getting Y.A. Lit

For the first week of school, I wanted to create an engaging lesson for my reluctant readers that would be conversational and relevant to them with a very chill vibe. So, we gathered around my projector screen and discussed music, poetry, activism, and literature. I took the time to talk about Kendrick Lamar and his Pulitzer Prize - 1. Only one student all day knew that he won a Pulitzer. 2. Zero knew what a Pulitzer was, hence zero understood why it was so culturally significant. However, I was able to bring it back full-circle and tie that back into Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas and art as activism and making art relevant to and representative of a culture and/or a new generation.

​Are our students empowered if they don't realize that they're being empowered?