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ArabicCNN asked dozens of Atlanta students to open up their backpacks and reveal: What, exactly, is in those big, heavy bags? Here's what we found.
What's inside those backpacks?
Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Clarke, kindergarten, 2.2 pounds – CNN asked dozens of Atlanta students to open up their backpacks and reveal: What, exactly, is in those big, heavy bags? Here's what we found.
Clarke, a kindergarten student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said her favorite subject is "playing outside and learning stuff."
Clarke, a kindergarten student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said her favorite subject is "playing outside and learning stuff."
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Paris, kindergarten, 1.6 pounds – Paris, a kindergarten student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said she's just like Rarity, one of the My Little Pony characters on her backpack. "She's so fancy," Paris said.
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Jahi, first grade, 2.2 pounds – Jahi, a student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said he didn't want to carry his crayons anymore. "My mom took care of them because I said it was sooooo heavy," he said.
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Ashe, first grade, 3 pounds – Ashe, a first-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said her folder was the most important thing in her backpack.
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Lawrence, second grade, 0.7 pounds – Lawrence, a second-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said he's a huge sports fan, so he most often uses his book from Mike Lupica's "Comeback Kids" series.
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Aniyah, second grade, 1.1 pounds – Aniyah, a second-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said her homework folder is the item she uses most.
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Dylan, third grade, 5 pounds – Dylan, a third-grade student at Westminster Lower School, said he wants to stop carrying his heavy "Harry Potter" book, but he liked having double-sided tape on hand in case he wants to build something.
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Noah, third grade, 8.9 pounds – Noah, a third-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Primary, said, "It feels like I'm carrying a 100-pound baby, but the stuff comes in really handy." If he could leave anything behind? "Probably one of my flashlights."
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Brenner, fourth grade, 5.6 pounds – Brenner, a fourth-grade student at Westminster Lower School, said he didn't want to leave anything from his backpack behind, whether it is his books or his National Geographic cards.
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Arav, fourth grade, 1.5 pounds – Arav, a fourth-grade student at Westminster Lower School, said he wanted to stop carrying some books because they make him feel like he's falling, but he still needs his agenda and spare headphones.
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Jaia, fourth grade, 11.4 pounds – Jaia, a fourth-grade student at Westminster Lower School, said she often carries her keychain collection and books, as well as her cello.
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Photos: What's inside those backpacks?
Alexa, fifth grade, 5.5 pounds – Alexa, a fifth-grade student at Westminster Lower School, said art is her favorite class and it doesn't require her to carry many supplies. She wishes she could stop carrying her physical education clothes, especially while they're working on swimming.
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Caroline, fifth grade, 8.6 pounds – Caroline, a fifth-grade student at Westminster Lower School, said she uses the book she's reading for fun more than anything else. She'll pull it out every time she has a quiet moment between classes or while she's waiting for her part in chorus.
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Raina, sixth grade, 17.6 pounds – Raina, a sixth-grade student at KIPP WAYS Academy, said she wished she could leave her binders behind, but she takes them home so she can study more.
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Jeremiah, sixth grade, 18.8 pounds – Jeremiah, a sixth-grade student at KIPP WAYS Academy, said a pencil is the most used item in his backpack, but he still has to carry his homework folder and an extra binder "for emergencies."
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Aaliyah, seventh grade, 7.1 pounds – Aaliyah, a seventh-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Academy, said her SpongeBob SquarePants backpack is "perfectly fine," but she wishes she didn't have to carry her cheer practice clothing.
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Jordan, seventh grade, 13.4 pounds – Jordan, a seventh-grade student at KIPP Strive Academy, said his backpack was twice its current size when he was in fifth grade. Now, he mostly uses his homework folder and a clipboard so he can work on the bus.
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Amber, eighth grade, 11.9 pounds – Amber, an eighth-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Academy, said she's not allowed to use her iPad at school, but she can't leave it behind because she uses it "for everything." Still, she has to carry her notebooks and books.
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Oliver, eighth grade, 8.6 pounds – Oliver, an eighth-grade student at KIPP STRIVE Academy, said his backpack is heavy, "but not to the point where it's ridiculous." Still, several weeks into the school year, he was still carrying most of his class binders instead of using his locker.
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Trey, ninth grade, 18.1 pounds – Trey, a ninth-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said he wishes he could stop carrying his math book. Most material can be found online, he said.
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Isabella, ninth grade, 24 pounds – Isabella, a ninth-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said she's gotten used to carrying a heavy backpack, but she would rather use her computer than bulky textbooks.
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Alex, 10th grade, 19 pounds – Alex, a 10th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said he wishes he could stop carrying his French book, although his teachers have generally tried to cut back on books. Last year, he said, students used an online version.
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Chinara, 10th grade, 8.8 pounds – Chinara, a 10th-grade student at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, said chemistry is her favorite class and she wishes she could stop carrying her notecards for studying world history.
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Meghna, 10th grade, 21 pounds – Meghna, a 10th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said she purchased an online textbook for her favorite class, chemistry, but most courses don't offer a digital book.
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Brandon, 11th grade, 12.4 pounds – Brandon, an 11th-grade student at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, said he uses the binder for his favorite class, honors U.S. history, more than anything in his bag. But it also takes up the most space in his backpack, he said.
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Allie, 11th grade, 23.5 pounds – Allie, an 11th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said it's tough to get back to her locker between classes, so she tends to carry everything she might need with her, including her script for the musical "Titanic."
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Elijah, 11th grade, 30 pounds – Elijah, an 11th-grade student at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, said he never uses his locker. He prefers to keep books for his Advanced Placement and honors courses with him in case he has a few minutes to get some homework done while he's still at school.
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Myles, 11th grade, 17.1 pounds – Myles, an 11th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said he stopped carrying his cello home most days and stopped carrying his computer in order to lighten his load. Still, he has to carry his history book all the time -- there's reading to do every night.
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Tyler, 11th grade, 19.2 pounds – Tyler, an 11th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said he uses his laptop most often, and he wishes he could stop carrying his history and math books.
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Erickie, 12th grade, 19 pounds – Erickie, a 12th-grade student at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, said math is his favorite subject and his calculus book is probably the item he uses most from his backpack -- but it's also the one he wishes he could stop carrying. "It weighs the most," he said.
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Berhan, 12th grade, 15 pounds – Berhan, a 12th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said she often carries her art board around with her as well (not pictured), as art is one of her favorite classes.
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Tyler, 12th grade, 13 pounds – Tyler, a 12th-grade student at Westminster Upper School, said he uses his computer more than anything else in his backpack. He carries less now than he did as a freshman, he said.
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Sherrell, 12th grade, 10.3 pounds – Sherrell, a 12th-grade student at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, said she loves reading and writing, and she uses her laptop daily to write college essays and look for scholarships. But if she could stop carrying anything? "The whole bookbag," she said.
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