By Deborah Dimmett, Tucson Magnet High School, Tucson, AZ

A fresh beginning of a new school year has presented this 41-year veteran of teaching with a new challenge that few in would take with only three years remaining before retirement. Teaching AP Seminar for the first time and to a class of 39 eager Sophomores promises to test my ability to incorporate every best practice in this project-based English class.

AP Seminar, offered as an English option, incorporates literature with real-world problems and issues that students investigate through a wide range of perspectives. For example, Night, the classic memoir authored by Elie Wiesel, allows students to investigate human rights issues such as genocide, war crimes, and a myriad of human rights issues through sociological, ethical, and political perspectives to name a few. Students can explore complex issues around collective identity and faith through cultural, religious, and political frameworks. They can engage in a comparative study of the issues raised in the novel with one or more real-world issues that include perspectives on resilience, trauma, and the impact of oppressive regimes on individual groups. Continue reading →