Learning Goals
The essential questions for this unit ask students to think about their identities, the purpose of storytelling and how writing can be used empower themselves and others. I believe that these questions are important because they encourage students to think critically about who they are, and how their identities impact the ways in which they experience life. Furthermore, I believe that the practice of narrative writing will empower students to use writing to tell their own stories and help them prepare for the writing requirements of the 10th grade MCAS. Lastly, the goals set for content understanding and powerful leaning allow students to gain the skills necessary for reading comprehension and making text-to-self as well as text-to-world connections.
Students’ Background and Readiness
Choosing to design a unit focused on The House on Mango Street was originally a choice based entirely on student interest. I believed that students would be able to relate to the main character and understand her life experiences. Getting to know my students made me realize this text would be ideal for many other reasons. Having access to Spanish translations of the text was extremely helpful for my lower level ELL students who could go back and forth between translations to ensure reading comprehension. For my stubborn students who had convinced themselves reading wasn’t for them, this text provided them accessible language that allowed them to understand what they read and boosted their confidence. At the end of the unit many students claimed this had been the first book they had read in years or ever.
Student Development & Community Building
The themes that emerge in this novel are vast and appropriate for the discussions I hoped to foster. I think that our discussions around sexism, racism, womanhood and culture helped develop students’ socio-emotional learning. Our class discussions encouraged students to share aspects of their identity, be vulnerable, but also build empathy for their peers and life experiences different than their own. Furthermore, these discussions allowed us to create a safe and inclusive classroom community.
