Middle School Class Teams With Nationwide Project To Publish Book

GREENDALE, WI — An 8th-grade social studies class in Greendale, led by Teacher Erin McCarthy, is publishing a 63-page book about their American identity, schooling in a pandemic and more, a news release said.

The book is woven from dozens of individual student short stories on various topics. Many focused on their experiences learning during the pandemic, but others concentrate on family challenges, loss and transitions, according to a spokesperson for Greendale Schools.

The class teamed up with the nationwide We Are America project to publish the book. The Project was founded by a class at Lowell High School in Massachusetts in 2019. Those high school students initially sought to define what they thought it meant to be an American. The WAA Project has since expanded to classrooms across America, including Ms. McCarthy's in Greendale.

In much the same way as the original high school class, the project led Greendale students on a process where they first learned about American identity. They then looked for connections between their own story and the larger story of American identity. Afterward, they wrote poems reflecting on how they as individuals connect to the world around them. These poems provided a foundation for short stories they wrote.

Those short stories will now be published, turning the class's experience into its very own time capsule. Stories will also be published online amongst the other students nationwide participating in the project.

Dozens of teachers from all corners of America have signed on to the project. Each has led the production of a book for their own class. Over 1500 students nationwide have participated, according to the project website.