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William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

The Voices of Our People: Nuestras Verdades: Educator and Reading and Discussion Guides

Following the publication of their first book, The Roots of Our People: From One World to Another, Juntos, the authors from Juntos NC spent a year sharing their pieces through reading events across the Raleigh-Wake County area to increase awareness and advocate for the Hispanic immigrant population in our community and the greater immigrant community in our nation. They utilized these moments to lead and empower youth, while also standing up for those that cannot yet find their voice to stand up for themselves. This book follows their explorations with their relationship to their community but also advocates for the challenges and issues that they and their families face. This bilingual text is proudly and boldly written in the form of blackout poetry, interviews, autoethnographies, letters and poems. Collectively, these pieces demonstrate the power of our voices and our truths.

For students: We recommend reading the book alongside the Reading and Discussion Guide. The book can be found here.

For teachers and educators: We have created guides that offer sample lesson activities, connections to CCCC, and discussion activities that help bring these books into your own classrooms. Students can respond to the questions independently, in groups, or as a class with The Voices of Our People: Nuestras Verdades. Some questions can also be utilized prior to reading, as well as after reading, to evaluate what and how your students have learned from the text.

The Voices of Our People: Nuestras Verdades: Educator Reading and Discussion Guides

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Authors and Contributors

Dr Crystal Chen Lee Dr Crystal Chen Lee

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FI Education Brief – The Power of Youth Voices: Bringing a Publishing Curriculum to Your Classroom

The Literacy and Community Initiative (LCI) curriculum, framed around critical perspectives, encourages students to write about societal issues that mean the most to them and their community members, offering a safe space where youth can feel interconnected with their communities. Based on their research findings, this brief shares practical suggestions for middle and high school teachers, pre-service teachers, and school leaders for implementing a writing curriculum that focuses on youth advocacy and community engagement.

Projects

Literacy and Community Initiative (LCI)

A collaboration among NC State’s College of Education, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, and educational community-based organizations to amplify the voices of historically underserved students through literacy learning and publication of student-authored narratives.

Published

June 29, 2020

Resource Type

Resource Guide

Published By

Friday Institute for Educational Innovation