Workshopping the Canon for Democracy and Justice

Book excerpt: Workshopping the Canon for Democracy and Justice adopts and adapts foundational reading and writing workshop structures for democratic and justice teaching in the context of the middle and secondary classroom and curriculum. Through workshopping, teachers can foster democratic dispositions and skills as they explore justice-oriented units focused around core canonical texts, or teachers may elect to disrupt and displace the canon by teaching a thematically related contemporary text. Critical essential questions interweave texts and bind units. Genres including young adult novels, short stories, informational texts, picture books, music, art, movies, and social media are included in the Appendixes. These diverse resources make current societal/global connections, foster multiple perspectives, prompt critical thinking, and include primary voices. This book, filled with teacher voices, useful models, and helpful ideas, is written to foster agency for change in society, teachers, and students.