Download - North-South Wright Connection

Transcript
Page 1: North-South Wright Connection

S

North-South Wright

ConnectionShelia Bonner

Bob Darragh

Kristine Fields

Emily Robbins

Matt Presser

Page 2: North-South Wright Connection

Common Thread

COLLABORATION

Page 3: North-South Wright Connection

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.

Page 4: North-South Wright Connection

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)

Page 5: North-South Wright Connection

North-South Letter Writing

New Haven, CT

urban JH

N. Branford, CT

suburban HS

Goodman, MS

urban CC

Page 6: North-South Wright Connection

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…”

Page 7: North-South Wright Connection

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? …

Page 8: North-South Wright Connection

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.

Page 9: North-South Wright Connection

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.

Page 10: North-South Wright Connection

Shared Annotation

Page 11: North-South Wright Connection

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”

Page 12: North-South Wright Connection

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.