Past projects 2
Booking Into the Future: More Novels in the Classroom
Funded Sep 24, 2018We greatly appreciate the books that we received! In this shipment, we were able to obtain copies of Memoirs of a Boy Solider, Persepolis, various collections of books in Spanish, And Then There Were None, Beloved, The Road, Every Falling Star and Heart of Darkness. Whew, that's a lot of books! Imagine all the different stories and perspectives being shared. All of these novels can be used to educate students on different eras, culture, race, social class, or gender roles. Reading these novels are pivotal to understanding the canonical ideals that stem from them and shape our modern day society.
The majority of these works are taught while a student is a Senior. The Road, And Then There Were None, Beloved, and Heart of Darkness are all taught throughout AP, Honors, and CP classes. One could find these texts being used in class by classroom discussions and close reading activities. Students love to try to figure out the killer within Christie's And Then There Were None just as much as they love to face the trials and tribulations Sethe endures in Beloved. Students look at real world issues that will allow them to think critically and understand socioeconomic and racial disparities in modern times while learning the historical background of how they came to be, which will make them educated and informed voters in the future.
Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Every Falling Star and Persepolis are all taught in the 10th grade. These novels allow students to work at informational texts in ways that a standardized test does not allow. Students love studying the information behind the horrors of war while analyzing the literary components that make up the text.
Finally, the novels that we received in Spanish will greatly aid our Spanish speaking population. Out ESL students now have an outlet to refer to if the regular English translation is not enough to help them understand. Idealistically, the Spanish copies will be used a reference to those that cannot speak fluent English, as the goal is to teach them the language and concepts of the novel; now, with the access to the novels in Spanish, students are able to understand the concepts of a novel while along with their study of the how the functions of the English language conveys these concepts.
Overall, we greatly appreciate the novels and the learning experiences that they bring to the classroom. Thank you for your generous donation, because it has allowed us to teach these students concepts that will stick with them for a lifetime.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martin
Read All About It! Books in the Classroom
Funded Aug 27, 2018We greatly appreciate the books that we received! In this shipment, we were able to obtain 35 copies of The Great Gatsby, Passing, and Pride and Prejudice. All of these novels can be used to educate students on different eras, culture, race, social class, or gender roles. Reading these novels are pivotal to understanding the canonical ideals that stem from them and shape our modern day society.
The first novel, The Great Gatsby, has been used for all of Freedom's 11th grade American Literature classes. In this book, Fitzgerald explores the impact social class has on relationships, especially in the roaring '20s. This books allows us to explore questions of socioeconomic disparities and the expectations social class has on an individual. Historically, the book allows students to catch a glimpse of the culture of the American '20s and how those ideals were shaped by World War I. There are numerous symbols, illusions, and images used within the novel, which makes it ideal to study when exploring literary devices and their purposes. Students who love history and the ideals of the "American Dream" typically like this novel, because the thematic concept of the possibility of chasing one's dream (and failing to attain it) is explored. Since this book is read throughout the 11th grade classes, how it is read varies per class. Higher classes tend to do more take home reading of this book, while lower classes concentrate on the reading in class in order to gauge their comprehension of the text.
The next novel, Passing, is used to explore the art of Passing in America in the early 1900s. African-American literature is sometimes overlooked in the classroom, which makes this novel really stick with any student of color. This novel is beneficial at exploring the concept of passing, which is a verb to describe someone who is attempting to "pass" as something they are not. Although the novel primarily focuses on racial passing, the concept can be extended to those that "pass" in other aspects of life. Lessons on conformity and "white privilege" can be looked at from both sides. The idea of "passing" connotes that there are two sides: one to "pass" from and one to "pass" to. This thematic concepts allows students to have two way conversations that forces students to consider both sides and the motivation one may have to "pass." Historically, the concepts of the Harlem Renaissance can be taught since the novel originates from this time period.
Finally, the last novel that we received was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This novel focuses primarily on social class and gender roles in America. This novel is especially beloved by female students in the classroom, because girls are interested to speak about "lady like" behaviors and the expectation of women in our current society. Students find that women have progressed in many aspects in today's time, but there are many ways in which women still have certain expectations that they have to conform to.
Overall, we greatly appreciate the novels and the learning experiences that they bring to the classroom. Thank you for your generous donation, because it has allowed us to teach these students concepts that will stick with them for a lifetime.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Martin