when i began my unit on the song "strange fruit" (sung by billie holiday) with the middle schoolers, I knew it might be an intense couple of classes for us. the unit began strictly focussing on the song and its context, so that students would be learning about lynching and the way that the song protested the act simply by making its listeners aware of the problem. i allowed students to bring in songs that they believed addressed an issue or a problem in the world, and got a lot of good ones. i decided it might be cool, after we'd talked in depth about protest music, if the students could independently write their own protest songs. this week, we simply brainstormed the worlds big issues and each student chose the one he or she is most passionate about. the popular ones were immigration, domestic violence, and gang violence, and i learned a lot from the writing they gave me during the process.

it was the first time all year that any of the middle schoolers had confided in me. they've been the hardest to reach. some told me stories out loud, as i crouched next to his or her chair in my tiny basement room, and some told me privately on paper. one student saw a child get shot and killed by gang members, and two different girls told me about friends and neighbors who had been shot and killed. one girl's best friend, at 11 years old, hides her 18 year old gang banger boyfriend's guns under her bed for him, and my student is scared and worried for her. there were several other stories that put knots in my chest, including stories involving immigration and the ways their families are suffering, either here with no health insurance, or in mexico with no job opportunities.

the kids were incredibly honest when beginning this project. i'm being sure to keep each student's composition extremely confidential, as i know these stories are important to them. i realize more than ever how scared my kids are all the time. in other classrooms i think i might have had to convince kids that a cause is important. in my school, the kids know first hand why these issues are crucial.