son as they journey through a post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of a promised land. Although it is bleak throughout, the novel's focus on the nature of man and the power of love will lead to excellent in-class discussions of themes.
Incredible things can happen in a classroom when a teacher is able to teach what he or she loves.
Beginning the year in Contemporary Reading with a study of The Road will help me get (and keep) students' attention and push them to new levels of learning. Without your help, however, studying this novel will not be possible.
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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 Mr. Wylie and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
