Weekend Picks for December 19th

Welcome to the 3rd Weekend Picks of December! 

Ivy Andres, Ashlyn Wilkes, Emilina Iacobelli, and Emily Gignac All currently attend Aquinas College’s School of Education and are pursuing elementary education degrees.

Many thanks to Dr. Briana Asmus (a.k.a. "Dr. A") from Aquinas College (Michigan) for inspiring her teaching methods students to write this week's pick, complete with ideas about how to incorporate the memoir into the classroom. ​

Dr. A’s literacy students are at it again! This year, Aquinas College preservice teachers found some exciting middle grade texts while they completed a 30-day reading challenge. They reflected on how each story could draw in even the most reluctant reader, and thought carefully about ways teachers might leverage social emotional learning. Their selections are sure to open up conversations that will foster academic and personal growth. A couple of these might look good on your Christmas break reading list, too. 

I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

The memoir follows Cailtin, a seventh grader living in Pennsylvania, who chooses a pen pal, Martin, a boy from Zimbabwe. Caitlin lives a seemingly “normal” life. She is concerned with her boyfriend, getting good grades, and spending time with her friends and family. Martin lives in a poverty-stricken city with his numerous siblings. He is a good student and cares deeply about success in school. Caitlin and Martin’s first few letters begin a friendship that becomes stronger over time. While Caitlin shares everyday stories from her life in the U.S., Martin writes about his life in Zimbabwe, where his family struggles financially. His family even sacrifices money for stamps so Martin can continue writing, revealing how important this friendship is. 

As Martin reveals more about how challenging his life is at home, Caitlin empathizes with him. As a result, Caitlin begins sending money with the cards she sends to Martin. ​

Over time, the money evolves into extensive packages that include gifts for not only Martin, but also his parents and many siblings. Caitlin is determined to do more to help Martin become a successful man and move away from poverty. 

Although many challenges presented themselves along the way, Caitlin’s family was able to help Martin find a way to study in the United States, as he earned a full scholarship to Villanova. Today, Martin and Caitlin’s friendship lives on, showing just how monumental one letter can be. 

Incorporating the I Will Always Write Back Into the Classroom:  
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​The letters that Caitlin and Martin sent back and forth allow students to watch as their relationship develops, as well as compare their lives. There are many ways that teachers can implement this book into their classroom to promote learning and provide a venue to learn more about social awareness. We recommend that it be used in a 5th-grade classroom, as the novel has a 790 Lexile Level. 

Penpals and authors Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

An example of how this novel can be implemented into the classroom can be seen in this fifth grade unit plan created by Emilina Iacobelli as part of her Insignis Honors program. The unit plan focuses on the concepts of cause and effect and compare and contrast. This novel clearly lends itself to these concepts, as Caitlin and Martin live vastly different lives. If this novel were to be used to teach this concept, students could find evidence to discuss the differences in their lifestyles. The idea of cause and effect is also evident in the novel, as each situation leads to the removal of a barrier, which leads to a new situation or event. Having students analyze the way each situation causes another event to unfold is a great way to introduce the idea of cause and effect and even talk about some of the grey areas.  

​Connecting I Will Always Write Back to Common Core State Standards: 

• RI.5.5: Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
• RI.5.6: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
• RL.5.3: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).