Many of us want to make change in our world, but no one's ever told us how. As a teacher, you can demonstrate to your students that they can be part of the solution to issues that matter to them. But activism doesn't start with slogans or sit-ins, it begins with critical awareness. Critical awareness begins with strong reading and writing habits. And powerful reading and writing instruction begins with Jessica Singer's . takes you through her language arts workshops to reveal the many possibilities for improving critical awareness and to prove what a potent and lasting effect social activism can have on students. Beginning with teaching adolescents specific tools and strategies for understanding their world, Singer shows you how to combine critical skills with content-area knowledge in project-based invitations that encourage educated, engaged citizenship. With a teacher's touch and an activist's imagination, Singer shares how she transformed her classroom into a force for positive social change by focusing her curriculum and her teaching on the core theme of social activism. You'll discover how she created a reading and writing community that used creativity, rigor, and a shared sense of purpose to create meaningful and relevant outcomes. Full of practical, ready-to-use handouts as well as useful lists of suggested resources, examples of student writing, reflections, and final projects, gives you the best way to make change in your classroom - a social-justice-centered curriculum.