Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
After interviewing a community member who has endured hardship, high school students practice their ELA skills—and their empathy—to turn it into a public performance.
As a part of the EL Education network, Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine strives to make work meaningful and relevant to students. In longtime teacher Susan McCray’s 11th grade English Language Arts classroom, students strengthen their writing skills, tap into creativity, and develop a deep sense of empathy through a storytelling expedition. In this multi-step project, groups of four students interview people in the community who have shown strength in the face of hardship or injustice. Each group meets with its interviewee twice, honing in on stories of courage and resilience. They record both interview sessions, transcribe them, and then get to work to bring it to life on stage.
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#literacy #socialemotionallearning #englishlanguage #englishlanguageandliterature
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
After interviewing a community member who has endured hardship, high school students practice their ELA skills—and their empathy—to turn it into a public performance.
As a part of the EL Education network, Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine strives to make work meaningful and relevant to students. In longtime teacher Susan McCray’s 11th grade English Language Arts classroom, students strengthen their writing skills, tap into creativity, and develop a deep sense of empathy through a storytelling expedition. In this multi-step project, groups of four students interview people in the community who have shown strength in the face of hardship or injustice. Each group meets with its interviewee twice, honing in on stories of courage and resilience. They record both interview sessions, transcribe them, and then get to work to bring it to life on stage.
For more strategies on literacy, visit: edutopia.org/topic/literacy
Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: edut.to/3wEVHUh
*Follow us here:*
Official Website: https://edutopia.org
YouTube: youtube.com/c/edutopia
Facebook: facebook.com/edutopia
Instagram: instagram.com/edutopia
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/edutopia.org
#literacy #socialemotionallearning #englishlanguage #englishlanguageandliterature
© 2025 George Lucas Educational Foundation
