Cross-Curricular Reading

Funded Nov 13, 2015

I can't say thank you enough for your contribution to my 7th grade co-taught ELA course this year!

My students were intrigued by the novel "Nothing But the Truth" and found an interest in reading like I rarely have seen before. Since it is a documentary novel, learners experienced a plot progressing through various mediums: Conversations, Diary Entries, Memos, Newspaper Articles, Telegrams, and others. While they generally have little interest in reading aloud, students eagerly volunteered to play certain parts, slipping into their characters. This demonstrated a further understanding of the novel as they were able to grasp the character's tone and mannerisms.

This unit was paired with our 7th Social Studies classes. There they learned about rights of Native Americans and had a trial for the Columbus. This was juxtaposed to the rights of Philip Malloy, the main character of the novel, who is seemingly fighting for his 1st Amendment rights. Lies and exaggerations lead to innocent people being harmed, similar to the situation with Columbus. While they debated in Social Studies, students were constantly asked to state and defend their position on the novel in ELA.

This unit has been a great success, and it couldn't have happened without your support.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Breuing