They learn to value their story and to develop and find confidence in their own voices. In opening up these topics for discussion, students do more than witness someone else’s story they engage in a process of reflection, formulating and sharing their own thoughts. An exploration of such dynamic topics can re-invigorate the classroom by inviting students to participate in an active form of learning. Taking this approach in the classroom can yield tremendous rewards. They should also be prepared to confront the challenging issues the book presents by engaging students in an active examination of these issues, rather than downplaying the book’s controversial attributes. Teachers who wish to use I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in their classroom should possess a solid awareness of the subject matter it contains. Although this presents some obstacles for teachers, the attempted censorship of the book only serves to illuminate its most important themes: namely, the power of literature and the power of our own voices, as well as the greater theme of freedom in all of its varieties, and the struggles we undertake in order to preserve it. Angelou’s unguarded depiction of rape and sexual abuse, and her treatment of topics such as racism and teenage pregnancy, placed the work at the top of the American Library Association’s list of banned books, where it still remains today. Along with classic books such as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Angelou’s work has drawn attention from critics advocating censorship, who claim that it is too graphic for student use. Please click on the PDF link below to download the Teacher’s Guide.Īs with all great works of literature, there are some challenges associated with the use of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in the classroom.
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