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Mr. Penn’s Classroom Edit display name

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These books will be read as part of a novel unit by students in my regular eleventh grade English class. Students will check out the book from the library and read it independently. They will be quizzed on the reading and complete a short-answer essay exam on the book at the end of the unit. In class we will discuss the plot, characters, themes and connections to real world issues. Although I love teaching "the classics," I want students to read a 21st century book like this, which I hope they will find both relatable and challenging. At this point, almost all the novels in our library were written in the century before my students were born! I suspect that many of my students struggle to grow as readers because things that are important to them, like the internet and hip-hop, are largely missing from the books they are given, leading them to believe that literature cannot connect with their daily experiences. Although I do not usually teach "Young Adult" books, I think an engaging work like this can be a great way to begin the year and get kids in the habit of reading. I also want students to engage with the issues of race and identity that the book explores. The topics in the book are a big part of current events and the national dialogue. Many of my students from under-privileged backgrounds may relate to the experiences of the protagonist who struggles to balance the two sides of her life at school and at home. I want the bussed-in kids from disadvantaged neighborhoods to relate to Starr's struggle, and I want the local kids to grow in their awareness of what it feels like to be marginalized.

About my class

These books will be read as part of a novel unit by students in my regular eleventh grade English class. Students will check out the book from the library and read it independently. They will be quizzed on the reading and complete a short-answer essay exam on the book at the end of the unit. In class we will discuss the plot, characters, themes and connections to real world issues. Although I love teaching "the classics," I want students to read a 21st century book like this, which I hope they will find both relatable and challenging. At this point, almost all the novels in our library were written in the century before my students were born! I suspect that many of my students struggle to grow as readers because things that are important to them, like the internet and hip-hop, are largely missing from the books they are given, leading them to believe that literature cannot connect with their daily experiences. Although I do not usually teach "Young Adult" books, I think an engaging work like this can be a great way to begin the year and get kids in the habit of reading. I also want students to engage with the issues of race and identity that the book explores. The topics in the book are a big part of current events and the national dialogue. Many of my students from under-privileged backgrounds may relate to the experiences of the protagonist who struggles to balance the two sides of her life at school and at home. I want the bussed-in kids from disadvantaged neighborhoods to relate to Starr's struggle, and I want the local kids to grow in their awareness of what it feels like to be marginalized.

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