Literacy Project Examples for 2023 Students

Today, I am assigning the literacy program project. This project's goal is to help inspire reading, either through a poster campaign, a social media campaign, or a video commercial. However, before students can begin their projects, they must write a proposal and get them approved, just like in a real job.

The proposals should answer questions like:

• Video commercial: Why have you chosen this option for yourself? Why is this a good way to reach the students? What will the video be of? What will happen? What will it look like? What type of information will it include? Are there characters? Will there be text? Do you have a special plan for colors? For sounds? For editing techniques? How and where will this video be seen?
•  Poster campaign: Why have you chosen this option for yourself? Why is this a good way to reach the students? What will your posters look like? Will they all be the same or will it be a series of posters? What information will the posters include? Will it have images? Text? How many posters will be made? Where will they be posted? Will they all appear at the same time?
• Social media campaign: Why have you chosen this option for yourself? Why is this a good way to reach the students? What platform will you use? How many posts will there be? What will the posts say? Will there be a hash tag (and what will it be and why)? Will there be any links to images, websites or videos? Why those sources? When will these posts be shared and why at those days and times?

Here are some examples of finished projects and their owner's proposals. Not every student got 100%, but it might be helpful to get you started.

RYAN: Poster Campaign

Ryan's Proposal: Click Here

ALEX: Twitter Campaign

Reading is cool! Retweet if you agree! Don't believe me? Take a look at some of these really life celebrities enjoying books! #ReadingIsCool

— Alex Toma (@alextoma1234) September 14, 2015

Alex's Proposal: Click Here

TEDDY: Video Commercial


Teddy's Proposal: Click Here (unavailable link)

I can't wait to read all of this year's proposals on the student blogs on Thursday!

Reading Reflection

This morning, I am asking my Contemporary Literature juniors and seniors to reflect on these questions, so I thought I would join them as well.

Reflection Questions
1. What has your English class experience been like so far?
2. What has your reading experience been like so far? (inside and/or outside of school)
3. What are you hoping to gain by taking this class?

English class has always been one of my favorite classes. From Zybard and Currier at St. Hugo of the Hills School to Carapellotti at U of D Jesuit High School and beyond to professors at U of M, these teachers always made their classroom a great place to learn, study, and discuss reading and writing. Now, that's not to say that every class was an out-of-body experience, because they weren't. I remember struggling through some topics in high school and college, eventually leading me to become a master at writing essays without ever opening the book (to the envy of all my stressed and struggling friends). My Masters program at Madonna University? I earned a 4.0 without really using the textbooks. But those teachers who made me love the novels we read, those are the ones who had the most influence over me and my decision to become a teacher.

I've always been a reader. I remember back to the elementary school days with standardized testing; you always needed to have a novel with you for if you finished early. Back in the day, my mom would even take us to the library for books. I distinctly remember sitting on the couch with my two younger sisters as she read Roald Dahl's Matilda to us. And then when Harry Potter arrived on the scene? Look out! I ate those up as fast as J.K. Rowling could publish them. I don't ever remember being as excited for a new book like those ones. Gradually, though, I became busy with required reading for school. Harry Potter was replaced with older "canonical" titles that I couldn't understand or couldn't catch my interest. Or, being an English major, the amount of the required reading for classes was too cumbersome to allow for me to actually enjoy it. It wasn't until my student teaching experience at Orchard Lake Middle School, when I saw all of these sixth graders reading novels of choice, that I was reinvigorated to start reading again. Hunger Games and Percy Jackson were amazing and eventually transitioned to summers making my way through a never-ending "to read" list including novels like Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and The Martian. I enjoy that I've found the time and methods to include my own reading of choice in my life, even if it does mean co-reading it along with reading for my high schoolers. Reading rocks!

I'm super happy that this Contemporary Literature elective that I started is now back in session after a few years off. I'm looking forward to an intimate class with ten students. It'll be like a fun book club that meets every second period. My hope is that by reading good current novels, some of the high school students who have turned out like me (avoiding reading and finding the easy way out) will see how awesome reading is again and re-dedicate themselves to actually reading books from cover to cover. Well, for my class at least. Got to start somewhere!