Help Bring Books Back to Gulf Coast Schools

As a result of last year's devastating hurricane season, a large number of Gulf Coast public-school libraries suffered tremendous loss and destruction. Today many school library shelves still remain empty.

Get Your Class Involved!
Books Across America Mini Lesson

Discuss: Why are books important? Where do we find books? How would you get books if a severe storm wiped out your school library, as Hurricane Katrina did to many Gulf Coast schools last year?

Explain that the National Education Association is launching the Books Across America program to help bring books to Gulf Coast schools. Students can help by raising funds and donating new books.

Have students choose at least one of the following activities to do as a class or school to support the program.

• It All Adds Up: Motivate students to participate in a school-wide book drive by offering prizes to classrooms that collect the most books. Make math moments by graphing each classroom's progress and creating word problems based on the classroom challenge.

• Bucks for Books: Have students collect pledges from family members, friends and neighbors. Supporters can donate $1 to the program for every book that a student reads.

• Boogie for Books: At the next school dance or after school sing-a-long, have each student bring one new book for admission.

• Spread the Word: Advertise Books Across America in your school and local newspaper, on bulletin boards and at local libraries and stores. Encourage your whole community to take action.

For more information about NEA's Books Across America, visit www.nea.org/booksacross.