"One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world."--Malala Yousafzai This quote has been up in my classroom all year. My students enter the classroom and know immediately to choose their most powerful tool for changing the world: their current book or their writer's notebook.
My 7th graders are as varied as humans can be.
They are from every continent (minus Antarctica), many religious and cultural backgrounds, and every economic bracket. In my class of 28 students, a total of 8 languages are spoken, from Spanish to Tagalog; from Russian to Chinese to Tamil. They are fierce, passionate, kind, and inquisitive. They have a quest for justice that is unmatched by any group of kids I have had the privilege to teach. We are a Title 1 magnet middle school program that is part of a 6th-12th grade program. This forges close relationships that will carry my students through their 7 years here. I strive to chose literature that opens these students' minds further, challenges their notions of the world, and gives them examples of strength of character.
My Project
Malala Yousafzai is the kind of person I want my students to know about. Hearing her story, which takes place a world away but in our current times, will inspire them to both appreciate what they have and demand the same for others. In the 7th grade history curriculum, we have explored the rise of Islam in the middle ages. Bringing this book to my students will show them the relevance of this history, and provide a powerful example of living, changing history. With the changes in education currently, it is becoming more and more important to expose our students to challenging literary nonfiction; this book is the perfect vehicle. We will read the book aloud as a class toward the end of the year, as both a culminating unit and a send-off to 8th grade. Along with the book, we will watch Yousafzai's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, as well as read other pieces of literature about the fight for educational justice worldwide.
Putting current, relevant literature into the hands of students always makes a difference.
Finding literature that connects to other curricular areas, and that provides a model for wonderful writing and provides a model for the fight for justice is difficult. This book does that, and more. Many of my students' families don't have the resources to purchase new, hardcover books. My classroom library is growing, but it is especially powerful to read a book like this as a community of learners.
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