Reading for Change: Engaging in Discussions Around Societal Issues
My students need books that reflect the current issues of our nation. These books will allow them to engage in rich discussions around race relations, body image, islamophobia, and immigration.
The students in our school have a passion for learning. We are an MYP school and they come each day ready for the challenge of a rigorous curriculum. The majority of students live in the neighborhood, though there are also students from all over our city. Students at our school have two choices for their education: they can take a traditional middle school track or they can also take the Spanish Immersion middle school track.
Students in our classrooms come prepared to debate, discuss and read, read, read.
As a school we try to incorporate as many diverse books as possible into our curriculums and classrooms, but it can be a challenge at times for students to see themselves represented in what they read.
My Project
This year our 8th graders will have the opportunity to join a Social Issues book club. This book club will allow students to engage in deep discussions around tough issues that affect our society today: race relations, body image, sexual harassment, islamophobia and immigration.
Through the use of books such as Moxie, The Hate U Give, and All We Have Left, students will have the opportunity to discuss the issues found the novel, and directly connect them to what is going on not only in our country, but quite possibly in our school.
From these discussions, students will create a plan for change around one of the issues and that will be presented to the school (and hopefully implemented this year).
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