One of my first assignments for my 11th grade American Literature class was called ‘What Is My America?’. This is something that my cooperating teacher has done in the past with her classes and I love it! From the very first day, the kids get involved with the topic–they have to think about their own opinions on America and how those cultural lenses can shape how they read a text. They also can compare their ideas to ideas expressed in the time period of the literature they are reading. Continue reading →