The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Ms. Gruwell spends four years with her students exploring the themes of tolerance, teens in crisis, nonconformism, change, and college admissions.

Describe how Ms. Gruwell explores each of these themes using writing and literature. How does she make connections between her themes and the students she teaches? In what ways does Gruwell make use of field trips, guests, and media to reinforce her themes? How do the students experience growth by exploring Ms. Gruwell’s themes?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be difficult for some students to conceptualize the full prompt at first because there are extensive connections made to literature, personal reflection, and activities throughout the text. Students may find it beneficial to analyze each theme one at a time first before describing how it relates to the prompt’s questions.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with executive function differences or those who require additional assistance with focus and organization may find it beneficial to narrow the topic to one theme, such as tolerance, to respond to the analysis prompt. Students can then describe how literature and writing, student connections, and Gruwell’s activities all reinforce her theme of tolerance. These same students may also benefit from documenting their thoughts in a graphic organizer.