Woah....WE'RE BACK! Sorry for the blip in blogging. I guess we were too busy tweeting!

So what IS gender stereotyping? Many kids today feel that advertisements, toys, movies, and clothing are stereotyping what it means to be a certain gender. Today, scholars in the Hive will begin a an exploration through a variety of artifacts to help us gain a stronger understanding of this topic. First up, a stop motion animation that our very own Hive Alums (the Class of 2021) produced: 

We're going to continue this exploration through analyzing poetry, articles, children's books, art, and even our own environments. Let's do this...

Have you ever been to an art gallery, looked at a piece of art, and thought:
 "What does that even mean?" 
Today scholars of the Hive will have the chance to look closely with their artistic eyes at abstract art. They will also be analyzing with a social justice lens. Each group will choose a piece of artwork that they will link to a current event through lines, shading, color, shapes, and perspective. They will then go in search of a coordinating NewsELA article to support their chosen current event issue. Both the artwork and article will be used as platforms to write an abstract justice poem...which brings us right back where we started:
"What does that even mean?"

Today, scholars in the Hive will be examining photography with a poet's perspective. Take a few moments to examine the following photos:

After scholars choose the photo that they most connect with, they will receive a coordinating expository text with social justice themes.  But that's not all...we're guessing that these images and expository texts might inspire something else.  Think: poetry! ​

What do you see when you look at the world today? Scholars of the Hive will analyze one of Hughes' iconic poems, I look at the World, through different lenses: a photography lens & expository lens. Using the powerful words of Hughes, scholars will be able to connect overarching issues of the past to those that still exist in today's world. 

This Monday, we analyzed the poem, Changes, by Jacqueline Woodson. Today we're going to take a deeper look into some of the changes she experienced growing up in America, as well as some of the changes that people are experiencing in today's America. Our experience will guide us through connecting a Woodson poem, What Everybody Knows Now, and a NewsELA article, Detroit Teachers Call In Sick to Protest Unhealthy Crowded Schools. Specifically, we'll be looking at how laws put in place to make meaningful changes in society sometimes take a long time. Read both pieces and take time to discuss the similarities between the varying genres as well as the differing time periods. 

Jacqueline Woodson is not only an award-winning author, activist, and poet...she's also one of our favorite people! Today, we're going to dig deeper into our love of poetry through an excerpt from her book, Brown Girl Dreaming. We're going to think about rhythm and figurative language and theme and character development. Dive on in!

Our beloved student teacher, Ms. Lawson, spent her last day with us. And before she went, we made sure to send her off with lots of books, lots of letters, and lots of love. 

Who is Abby and why is she mad? Well...today we're going to find out as we take a closer look at a law put into place called Affirmative Action. The video we'll watch is a production out of PBS called "crash course in government" and it's very neutral (which means it looks at both sides). Then, we'll be reading an article from our favorite news site, NewsELA to learn more about the viral hashtag. As scholars, we'll be discussing our own stances on this issue in an open forum! 

Today, scholars in the hive will be analyzing different literary and historical perspectives on the movement of Black Lives Matter. While the hashtag is new, the fight is not.

A note from Ms. Smith: Take time to read, think, view, listen, and discuss each experience presented to you before responding in the google form. Your stance on this issue, and all issues of social justice, is very personal. 

Watch these two responses for a question posed by Jesse Williams: "If a cop is harassing me, insulting me, or obstructing my path, what should I do?"

Response 1
Response 2

Look closely at these photos. These are from the civil rights movement and today's Black Lives Matter movement.