And we're back with the classics! For the 10th grade curriculum, Fahrenheit 451 is the staple novel for the semester. Unlike last year, I was being evaluated this year so while I like the spooky unit, I love my job more so I tried to be more intentional with "sticking" with the curriculum. But you know me, I always have to add a little razzle dazzle to the unit. 

An oldie but a goodie! In a perfect world, I would teach an entire semester on the Netflix series Black Mirror but alas. I like using this episode before Fahrenheit 451 because I ask my students what is more important: justice or survival. Stripe is in a position of power like Montag and while they both come to the realization that what they are doing is morally wrong, their choices set them apart. 

After finishing the novel, I of course wanted to show my students the movie adaptation. For those who were really dedicated to the novel, it turned into a hate-watch session which is lowkey entertaining because I too am very protective over book-to-film adaptations. While the messaging is still there, the story loses so much with Clarisse being older and somewhat of a lover of Montag, Mildred and Faber being absent from the plot worsens Montag's character, though I do like the portrayal of Beatty, as it suggests that there is more inner turmoil for him. I would personally rate it 2/5 because I'm a hater.

Movie Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x9IU2qevcXsZnoCxm9w6iYgNR1YqLoiYwGjPsbsUggM/edit?usp=sharing

This is one of my favorite mini units of all time and I wish I was strategic enough to teach it every year, but because I knew I wanted to end the semester with youth activism, I thought it was a perfect time for my students to recognize and apply social identities, systems of power, and dichotomies in our institutions. 

Google Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mKfG2432fLqItx0REfIPbVFs4-BWskNr?usp=sharing

In another life, I would be teaching an Ethnic Studies course as I find those classes to be so inspiring and empowering--I would give anything to have that teaching experience with students. 

Since my kiddos and I already explored book bans in our current time, I wanted them to be exposed to the struggle and efforts of the Tuscan Unified School District students who challenged the state legislators when they took away their Ethnic Studies Course. 

I do admit that it is a little dated considering this was released in 2010 but I find that the messaging is relevant and I hope my students don't feel disengaged because it's not "modern" enough. 

Essential Question: What does it mean to forgive?

And we're back with my favorite unit of all time!!! Maybe it's because the spring semester feels overall more positive, but there's something about teaching this unit that makes me so excited for my job!

One of my goals was to teach excerpts of Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy but I did not map out enough time for it so instead, I pivoted to his TedTalk which I still find profound and meaningful. When I begin this unit, most of my students find themselves in either the virtuous or the vengeful camp when we have our class discussions but I knew it was necessary to muddy the waters a little bit. We don't have to be one or other: what if we were both? what if we were neither? Are these the only two paths to justice?

It is my goal though that I will teach Just Mercy in some capacity next year!

I absolutely love teaching this play--perhaps even more than If Beale Street Could Talk which is crazy-talk. My students suddenly turn into these jurors trying to evaluate the arguments, evidence and testimonies and it really is so much fun!

Anticipation Guide: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FgtJB2QgsPUxVha7_IuRDPHRGwJG_H5x29kwVBchFuU/edit?usp=sharing

(My classroom is a little tight for a Four Corners activity so I use these thumbs-up thumbs-down paddles via Amazon that are great)

Observation Questions:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BrG9HwZ9qP1VvX7_vfHSN4wj7mxV8MdnD16lNIi1_gs/edit?usp=sharing

I am a creature of habit and I've taught this book for the last six years with no complaints whatsoever. Unfortunately it appears that this was my last year to teach it as a parent from a different class complained about it and my school's leadership has agreed to remove it from the 10th grade curriculum due to its "vulgarity" and my heart is so broken! Yes, the novel is a little intense but as a teacher, I am very direct and explicit with students and families about the nature of this book. Only once did I have a student ask to read a different book because of their own experience with sexual assault and I happily gave them an alternate book, but to remove this book for an entire grade level without getting community input?! Devastated!

 When I received this information, I was told that I needed to pick a different book by the following week and the very next day, I told my kiddos what was going on and they said NO! I was so proud of them! I didn't teach all that Banned Books Week & Fahrenheit 451 stuff for nothing!

So we continued to read the novel and finished it without anyone having a psychotic breakdown. While I'm sad to say goodbye to this book, I know that whatever I replace it with, I will still be leading those difficult conversations about our criminal justice system.