Freedom Writers - Projects

I've always been terrible with words. In third grade our teacher made us write a diary entry as a part of our homework. I skipped school the next day so that I could avoid it.

Today, however, decades later, I feel like I need to write my thoughts down.

So here we go with my first diary entry ever...

My day was pretty tough, you know.  I had to make up my mind about a really important issue and I am afraid I messed it all up. I mean, I've been thinking about it for a while and I am not convinced I made the right call.

I actually left my wife of seven years, Erin, today. I hurt her. I didn't mean to but everyday she kept pushing me to the breaking point. She worked late almost every night and seemed not to care about my existence. I thought she was my soul mate. Maybe she is. What is for sure is that I am not hers. If she was in love with me she wouldn't have treated me like that. She is in love with her job instead.

I don't know, dear Diary, was it the right thing to do? I honestly hope it was.

I'm going to persuade myself that I'm going to be fine without her. I couldn't stand being neglected anymore.

                                                       Yours,

                                                       Scott

FREEDOM WRITERS WORKSHEET 2

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Questions

1. Why do you think Erin refers to the Nazis as the most famous gang in history? Why does this comparison make the students begin to listen to her?

 In my opinion, Erin refers to the Nazis as a gang, because they abused political power and supported extreme and racist ideas against “different” people (for example Jews), that resembled to the attitude of gangs towards other ethnicities. What is more, this mentality of the Nazis lead to actions that provoked disastrous results, namely about eleven million deaths in total (Holocaust).The tragic results of the Nazi attitude were probably the reason Erin’s students begun to pay attention to her. This reference might make students, whose majority are or will become gang members, realize the effect their actions might have to innocent people.

2. Despite their very difficult situations, the majority of Ms Gruwell’s students go through similar daily problems. What makes them realize their similarities?

 In Ms Gruwell’s class most students come from similar backgrounds, including gangs, poor neighborhoods, immigrant families etc. Ms Gruwell proposes some “games”, such as the Line Game that make students open themselves. Through these games, as well as discussions, students find out they all have similar problems, similar needs and similar wishes. What is more, writing in the notebooks and reading some extracts allow them to learn more about themselves and about their classmates, and inevitably makes the similarities between their lives apparent.

 3. Why do the students at first only trust their peers from their own ethnic/racial groups?

The students of the class belong to different racial groups, where it is known that there are conflicts with each other. These conflicts were cultivated by the families and have “passed” to their children, too. Therefore, it is understandable for these students to have an attitude of prejudice to their classmates of another minority.

4. Ms Gruwell is the first teacher to show trust and respect for the students at Wilson High.

·        How does Erin Gruwell show this?

Well, her attitude towards her students reveals that Erin Gruwell is willing to help the students and that she shows them trust and respect. First of all, she spends her own money, in order to buy books for the students, as the college does not intend to support her efforts financially. What is more, she devotes all her time for them, having (a bad) impact on her personal life. Last but not least, it is important to say that she does not give up, because at the beginning she had no respect from her students. She continues to struggle with the obstacles (such as the other teachers) and of course she treats her children as if they are the most valuable students!

·        Why don’t some students refuse to trust her?

The students have experienced so many things and have seen in their own homes lots of scenes of violence. In my opinion, the students want to open themselves in order to comforter, because their class with Erin is their home, as some children live under terrible conditions…

5. How do the students feel when they learn that Ms. Gruwell will not continue teaching them in their junior and senior years?

When the students find out that Ms. Gruwell will not be teaching them in their next years, they all feel sad and disappointed. Sad because they were really fond of her, since she was one of the few people (maybe even the only one) that treated them like they should be treated – with respect, and disappointed because they probably felt like she didn’t want to teach them anymore, even though we all knew she did.

6. Do you think it’s more important to “protect your own” or do what’s right?

I believe that it really depends on the situation. If what happened is not that significant, then a little white lie won’t do any harm, but if what they did is important and can harm others or cause problems,  just like what happened in the movie, then we have to do what’s right by telling the truth.

7. Put yourself in Eva’s shoes. Would you tell the truth in the witness stand or protect your friend? 

If I was in Eva’s shoes, although it would be an extremely hard decision for me, I would blame the real guilty of the crime. I would be very sad, but I wouldn’t be able to stand the idea of sending an innocent to prison in order to protect my friend.   

8. In what ways does Ms. Gruwell’s classroom become a family for the students?

Ms Gruwell’s classroom becomes a family after long attempts of the teacher, Erin Gruwell. She uses many ways in order to talk to them, teach them, make them realize their common feelings. For example, at first, she teaches them about the Holocaust and invites various Jewish Holocaust survivors to talk with her class about their experiences. After that, she makes them play a game: children should “step on a line” if the questions she asks are true for them. This way they understand that numerous answers are true for everyone. Moreover, she makes them write in diaries everyday their feelings, so that they can express theirselves. On top to that, she makes them write their diaries in a book.

9. Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne Frank, is a hero to Ms.Gruwell's students. What does Miep Gies mean when she tells Ms.Gruwell students, "You are heroes every day."?

Miep Gies  by telling "You are heroes every day" to Ms.Gruwell's students,  means that by fighting  every day in their society, prove to themselves everyday that they are heroes. In the movie the students struggle to survive every day. People can shoot them in the road or accuse them for crimes they didn't commit.

 10. What do students do to try to change their lives?

 Ms.Gruwell's students try to change their attitude in general. They take school more seriously by trying to pay attention in class. Also they change "themselves" by promising to them that they will change.