The Project - One Full of Interdisciplinary Learning and Creativity
This webpage is the final product for Wake Forest's EDU 654 English Methods Multigenre Inquiry Project. The aim of this project was for pre-service students to reflect upon and consider ways students might be able to engage with a text in light of a pressing essential question and create artifacts which went beyond synthesizing ideas in a paper. For this project, I read Michael Doriss's A Yellow Raft in Blue Water and considered its themes and characters in light of the essential questions: How do generational differences affect familial relationships and perceptions of cultural pluralism and assimilation? How does literature on this topic inform this dynamic?
To most fully explore these ideas, various disciples were explored through the creation of several different genre projects. One of the many benefits of a multigenre inquiry project is that the various genres overlap and engage multiple disciplines. One way of conceptualizing the various disciplines and genres for this project is:
History and Politics:
To most fully explore these ideas, various disciples were explored through the creation of several different genre projects. One of the many benefits of a multigenre inquiry project is that the various genres overlap and engage multiple disciplines. One way of conceptualizing the various disciplines and genres for this project is:
History and Politics:
- An essay which explores how the essential question is portrayed in other tradition canonical texts, young adult literature, a non-fiction piece, a historical event, and poetry
- A presentation examining biracial identity today in the United States by considering how various sources discuss President Obama.
- An interpretive reading of Natasha Tretheway's poetry claiming her identity herself as biracial and her parents' response
- A poem from two voices representing an imagined conversation between Ida and Christine
- An op-ed wondering which consider the “other side of the issue” through examining the importance of Rayona's mixed heritage
- An essay on Natasha Tretheway and Evie Shockley's poetry in the context of the null curriculum
- A prezi which combines two presentations which visually reflects statistics about both biracialism and interracial marriage in the U.S as well as biracial characters in the ELA classroom
- Two images which visually represents significant themes and motifs in A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
- An ad campaign which calls for a wider variety of perspectives - including more biracial protagonists- in the secondary ELA classroom
- A lesson plan for the secondary ELA classroom
The Process - One of Discovery:
This inquiry began by simply exploring the connections between biracialism and family relationships and with the essential question How does biracialism affect familial relationship? While exploring this question, it became evident the better question was: How do generational differences affect familial relationships and perceptions of cultural pluralism and assimilation? And how does the literature on this topic inform this dynamic? Further, as I dove into the research, it became more apparent that the literature itself is often problematic.
Most representations of biracial family relationships are, at best, tense. Canonical literature primarily represents interracial relationships and consequential biracial children as a problem to be solved; far too often the solution to the "problem" is "passing" or assimilation.
The lessons gained from this project extended far beyond the text at hand. By completing a Multigenre Inquiry Project, I gained a better understanding of the wide variety of familial implications of biracialism and, more importantly, the importance of bringing more texts with biracial protagonists into the classroom. The project allowed many ways to enter, explore, and extend conversations in the secondary ELA classroom regarding the connections and intersections between family, biracial heritage, and identity.
My personal conclusion is that students must be exposed to characters - especially protagonists - who celebrate their rich and complex heritage. Therefore, this project ultimately calls for the need for more biracial literature in the secondary ELA classroom.
As you explore this webpage, my hope is that you will better understand the wide variety of familial implications of biracialism and more importantly that you will the importance of bringing more texts with biracial protagonists into your classroom. Here, you will find many ways to enter, explore, and extend conversations in the secondary ELA classroom regarding the connections and intersections between family, biracial heritage, and identity. Enjoy!
Most representations of biracial family relationships are, at best, tense. Canonical literature primarily represents interracial relationships and consequential biracial children as a problem to be solved; far too often the solution to the "problem" is "passing" or assimilation.
The lessons gained from this project extended far beyond the text at hand. By completing a Multigenre Inquiry Project, I gained a better understanding of the wide variety of familial implications of biracialism and, more importantly, the importance of bringing more texts with biracial protagonists into the classroom. The project allowed many ways to enter, explore, and extend conversations in the secondary ELA classroom regarding the connections and intersections between family, biracial heritage, and identity.
My personal conclusion is that students must be exposed to characters - especially protagonists - who celebrate their rich and complex heritage. Therefore, this project ultimately calls for the need for more biracial literature in the secondary ELA classroom.
As you explore this webpage, my hope is that you will better understand the wide variety of familial implications of biracialism and more importantly that you will the importance of bringing more texts with biracial protagonists into your classroom. Here, you will find many ways to enter, explore, and extend conversations in the secondary ELA classroom regarding the connections and intersections between family, biracial heritage, and identity. Enjoy!
