Our intellectually curious, avid readers want to leave a high school legacy.
These students would like to be peer leaders by creating a legacy for future readers via the Banned Book Library and peer/parent review of these books.
They are taking a language arts and history elective to explore higher-level literature and engage in philosophical and political discussion about the nature of the First Amendment.
My Project
Students are starting a Banned Books Library consisting of 2 books each of the top 100 challenged books. They will have the opportunity to not only read great literature but also share reviews of books to help other students make informed selections. We would like two books each in order to foster parent involvement. Students check out both copies of a book, one for them and one for a parent or guardian. This way parents have the opportunity to read the same books as their students, address any controversial issues that may arise within the context of their own home, and demystify the taboos surrounding some really great literature. This also gives parents the chance to have a say in what their children read at school. Like students, parents will have the opportunity to leave reviews for students and other parents helping their students select books. Parents who read raise kids who read!
Students will have the chance to look at all aspects of children, young adult, and adult novels in their exploration of censorship and the First Amendment.
Shorter, young adult works will inform discussion about censorship at the elementary level while modern and SAT/AP level texts will both encourage discussion and provide access to novels that are sometimes not available as part of the standard curriculum.
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