Literature can awe, inspire, and delight. By reading about the struggle and strength of others, students gain new perspective on their own challenges. My tenth-graders, who encounter frequent discrimination because of their racial backgrounds, need to read stories about finding dignity and justice.
My students, nearly all from racial or ethnic minority groups, attend an urban high school in California.
For the most part, they are not affluent; based on family income, a large majority qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Many are immigrants or speak a language other than English at home. My students often begin the year reading several grades below their expected level. For many, reading is a huge struggle. However, through sustained, supported interactions with great literature, many of them will discover a love for reading this year.
My Project
In his masterful novel "If Beale Street Could Talk," writer James Baldwin presents a story of true love in many forms-love of the self, romantic love of others, and above all, the love of family and community-in the face of extreme injustice. As we read the novel, students will take notes, write personal responses, read and compare multiple nonfiction sources, including news and opinion articles from contemporary journalism with the novel, and ultimately examine how a person can find strength and integrity even when the outside world demeans and destroys.
The killings of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Oscar Grant are tragically, only a few very public examples of the danger and prejudice that affect students like mine every day.
Young people often respond to destruction with confusion and anger. Through their study of this great novel, which emphasizes the redemptive value of love for one's fellow humans, I hope to build their resiliency, empathy, and desire to make positive change in their world.
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