DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Standard D, Indicator 4: Helps all students to understand American civic culture, its underlying ideals, founding political principles and political institutions, and to see themselves as members of a local, state, national, and international civic community.

 

I have talked about American civic culture when comparing fictional societies that are seen in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series and Veronica Roth's Divergent series. This unplanned discussion began when students were presenting their independent book reports and talked about the treatment of various characters in these texts. I facilitated a classroom discussion about our own rights and freedoms that we take for granted such as free speech and related it back to the oppressed and controlled societies portrayed in both novels. Students are reminded on a daily basis that their voices matter and they should exercize their right to use them as often as they can.

 

At another point in the semester, we discussed how the world can come together in times of hurt to provide support as much as possible. In particular, we discussed the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the devastation that occurred thereafter. I was able to show the 6th grade students the newer version of "We Are The World" where a large number of music artists came together to raise awareness and funds for the citizens in Haiti. Afterwards, I asked students to write a brief paragraph as to why they think the world comes together in times of destruction and completely forgets about age, sex, gender, nationality, etc., but when everything seems to be back on track, it changes.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.