Junior Year 1996 (One-Page Wonder) By: Corey Killen, Jason Kaempf,

& Valeria Munoz

Critical Factors 1.
Strengths
Ms. Gruwell allows students 1.
Weakness
Students experience new
The writer of Diary 55 learnt that Ms. Gruwell was trying to actively engage to write freely about their situations that can have
the class because they observed that she was encouraging the class to be thoughts and experiences in risks and cause them to feel
independent thinkers and to question everything and everyone. An example of their diaries. EX: Entry 5 & 6 responsible for the events or
this is when in Diary 55, the writer talks about having the death of their from Ms. Gruwell outcomes. These feelings
grandmother weighing heavily on themselves. But after learning the idea of 2. Ms. Gruwell uses real life affects their way of
engagement in Ms. Gruwells class, the writer learnt to question everything and application for her teaching learning in the classroom.
knew that not everyone would understand where they were coming from or and supports students EX: Diary 56
what to believe, but that it was their time to learn to hold my ground and be learning by lecturing them 2. Student do not have
about various English topics role-models at home or
self-reliant. This is extremely important because without active engagement
and diversity in the community. EX: Diary 65 &69
and coherence being incorporated in the classroom, the writer of Diary 55 would
classroom. EX: Diary 74 3. Students make bad decisions
think differently about everything.
3. Students are engaged and that can impact their lives.
continue to learn by Ms. EX: Diary 59
Gruwell teaching.EX: Diary 71

Summary
Ms. Gruwell takes a trip to Europe and is inspired by
Zalta and Miep for her American Literature class. She
creates a writing project where students diary Application to current teaching practices
entries are being put in a collaborative book. Students
are able to complete this project by the help of John In Mrs. Gruwells fifth diary entry see refers to bringing
Tu, who sponsors them by providing 35 computers to World Literature to life by bringing back different
keep their writing anonymous.
artifacts from around Europe. This is could be applied to
Students also learn about Black History Month, take a any classroom learning about different cultures around the
Washington D.C. trip, and read The Catcher in the Rye globe. Mrs. Gruwell uses the connections she has made to
and The Color Purple. Students are able to understand continually better her classroom, Teachers all across the
these lessons by relating to their past and present
country can take part in that and improve their classroom.
experiences to their school work. Furthermore, some
students also get the opportunity to express their
physical and emotional lives to future teachers in Ms. Gruwell, Erin. (Eds.) ([2006?) The Freedom Writers diary :how a teacher and 150 teens used writing to change
Gruwell National University lecture. themselves and the world around them New York : Broadway Books,