My students are come from a variety of backgrounds and are diverse in several areas including race, socioeconomic status, and beliefs. In spite of that, they are eager to learn and try new things. Being in the heart of Atlanta, they have the world at their fingertips.
These students are eager to explore literature dealing with current issues; I am eager to provide them with rich and relevant texts which will push them to think deeply.
The modern works will balance the canonical works traditionally taught in schools and will provide students an opportunity to analyze contemporary literature by poets who will engage with them through Skype and Twitter. Our class is hands-on, engaging, and pushes students to do hard work; my goal is to get them prepared for the future.
My Project
Counting Descent and Citizen Illegal will give my students opportunity to not only dive into poetry but to explore literary responses to current issues. These poets are active on Twitter and are willing to Skype with students after reading their collections. These texts and personal connections will change the way these students think.
Providing students with text and access to poets who are advocating for change is not only fosters lessons in critical thinking but teaches students methods and avenues for advocacy.
I want my students to know how to think and how to use their voice. This project provides the resources to teach and discuss these concepts.
Engagement, real world application, and complexity are at the heart of this unit. Thank you for making this possible for my students.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Barber and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
