Weathering the Storm:

Student voices for context, challenge, and change.

The inspiration for the "Weathering the Storm" project has its roots in a poem titled, "Weather." Written by Claudia Rankine and published on June 15, 2020 in the New York Times as a response to the tumultuous climate we have experienced this summer in America. Her words resonate. They also invite us to give voice to the storms we have faced or are currently facing in our lives.

During a 2016 interview about her work, Claudia Rankine recalls studying the work of Adrienne Rich in which she thought, "this says almost what I would like to say." Much of what is happening in the world is almost what we would like to say.

For us, there is a culture being revealed right before our eyes in the storm that is 2020 and we invite you to read, write, and respond to the events that are happening in American culture. You have a voice for context, challenge, and change. We want to give you a platform for that voice.

tinyurl.com/WeatheringTS

To Weather a Storm, We Must First Understand it

INVITATION:

The following literacy experiences are based on the events that have caught the public imagination. As with any billowing cultural change, questions emerge that cause us to ask: Did she really say that?; He said what?; What did she do?; Did I hear what I think I heard?; Did that just come out of my mouth?; his mouth?; your mouth?

Each of these experiences are thought provoking, personally relevant, and require an intellectual investment. In short, they are real.

A multigenre approach to each topic will help you to consider each topic through multiple lenses. As you consider the thoughts of others along with your own perspective, these lenses will help you to synthesize your ideas, therefore, strengthening your perspective.

Using these texts as mentors you are invited to create a 3-4 minute podcast episode, recorded song/poem, or video article/essay that gets to the heart of your perspective.

To celebrate your voice and perspective we will host a day in which we share our recordings with one another.

Some of you will have the rare opportunity to showcase your work on larger platform where your voice will be heard by authentic audiences.