Task 1 - Reading Enrichment Unit and Reflection
For my reading enrichment unit, I used the book Thirteen Reasons Why, a realistic and high-interest novel, and paired it with an anti-bullying campaign that we promoted during the school year. The goal of the unit was to identify, confront, and stop bullying. Not only is the book very popular with the students, but it also has been made into a television series on Netflix. When the series first aired, so many of our students were discussing the show and the implications that bullying has in schools. The consequences of prolonged bullying can be serious, with bullied teenagers feeling isolated and alone. Teens who are bullied are at greater risk for contemplating or completing suicide, as is the case in the book, than teens who are not bullied. During this unit of study, students discussed bullying and ways in which they could prevent or stop it. In the past, as a library media support specialist, I handpicked a few students to create anti-bullying posters. When I became the library media specialist last year, I collaborated with a ninth-grade ELA teacher to create a thought-provoking lesson to teach her students about bullying. Next year, I plan to offer to teach this lesson to all ninth-grade ELA classes, one or two classes each month throughout the school year. As educators, we need to highlight the problem of bullying, especially since it creates such unnecessary havoc in our students’ lives and can be prevented.
For my reading enrichment unit, I used the book Thirteen Reasons Why, a realistic and high-interest novel, and paired it with an anti-bullying campaign that we promoted during the school year. The goal of the unit was to identify, confront, and stop bullying. Not only is the book very popular with the students, but it also has been made into a television series on Netflix. When the series first aired, so many of our students were discussing the show and the implications that bullying has in schools. The consequences of prolonged bullying can be serious, with bullied teenagers feeling isolated and alone. Teens who are bullied are at greater risk for contemplating or completing suicide, as is the case in the book, than teens who are not bullied. During this unit of study, students discussed bullying and ways in which they could prevent or stop it. In the past, as a library media support specialist, I handpicked a few students to create anti-bullying posters. When I became the library media specialist last year, I collaborated with a ninth-grade ELA teacher to create a thought-provoking lesson to teach her students about bullying. Next year, I plan to offer to teach this lesson to all ninth-grade ELA classes, one or two classes each month throughout the school year. As educators, we need to highlight the problem of bullying, especially since it creates such unnecessary havoc in our students’ lives and can be prevented.