7th grade English Language Arts students at East Hartford Middle School are finding new ways to connect with their reading through help from the Hartford Stage. For this unit, teachers chose the novel Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros, which explores the experiences and challenges of an immigrant family living in the US. The team at Hartford Stage then took that text and built immersive activities to enrich student learning.
Eddie Cruz Jr., an actor, educator and teaching artist at Hartford Stage, came to their classrooms and taught students theatrical terms and techniques. Then he led students in activities such as creating tableaus depicting scenes from the story and writing monologues to put themselves into the characters’ shoes.
“Students were able to create meaningful connections to the characters and develop empathy for others. This experience gave another access point for students to engage with social emotional learning, discourse among peers, and ways to express ideas in a safe encouraging environment,” said 7th Grade ELA Teacher Daniel “DJ” Keith.
Every 7th grade student at East Hartford Middle School engaged in a four-day cycle of these activities. At the end of the cycle, they each received a copy of the novel to add to their own home library.
Keith said, “On top of gaining understanding for our work in the classroom, many students expressed that they now have a desire to further pursue opportunities to act, sing, and perform. Overall, a story about a family being divided created a great opportunity for our learning community to come closer together.”