Help me give my students a class set of There, There by Tommy Orange...a fast-paced generational story about indigenous people living in Oakland, CA. This text weaves together their stories of family, loneliness, and identity.
My students seek out the arts magnet program, teacher relationships, and connections among a diverse student body where sometimes one can fall into the crowd at a larger public school. This semester, my students range from grades 10-11 and are tackling the curriculum that is English II. They love to analyze texts with activities that involve movement, engagement, and variation.
Teaching the love of reading is a priority.
When students love to read, they are more likely to engage in empathy, kindness, and tolerance. Through books, they can travel into any time period, into any household, and observe many unique relationships.
My students are often amazed at some of the stories we read in class like Of Mice and Men, Citizen, and Midsummer Night's Dream. Some students subscribe to the enjoyment of our class texts earlier than others, but the goal is to get everyone there and willing to dive in!
My Project
Copies of "There, There" by Tommy Orange will elevate voices in our society that typically go unnoticed or unheard. The story follows different members of a large indigenous population living in modern day Oakland, California all converging together at an Oakland Pow Wow.
The stories are rich with loneliness, family, identity, and struggle.
My students loved an excerpt we read from Opal's chapter and they wanted to read more about her life. They connect with the family struggles and desire to know more about their identity. Stories like these are so important to understanding our place in history and what we can do to make sure that all cultures, identities, and stories are told and honored.
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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 Ms. Kennedy and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
