S

North-South Wright

ConnectionShelia Bonner

Bob Darragh

Kristine Fields

Emily Robbins

Matt Presser

Common Thread

COLLABORATION

Inspiration

S “Our job as English teachers is to [inspire] our students

to become lifelong readers. … If Richard Wright isn’t a

model of that, then I don’t know what is.”

S Frazier O’Leary, Teacher in Washington D.C.

North-South Letter Writing

S Reading mentorship

S Cross-age: JH students can see older students who value reading. CC students can see value in community service.Cross-regional: JH students will be studying civil rights via Emmett Till and will value the perspective of Mississippians today. CC students might not know much of the North either.Cross-historical: All students can track changes in culture and political environment over time.

New Haven, CT – North Branford, CT – Jackson, MS(urban JH) (suburban HS) (urban CC)

North-South Letter Writing

New Haven, CT

urban JH

N. Branford, CT

suburban HS

Goodman, MS

urban CC

Introductory Letter Writing

S Two letters each – written and mailed using pseudonyms

S 1) JH –> CC

S Introduction of self / asking about changing nature of civil rights in Mississippi

S 2) CC –> JH

S Introduction of self / discussion of changing Mississippi / mention of “I’m about to read this story by an author named Richard Wright, who grew up miles from my college. I’m hoping you’ll read it with me…”

Julian Wright

104 Tuscaloosa Street

Goodman, MS 78790

Dear Julian,

I am a 12-year-old boy living in

New Haven, CT. I was recently

reading about the tension in the

South during the pre-civil rights

era. I am wondering whether

things have changed. … Also, I

know you go to college, and I’m

wondering – is it worth it to

work this hard? …

Letter Writing Project

Richard Beinecke

104 Bulldog Street

New Haven, CT 06511

Dear Richard,

I am a student at Jackson

Community College. Here is

all of my worldly wisdom.

Bringing in Wright

S All groups will read the same story, “The Man Who Was Almost A Man.”

S JH students will post questions online through A.nnotate.comfollowing a discussion of factual, conceptual, and evaluative questions.

S HS and CC students will join the dialogue, positing answers to questions and posting ones of their own. This will spark an online dialogue, bringing together a variety of perspectives –almos’ adults in Connecticut with adults in Mississippi.

S Individual Class Discussions based on annotations made by other classes.

Shared Annotation

Letter Writing

S Meanwhile, letter writing will continue with reading mentors

S 3) JH –> CC

S Comments on the story that was mutually read

S 4) CC –> JH

S “That’s great that you are reading this story – sounds like you’re going to be well-prepared for college – here are some other stories that you might enjoy reading”

Making Connections

S Students will read “Salvation” by C. Liegh McInnis – a

more modern Southern story – and

S Teachers can select from a range of texts to pair with

Wright’s short story.