Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word

by Christensen, Linda

• ISBN13: 9780942961256
• ISBN10: 0942961250
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-10-07
• Publisher: Rethinking Schools Ltd

Summary

"My students walk out the school door into a social emergency, " Linda Christensen writes. "They are in the center of it. I believe that writing is a basic skill that will help them both understand that emergency and work to change it." This practical, inspirational book offers essays, lesson plans, and a remarkable collection of student writing, all rooted in an unwavering focus on language arts teaching for justice.

Table of Contents

Introduction	vi
Acknowledgements	viii
A Poem for the Women in My Department	ix
Notes to the Reader	x
Building Community Out of Chaos	1	(38)
Building Community Out of Chaos	2	(8)
To Say the Name is to Begin the Story	10	(4)
The Read-Around: Raising Writers	14	(4)
Where I'm From: Inviting Students' Lives into the Classroom	18	(5)
``Where I'm From''
George Ella Lyon
``I am From Soul Food and Harriet Tubman''
Lealonni Blake
``I am From Pink Tights and Speak Your Mind''
Djamila Moore
``I am From . . .''
Oretha Storey
``I am From Swingsets and Jungle Gyms''
Debby Gordon
Sweet Learning	23	(4)
``In My Father's Kitchen''
Laura Tourtillott
``Abuelita''
Alejandro Vidales
Childhood Narratives	27	(10)
Elements of Fiction---Student Handout
``Neighborhood Hassle''
Stephenie Lincoln
``My Name is Not Kunta Kinte''
DeShawn Holden
``Super Soaker War''
Bobby Bowden
Childhood Narrative Reading Analysis---Student Handout
Narrative Criteria---Student Handout
Discipline: No Quick Fix	37	(2)
Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us	39	(18)
Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us: Critiquing Cartoons and Society	40	(12)
``Help Me Syndrome''
Hasina Deary
``Looking Pretty, Waiting for the Prince''
Lila Johnson
Dialogue Journal Strategy---Their Eyes Were Watching God
Student Sample of a Dialogue Journal---Their Eyes Were Watching God
Charting Stereotypes---Student Handout
Praise Poems	52	(5)
``Tiger Eyes''
Chetan Patel
``Gurl''
Mary Blalock
``Kool-Aid''
Jenelle Yarbrough
``Ode to Rocky Road''
Erin Brock
``Dragon Dance''
Loi Nguyen
Writing the Word and the World	57	(42)
Writing the Word and the World	58	(8)
``Coming Out''
Kronda Adair
Forgiveness Poems	66	(2)
``forgiving my father''
Lucille Clifton
``Forgiving My Mother''
Tanya Park
``Forgiving My Father''
Justin Morris
Essay With An Attitude	68	(13)
``Tar Baby''
Khalilah Joseph
``A Woman's Silent journey''
Erika Miller
``A Bill of Rights For Girls''
Mary Blalock
Introductions---Student Handout
Essay With An Attitude---Criteria Sheet
Essy With An Attitude---Student Essay Response Sheet
Acting for justice	81	(7)
``Tolerance''
Joe Strivers
``Maurice''
Justin Morris
Writing the College Essay: Creating a Vision of Possibility	88	(11)
``Granny's''
Alyss Dixson
``Saxophone''
Dyan Watson
``The Children's Prayer Group''
Chetan Patel
``A Lesson in Passion''
Chelsea Henrichs
The Politics of Language	99	(26)
Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard?	100	(5)
``Hey! Go Boy!''
Thieson Nguyen
Reading, Writing, and Righteous Anger: Teaching About Languag and Society	105	(10)
``Finding the Inside''
Mira Shimabukuro
``Grandma's Kitchen''
Alisha Moeland
The Tea Party: Enticing Reluctant Readers to Read	115	(6)
Tea Party Roles---Thousand Pieces of Gold
Tea Party Roles---Their Eyes Were Watching God
Tea Party---Student Handout
Celebrating the Student Voice	121	(4)
``Rayford's Song''
Lawson Inada
``His Story''
Masta Davis
``The Music Lesson''
Sarah Stucki
Poetry	125	(34)
Poetry: Reinventing the Past, Rehearsing the Future	126	(8)
``Celle''
Lila Johnson
``Photograph, 1969''
Katy Barber
``To the Coaches of the Year''
Bobby Janisse
Promoting Social Imagination Through Interior Monologues	134	(4)
``I Went Looking for Jefferson''
Aaron Wheeler-Kay
``Vietnam: No Scissors to the Truth''
Meg Niemi
``Jacob Lawrence---The Migration''
Corinne Rupp
The Poetry of Protest: Martin Espada	138	(3)
``Jorge the Church Janitor Finally Quits''
Martin Espada
Remember Me Poems	141	(3)
``Remember Amanda?''
Amanda Wheeler-Kay
``Remember Sihaya?''
Jessica Rawlins
``Mary''
Erika Howard
Immigration
What Happened to the Golden Door? How My Students Taught Me About Immigration	144	(15)
``Indian Kitchen''
Frances Ram
``Hopeless in Vietnam''
Danny Cang Dao
``When I Was Small''
Jesus Rangel
Immigration Project---Student Handout
``What Are You?''
Robert Smith
Portfolios	159	(10)
Portfolios and Basketball
``Ode to Writing''
Jessica Rawlins
Portfolio Evaluation: Pulitzer---Student Handout
``Where Poems Hide''
Deonica Johnson
Writing Portfolio---Student Handout	160	(9)
Untracking English	169	(14)
Untracking English: Creating Quality Education for All Students	170	(13)
Index	183