Meeting the needs of our students academically, socially, and emotionally requires that we look beyond the tired "Canon" and towards works of cultural and geopolitical relevance. In doing so, we prepare our students for their future in a manner that ensures that they are not only well-read, but well-rounded, human beings.
We need so much more than simply text-based instruction, and our students can now, with the advent of Google Earth and 3D goggles, go on virtual field trips that are not only engaging but contextually informative as well. The site Symbaloo.com is an excellent resource for these virtual field trips, leading to a deeper contextual understanding of the text. For the book A Long Walk to Water, a Symbaloo "webmix" such as this one dealing with Africa and water politics, could truly add nuance to a lesson.
We need so much more than simply text-based instruction, and our students can now, with the advent of Google Earth and 3D goggles, go on virtual field trips that are not only engaging but contextually informative as well. The site Symbaloo.com is an excellent resource for these virtual field trips, leading to a deeper contextual understanding of the text. For the book A Long Walk to Water, a Symbaloo "webmix" such as this one dealing with Africa and water politics, could truly add nuance to a lesson.