North HS , Edmond OK
Experience the South African setting of Trevor Noah’s biography 'Born a Crime' to deepen personal knowledge of South African history of Apartheid and enhance a world literature curriculum with more authors of color.
Walking around the prison at Constitution Hill where icons such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi were imprisoned was a sobering reminder of the evils of apartheid and what humans are capable of at their worst. Even though apartheid ended, downtown Johannesburg, Soweto, and other townships speak to the South African government's need to make further reparations and to address the corruption that continues to marginalize black South Africans.
I learned more about the circumstances that led to apartheid and realized that similar circumstances are currently taking place in my home country. It is imperative that I teach my students how to analyze information and think critically because my hope is that an educated populace can prevent these atrocities from happening again.
I learned a lot about the terrible things that have taken place in South Africa, but I also experienced the beauty of the country. The landscapes, wildlife, and creativity of the people exist alongside the challenges, making South Africa a complex place. I met with a former resident of District Six who had been forcibly removed from his home and "relocated" to a township, and he explained to me how this affected his daily life, making me understand the impact of apartheid in a very real way.
I plan to create a unit introduction to the novel Born a Crime that addresses South African culture, the history and current impact of apartheid, and the background of Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters and how their work impacted the social and political landscape. I will develop a unit study analyzing the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley that was important to Nelson Mandela while he was imprisoned.
I plan on developing a unit where the students will compare and contrast what happened in District Six in Cape Town with what happened in Greenwood, Tulsa. They will also research an issue of social injustice and write a paper covering the issue of their choice.
The units and materials I will be developing will be available to Sophomore teachers throughout my district. These lessons have the potential to impact the learning of hundreds of students.
