Freedom writers

A lesson about Life 

1. The history behind the movie 

• Watch this film clip about the LA Riots 

• Discuss: 

What started the LA Riots? 

What was unique about the historical event? 

What did it lead to? 

Can you see any similarities or differences between then and today's society? 

What is "Black lives matter"?

 

2. The power of writing 

Do you think that writing is able to give people freedom? In what ways? Can you think of examples where writing has been used to survive?   

 

3. Watch the movie Freedom Writers 

 

4. Practice new words 

Here are some words to practice. 

 

5. Comprehension 

Answer questions during or after watching the movie. You get the questions in a separate document.

1.  

3.  

4.  

28.  

 

6. My diary entries 

In Freedom Writers, the students write diary entries to express what they are feeling and the problems that they are facing. We will start every lesson during this project in the same way and write about a topic-for-the-day. We will make this as a Dairy. You will have five to ten minutes to write about the topic for the day. 

 

Diary 1 

One of the writers in the film/book states, ”What goals do I aim for? I don’t aim, because I don’t have any goals; instead I deal with what comes.” Think about yourself and your view of the future. Do you have long term goals for yourself or are you living one day at a time? Explain your answer. 

 

Diary 2 

One of the characters explains his struggles of not having a father as he grew up and his realization that his friends also had to grow up without a father figure: “I felt sorry for him. I knew how hard it was to grow up without a father.” Have you or someone close to you, grown up without a parent figure? Describe how this has affected you or the person close to you.   

 

Diary 3 

One of the characters describes being fiercely picked on due to her appearance: “I heard people shouting, ‘Hey Fatso!’ ‘You big buffalo!’” Have you ever teased someone about something without thinking about the ill effects it has? Have you ever been a victim of bullying because you look different than others? Describe. 

 

Diary 4 

Have you ever been in a class at school feeling like you wanted to disappear? Describe the situation, the feelings, the “moment” and what happened. Help the reader live the scene with you and what it feels like to want to disappear. 

 

Diary 5 

Ms. Gruwell and her students hold called the “toast for change.” If you were able to have a fresh start in one part of your life, what would you change? 

 

Diary 6 

Who looks up to you? Who are you a role model to? How important is it to you to do the right thing, knowing this person looks up to you? Is this a responsibility you take seriously? How does this help you live your life better? 

 

 Diary 7 

Have you ever felt hopeless in your education? What made you feel this way? Has the hopelessness changed or do you still have that feeling? If not in your education, have you felt hopeless in other areas of your life? Explain. 

 

Diary 8 

What are the qualities that make a good mother, a good father? What type of parent do you want to be? Describe where you want to live with your family and the type of home you hope to have. 

 

Diary 9 

A student asks: “Why should I read books about people that don’t look like me? People that I don’t even know and that I’m not going to understand because they don’t understand me!” How would you answer this student’s question if you were his/her teacher? Why is it important to read books about different people? What did the Freedom Writers learn from reading Anne Frank’s and Zlata’s diaries? 

 

Diary 10 
Choose one of the following characters: 

● Eva 
● One of the boys in the class 
● Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) 
● Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton) 
● Or another character that you liked or wanted to know more about 

Then write a diary entry about Erin Gruwell’s first day at school. What do you think about her? What assumptions do you make? Do you want her to succeed or not? If you are writing as Erin, what are your ambitions and how do you think you’ll make them happen? 

Here are all the topics inspired from this site.