Building Stamina: Full-Length Non-Fiction for AP Students
My students need nonfiction books that are engaging and relevant so they can improve their reading level and stamina to prepare them not only for the AP exam but to interact with the world beyond school.
Being a black kid isn't easy in Milwaukee. The statistics reflect this: high unemployment, high incarceration, high eviction, and high homicide rates all affect the lives of students in the Milwaukee Public Schools. In spite of this, my kids show up to school hungry for relationships and knowledge.
My students are creative and resilient, and they deserve the chance to showcase these skills in the English classroom.
However, in an urban public high school, resources are always tight, and my kids often go without the things they need to learn and grow.
My Project
AP classes are not just preparation for the AP exam; they are preparation for analyzing and interacting with the world outside the classroom, too. In order for my students to be able to do this successfully, they need greater exposure to a wider variety of texts than a single textbook can offer. At an urban, high-poverty school, the resources to provide a wide array of texts simply are not available.
Through book clubs, my AP Lang students will read 4 different contemporary, narrative-driven non-fiction texts that will broaden their experience with more complex texts.
While these books center on themes and ideas with which my students are interested and familiar, the length and level will stretch my students in new ways.
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