Empowering Students To Think Critically And Compassionately By Teaching Social Justice Through Literature

This thesis is my own exploration of the need for an English language arts curriculum that promotes compassion and critical thinking, as well as various ways to create and employ it. Driven by a desire to incorporate effective, standards-based teaching and sensitive, multicultural education into a curriculum that promotes empathy and critical thinking, I have arrived at the conclusion that literature is a powerful tool in achieving this goal. It is the expectation, after all, of the English teacher to relay the messages found in literature to their pupils: messages of struggle, triumph, and justice, messages that shed light on the human condition, foster empathy, and give glimpses into the lives of others who may seem vastly different. I have also included a case study on a former educator who received backlash for teaching social justice through literature, a unit plan, and a rubric for assessing student learning.