The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Current Events Thematic Unit”

In this activity, students will develop a unit plan to address current issues using details from the text.

The events of the text take place from 1994 to 1998, but the activities Ms. Gruwell uses are still relevant today. Each year, Ms. Gruwell selects a topic to focus on throughout the year, such as tolerance, college admissions, and change.

Select a topic of your own that is related to current events in society, then create your own unit of study using the strategies Ms. Gruwell used in her classroom. Create a presentation using technology and media to explain your area of focus and the details you will include in your unit. Use the bullet points below to develop your strategy.

• Develop a name for your group of students.
• Select a current issue related to the students as your focus for the unit.
• Include two guest speakers related to your focus.
• Select current news articles that relate to your issue.
• Organize a student-guided charitable event.
• Develop a plan for a peaceful protest or address letters to influential people.
• Select four books to read and the connections to be made to your focus.
• Organize two field trips related to your unit.
• Connect journaling with the current events and students.

Present your unit to peers and field any questions they might have. As peers present, note points of comparison between units and analyze differences in content and potential student impact.

Teaching Suggestion: Ms. Gruwell was able to achieve much of what she accomplished by using resources from donors and generating media attention. To help inform students’ unit plans and increase engagement, consider discussing with students Ms. Gruwell’s strategic use of media, then consider broadening the discussion to local current events and media’s coverage of them, helping students make personal connections across these events, the media, and the topics within the book itself.