Using Poetry Books to Learn About Diversity and Acceptance
My students need poetry books by different authors, including Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Shell Silverstein and Naomi Shihab Nye, as a way to learn about themselves and others.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My students are ninth graders in English Nine for the first time and eleventh/twelfth graders in a remediation class. A few of the ninth graders read on grade level but many have developed an identity as readers. The eleventh/twelfth graders have failed the state test multiple times and are in the remediation class to focus on basic skills required for graduation.
My students set and achieve goals in order to succeed in high school.
Those in ninth grade work hard to earn a high school diploma, as well as keeping their sights on careers and college for life after high school. My students in the remediation class will need to balance short and long-term goals as they work towards passing the state test and finalize plans for careers and college.
My Project
I became interested in using poetry to study different cultures after we read "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes. In this poem, the speaker addresses the similarities and differences between himself and his teacher. This poem opened the door to conversations about race because our classroom mirrors that of the poet in "Theme for English B."
One student, after a discussion about the poem's theme of diversity, shared that "everyone wants to belong and as long as someone accepts you for you, no matter your color, you belong".
Studying these texts will allow students to learn about themselves and others. I selected authors and titles based on the cultures of my students. I included two copies of certain titles, so students can follow along while another student reads the poem aloud. Students will use the sorting rings to organize their notes to compare and contrast themes, text evidence, and figurative language. In addition to being the foundation of my poetry unit, these books will be available for students in the classroom library.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Secrest and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.