Who am I?
Chances are at some point in your life you have stopped to ask yourself this monumental question. Exploring one's identity--what makes you, you--is central to the journey each one of us embarks upon as we move from childhood to adulthood. For this reason, it is a major theme in the young adult literature genre. In this course, students will examine issues and concerns of adolescence, focusing on identity and the many different forces and factors that shape who we are and how we got here. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to literature representing a wide variety of perspectives and literary styles.
The course begins with a focus on the self as students explore their own identity and read the powerful graphic novel memoir, Hey, Kiddo, by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Students will consider concepts of intersectionality and stereotyping in relation to their own life and experiences.
The course then turns to the topic of immigration in America, posing the question: What happens when identities collide? Students will explore issues related to both the complex history and current state of immigration in America.
The course then broadens our thinking on identity to ask: How do the multiple aspects of our identities shape our perspectives? In this unit, students will read one of four novels all told through multiple narrators. Students will consider how different perspectives on the same event or idea can change our understanding of that event or idea. Finally, students will choose from a variety of contemporary young adult novels that deal with a range of topics such as police brutality, sexuality and sexual orientation, drug use and abuse, ability and disability, and mental health challenges. In this independent project, students will complete research to learn about the specific topic that is dealt with in their novel and will present their findings and analysis of the novel in a final audio or video presentation.