Hi, I'm Ms. VanGilder!
I am a future teacher of 11th-12th grade students! I chose to share my unit plan with other teachers because topics, such as gun violence, of social justice need to be encouraged to be spread across schools. I hope you found my materials useful!
Some background on the students I teach and how this unit worked for them:
I teach older students, therefore this book fit for them both in terms of reading level and subject matter. We were able to go deeper than the surface level, because they are older and have more of a grasp on things. They have seen the most in the world thus far and can draw on the most relatable elements in a real way. My students are also mostly all white and we teach in a fairly upper class area. That being said, showing them a different perspective was essential. They could not understand what Starr was going through. As a white woman myself, I worked with my students to address my own biases and try to become an ally of a community I am not a part of. I have enjoyed this unit plan!
Some background on the students I teach and how this unit worked for them:
I teach older students, therefore this book fit for them both in terms of reading level and subject matter. We were able to go deeper than the surface level, because they are older and have more of a grasp on things. They have seen the most in the world thus far and can draw on the most relatable elements in a real way. My students are also mostly all white and we teach in a fairly upper class area. That being said, showing them a different perspective was essential. They could not understand what Starr was going through. As a white woman myself, I worked with my students to address my own biases and try to become an ally of a community I am not a part of. I have enjoyed this unit plan!