Teaching
The Bluest Eye
Check out the recording of the January 23rd teaching follow-up session here!
Password: ?!ruYH
*Note: The conversation in the linked recording pauses at the timestamp of 1 hour and 11 minutes for a breakout discussion. The conversation resumes at the timestamp of 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Teaching Reflections
Explore reflections from individuals who have taught The Bluest Eye.
TaSharra Hilson
Pinson Valley High School
Teaching AP Language
By TaSharra Hilson
Who are you teaching?
AP English 11 students
Teaching Approach
“I wanted to approach the lesson with a discussion on racism and how different races view it. By looking at how black women view racism and how black men view it, students received the opportunity to understand each side. Black men have a different plight when it comes to racism and I wanted to visit each group. Because the class is a melting pot and mixed with all races, we also wanted to understand how each group felt about the topic. We began with a debate and I gave each side a set of questions. I divided the class into two groups. One side thought that racism still exists and is more prevalent with black males and not black females. The other side did not agree with the argument that racism still exists. The two sides argued the points and developed claims. After arguing both sides, they wrote an argument essay about racism and who is most discriminated against today. They also annotated the text and answered questions about beauty-What is beauty? Who determines what is beautiful? Do men and women view beauty differently? Racism-What is it? What are the effects of it? Power and community. They made connections to The Bluest Eye and used the points as evidence in their argument essays.”
Extra Teaching Tips/Materials
* Show the video Eye of the Beholder from Twilight
*Introduce poetry that discusses racism and beauty
Resources
Additional handouts and other documents for use in teaching The Bluest Eye will be featured here.