On January 27th, students walked in to class saddened by the loss of basketball icon, Kobe Bryant. In an effort to teach students that it is okay to feel empathy and compassion for a prominent figure in their global community, Miss Cruz modified the warm-up set for the following day.
So, on January 28, English II students in Miss Cruz' classes opened up the class by reading the poem "Dear Basketball" written by Bryant and watching his short film on it. Students were then tasked to write their own "Dear _____" poem for homework using Bryant's poem as a mentor text. Students did not disappoint and wrote poems to other sports, hobbies, foods, and even social media. Students enjoyed being able to pay homage to Bryant while still reinforcing their knowledge on elements of poetry.
submitted by A Cruz
