Finding One's Voice
Through continued reflection on the short story “As You Were,” students consider the factors that impact power and agency in moments of decision-making and explore the possibilities and limitations of justice and reconciliation.
The Power of Representation: Patsy Takemoto Mink, Shirley Chisholm, and Kamala Harris
Use this mini-lesson to help students learn about the groundbreaking careers of Patsy Takemoto Mink and Shirley Chisholm and to consider the significance of Vice President Kamala Harris’s election.
Reflecting on the Danger of Silence
Students use Clint Smith’s talk “The Danger of Silence” to create “blackout poems” that express their ideas for how they can use their voices to empower themselves and others.
Summative Assessment: Agency and Action in the World Today
Create a culminating experience for your students where they identify and explain an example of individual or collective agency in the world today that inspires them.
Analyzing “Aha” Moments
Students identify pivotal moments when a central character learns something important about themselves, others, and their real or fictional world.
Asking Compelling Questions
Students engage in meaningful discussions with their peers about a text while using text-based evidence to support their thinking and making real-life connections to what they're reading.
Create a Textual Lineage
Students consider the profound impact that the spoken and written word (as well as art and sound) can have on an individual’s identity and sense of self.
Exploring Identity in Literature and Life
Students explore the complexity and fluidity of identity, both in the world of the text and in their own lives.
Exploring the Moral Universe of Setting
Students explore the concept of "moral universe" and consider how time and place influence our identities, sense of belonging, and moral decision-making processes.
Making Contemporary Connections to Literature
Students draw connections between social issues that the author explores in the text and their impact on our world today.
Map the Internal World of a Character
Students practice using evidence from the text and their own understanding of the world to analyze a character’s thoughts, feelings, motivations, and sense of belonging.