Content-Based Books | Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation

Moderation state

funded

Grant Applicant

Erica Allstadt

School Site

Donner Trail Elementary

Grant Category

Literacy

Grant Date

2022-06-18T12:00:00

Description

These book are from Bellwether Inc., which is a company that creates nonfiction texts for reluctant readers. The wonderful thing about these books is that each content based topic has a variety of reading levels, rich images, and multiple text features. They blend the nonfiction reading standards with history, social skills, math/science, and geography perfectly. Each content based topic comes with anywhere from 6 books to one even coming with 28 books. They range grade levels so that we can modify curriculum to meet the needs of all students.

Benefits of Program

This program will bring standards based resources into the classroom. We are always struggling to find a variety of books on one topic and spend much prep time digging for books. Our classes are always changing as are their needs so we like to plan and adjust to that and provide resources and topics that are relevant as well as informational rich for all students. Students can be reading different levels but all working on the same topic (differentiation!). Putting a high quality book in the hands of child, especially one that make them curious about the world around them, it is always a benefit.

Success of Program

I would measure success based on the quality of learning using the proficiency scales through a unit of study. We will use the ocean books during our ocean adaptations study, the continents book in the geography of the world study, and extreme weather when that science unit comes in play. Students will have stronger content based vocabulary, be able to analyze and source the texts for information. Success will be seen in their informational and persuasive writing pieces as well. The more students know about a topic, the stronger they can write about it. Most of the time they don't know what to say but with these books they'll be able to have the world at their fingertips.

Implementation

The implementation will occur in the next school year. We will begin with the oceans unit and extreme weather. Students are going to move to learn and build comprehension on topics through reading, literature circles, and application to projects. The books will be used throughout units in the coming years. We can better coplan as a school as well.

Can you share this grant with your grade level or subject team?

Our grades can share books for intervention groups, science and social studies topics, and for pleasure reading. More and more students seem to be into reading nonfiction in my classes. I think it's because they are becoming more relevant topic wise and they are of higher quality than they use to be. At the same time, it's the books we have the fewest of. We are a small school, we share everything!

Sustainability

This is a one time purchase. We may be able to purchase a set or two more in the future if we adjust and change units but this purchase covers a variety of topics to get us started.

Amount Funded

$1248.00

Individual Budget Items(s)

$120 - Engineered by Nature (6 books)

$531 - Ocean Life Up Close (28 books)

$152 - Biomes Alive (6 books)

$133 - Discover the Continents (7 books)

$95 - Discover the Oceans (4 books)

$114 - Extreme Weather (7 books)

Shipping

$20.00

Taxes