Students must have a copy of "Front Desk" by Kelly Yang. Either a print copy or E-reader copy are acceptable. Audio copies should be used in tandem with a print copy to aide vocabulary acquisition. 

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Quizizz
Quizlet for Vocabulary

This book deals with topics such as bullying in school (Mia and her classmate are mocked for being Chinese), immigration (legal and illegal) and racism. Our discussions will naturally need to address these topics, and we will do so with the lense focused on Mia and her story, how her growth and strength- especially in the face of hardships- is something to be celebrated. 

Bullying / racism: We will discuss why the comments are hurtful, and how we can be allies to those who may need help. Being kind and appreciating others cultures will be the overarching message. Insults include "Chinese doughboy," "ugly-nese," "idiot," "Mr. Tightwad," "moron," and "loser." There's also one use each of "bull" and "bastard." (commonsensemedia.org)

Immigration: I will present a brief outline of how the US immigration process unfolds and the differences between those who have a legal status and those who do not (One has the papers to show they are allowed to work in the country plus they pay taxes which helps others. The other may not have the right papers, but they still need to work in order to feed themselves or their family sometimes though, they don't get the taxes paid which can be bad.)  The overarching message is that our country has rules to keep our citizens safe and the country running the way it needs to, but we all want to help those who need it, just like Mia's family helps those who need it. 

Commonsensemedia.org notes on violence : "Characters arrive at the motel after being beaten up by loan sharks or fleeing an ICE raid. Another character gets beaten up by robbers. A former motel guest threatens Mia. A drunk man grabs her by her shirt."