Banned Books Week 2013 The Final Installment of our Free Speech and Censorship Unit!

What is Banned Books Week?  Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) of the American Library Association (ALA) holds a Banned Books Week to raise awareness about book banning in libraries and school districts across the country.  The OIF uses this week to promote an understanding of the harm of banning books.  What is the harm in banning books? The OIF states: “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.”  Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) of the American Library Association (ALA) holds a Banned Books Week to raise awareness about book banning in libraries and school districts across the country.  The OIF uses this week to promote an understanding of the harm of banning books.  What is the harm in banning books? The OIF states: “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.”

When is Banned Books Week?  This year it is September 22 – September 28.

Why do people challenge or ban books?  Some reasons cited for challenges and bans on reading material are:  Sexual language or sexual behavior ( For Example: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet or Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian)  Profanity ( For Example: O’Brien’s The Things they Carried)  Inappropriate subject matter ( For example: Card’s Ender’s Game)  Graphic depictions of difficult subject matter (either verbal or visual) ( For Example: Pelzer’s A Child Called “It” or Satrapi’s Persepolis)  Communism ( For Example: Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach or Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax)  “No literary merit” ( For Example: Ellison’s Invisible Man, North Carolina 2013) or “Nothing good about it” ( For Example: Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Pennsylvania 2013)  Violence ( For Example: Pahalanuik’s Fight Club)  Rape ( For Example: Hosseini’s The Kite Runner)  Some reasons cited for challenges and bans on reading material are:  Sexual language or sexual behavior ( For Example: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet or Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian)  Profanity ( For Example: O’Brien’s The Things they Carried)  Inappropriate subject matter ( For example: Card’s Ender’s Game)  Graphic depictions of difficult subject matter (either verbal or visual) ( For Example: Pelzer’s A Child Called “It” or Satrapi’s Persepolis)  Communism ( For Example: Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach or Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax)  “No literary merit” ( For Example: Ellison’s Invisible Man, North Carolina 2013) or “Nothing good about it” ( For Example: Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Pennsylvania 2013)  Violence ( For Example: Pahalanuik’s Fight Club)  Rape ( For Example: Hosseini’s The Kite Runner)

What books do we find are banned often?  30 Years of Liberating Literature Timeline 30 Years of Liberating Literature Timeline  Frequently Challenged Classics Frequently Challenged Classics  Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st Century Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st Century  Yearly Lists of Banned Books Yearly Lists of Banned Books  30 Years of Liberating Literature Timeline 30 Years of Liberating Literature Timeline  Frequently Challenged Classics Frequently Challenged Classics  Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st Century Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st Century  Yearly Lists of Banned Books Yearly Lists of Banned Books

Media Campaign Project

Part I: Written Campaign  Once you have selected a book to use for your project, you will decide whether you want to ban it in a school/library or support it in a school/library.  You will complete the following steps: 1)Brainstorm 3 major reasons for banning or supporting the book. 2)Find 2 quotes that support each reason for banning or supporting the book. That is 6 quotes in total. 3)Draft a 1 – 2 page single spaced explanation for your decision to ban/support this book. This is formal! This is to be written as if sent to an imaginary school board. 4)Revise and edit draft. 5)Complete final draft of the written campaign.  Once you have selected a book to use for your project, you will decide whether you want to ban it in a school/library or support it in a school/library.  You will complete the following steps: 1)Brainstorm 3 major reasons for banning or supporting the book. 2)Find 2 quotes that support each reason for banning or supporting the book. That is 6 quotes in total. 3)Draft a 1 – 2 page single spaced explanation for your decision to ban/support this book. This is formal! This is to be written as if sent to an imaginary school board. 4)Revise and edit draft. 5)Complete final draft of the written campaign.

Part II: Visual Campaign  You will create a visual advertisement campaign that depicts your decision to ban or support your book selection.  Your visual campaign must be an original piece or artwork, photograph, or mixed media piece.  To complete this, you must have done your written aspect first in order to have a real understanding of why you have made your decision.  Example ideas: Political cartoons or censored text (this can work either way…you would need more on there to show your position). You may come up with anything! There are few restrictions on this part of the project.  Suggestion: Include quotes and/or selections from professions reviews of the book.  NO STICK FIGURES. See next bullet.  Presentation counts. This is creative and requires a significant amount of effort. Should you decide not to take this aspect of the project seriously, your grade will reflect that attitude.  You will create a visual advertisement campaign that depicts your decision to ban or support your book selection.  Your visual campaign must be an original piece or artwork, photograph, or mixed media piece.  To complete this, you must have done your written aspect first in order to have a real understanding of why you have made your decision.  Example ideas: Political cartoons or censored text (this can work either way…you would need more on there to show your position). You may come up with anything! There are few restrictions on this part of the project.  Suggestion: Include quotes and/or selections from professions reviews of the book.  NO STICK FIGURES. See next bullet.  Presentation counts. This is creative and requires a significant amount of effort. Should you decide not to take this aspect of the project seriously, your grade will reflect that attitude.

Due Date? Other information?  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26.  It counts as a test grade.  PRESENTATION COUNTS.  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26.  It counts as a test grade.  PRESENTATION COUNTS.