About the Curriculum

This is a fun and educational way for students to explore themes of diversity and inclusion through the illustrated poetry of Dr. Todd Gewant’s What I Wish I Was Told. The curriculum is an effective 12 week course designed to allow students to learn about themselves and others by developing social emotional intelligence and critical thinking skill by understanding and writing about the subject matter in selected poems. Each lesson follows a specific poem and asks students to:

· Analyze the text of the poem for its deeper meanings and metaphors. 

· Study the illustration for its symbolic relevance to the text.  

· Write a poem on a similar subject using specific poetic forms.  

· Perform positive life lesson activities derived from the poem.

Each lesson in the curriculum allows the student to think creatively, improve reading comprehension, understand the use of metaphor in literature (both in text and illustration) and creates a platform for children to develop important qualities of self-esteem and an appreciation of diversity in all areas of life. We can help our children to become positive, caring, and creative adults through this curriculum!