Jason Reynold’s Patina novel study full lessons, CLICK HERE for TpT.
Clipart from Queen’s Educational Resources HERE
Reading can be a powerful tool for learning, but it’s not always easy to make the material engaging for students. That’s why teachers often turn to books like Jason Reynold’s Patina. This award-winning novel is both entertaining and educational, making it an ideal choice for introducing topics in literature and history. Let’s look at how you can use Patina in your classroom.
Patina as an Educational Tool
Jason Reynold’s Patina is a story about an African American girl who competes in track and field events. As she struggles with her own self-doubt, she learns to rely on her family and friends for support as she works towards her dreams of competing in the Olympics. Themes of strength, resilience, and family are explored throughout the novel, making it a great introduction to any discussion about identity or perseverance.
Historical Context In addition to exploring these important themes, Jason Reynold’s Patina also provides teachers with the opportunity to introduce historical context into their lessons. Set in Washington D.C., the novel features references to iconic monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial and Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. These references can be used as jumping off points for lessons on U.S history or civil rights movements that took place in Washington D.C. Furthermore, they provide students with a more concrete connection to the major events discussed in class.
Activities That Enhance Learning Through Patina
Patina offers educators many opportunities to engage their students through activities that explore topics further than what is discussed in the book alone. For example, teachers can have their students create art projects based on different themes from the book such as perseverance, identity or friendship. Additionally, teachers may opt for virtual field trips that explore some of Washington D.C.’s most famous landmarks referenced throughout the novel such as The White House or The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. By taking advantage of activities such as these, teachers can ensure that their students are truly engaged in learning about topics related to Patina during class time.
Themes in Patina
Patina tells the story of an eleven year old girl named Patty who struggles to find her identity in the world. Throughout her journey, she learns about resilience, courage, and self-acceptance. These themes provide excellent learning opportunities for students as they can relate to Patty’s struggles and use them as a way to gain insight into their own lives. It is important for teachers to provide support and guidance when discussing these topics with their students so that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions.
Integrating Technology
Technology can play an integral role when teaching literature such as Patina in the classroom. For example, teachers can create online discussion forums where students can share their thoughts on what they have read or watched related to this book, such as TED talks or interviews with Jason Reynolds himself. In addition, teachers can assign projects that require students to create multimedia presentations or short films that explore either one of the themes from the book or even just Patty’s character arc over the course of the novel. These activities will help engage students in meaningful conversations and discussions about the text while also allowing them to explore different aspects of technology and media literacy.
CLICK HERE for the Digital Course Above.
Incorporating Life Experiences
When teaching literature such as Patina, it is important for teachers to incorporate real-life experiences into their lesson plans whenever possible. Doing so will help show students how literature is relevant to their everyday lives and how it can be used as a tool for personal growth and development. For example, instructors could ask students questions such as “How has Patty’s experience been similar/different than yours?” or “What do you think are some ways we can learn from Patty’s experiences?” By engaging with these types of questions, instructors will help foster student reflection on both them and the text being taught in class.
Help Students Analyze Text
Patina is filled with metaphors and figurative language that students can use to interpret the text. A great exercise for students is to identify these literary elements and explain how they contribute to the overall story of Patina. This helps students make connections between literature and real life while strengthening their analytical skills.
Encourage Discussions
One of the most powerful aspects of Patina is its ability to spark meaningful conversations among students. Themes such as acceptance, bullying, courage, and belonging are all explored in depth throughout the novel. Asking questions like “What did you learn from reading this book?” or “What would you do if you were Patina?” will help get your students thinking critically about these themes while allowing them to express themselves openly in a safe environment.
Patina by Jason Reynolds is a great way for educators to bring their lessons alive while introducing important topics such as identity and perseverance into their classroom discussions. In addition to providing historical context on Washington D.C., this award-winning novel gives educators access to engaging activities that allow them to explore themes featured throughout the book even further! With its combination of entertainment and education value, Patina is sure to become one of your go-to resources when teaching literature or history!
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