We wanted to share something special we've been redesigning. For almost 20 years, we have taught the poem, "We Wear the Mask," by Paul Laurence Dunbar, and used it to lead our students in a creative activity in which they create and share their own two-sided masks. This activity works wonders to foster a sense of community in the classroom, and helps our students show us a little more of what's under their own "masks."
This year, we've added a second, more modern poem pairing: "Jabari Unmasked," by Nikki Grimes (which, if you haven't read it, is SO cool because it includes the beginning of Dunbar's poem if you only read the last word of every line).
We have so much success with this activity, that we wanted to share it with you for free. Click here to view the PDF (which you can then print or save to your files).
If you like this close reading and activity, you'd love our full Diversity and Identity Short Story and Poetry Interactive Workbook! You can use the activities separately or print them as one amazing unit! It's perfect by itself but also pairs well with so many novels!
We're so excited to share the pieces we love to teach, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Using diverse mentor texts helps our students feel seen in their own diversity, which is so important in building trust and class community!
Please let us know how you use these resources, and we'd also love to know what new pieces we can create for you!
Happy teaching!
The Weird Sisters
