8 Video Lessons to Use for Banned Books Week
Take a look at our collection of video lessons for Banned Books Week on works of literature that have been banned in the past and may still be challenged today.
Illustration by Edpuzzle Staff
For the past 40 years, Banned Books Week has brought attention to the most challenged titles in schools and libraries, some of which might surprise you.
In recent years, some of these include the Harry Potter series, The Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, and the Bible.
In fact, according to the organizers of Banned Books Week:
ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources in 2023. The number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by OIF in more than 20 years of tracking: 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries. This tops the previous high from 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts.
The 2024 theme for Banned Books Week is “Freed Between the Lines,” and here at Edpuzzle we’ve put together some resources to celebrate that theme. Below you’ll find a list of Edpuzzle Original video lessons featuring books, poems, and authors who have been banned at some point in history.
Take a look to see which video lessons are right for your students, and encourage them to “Freed” Between the Lines!
A Video Lesson on “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman’s famous poem appears in the collection Leaves of Grass, which has been banned in the past.
In this lesson specifically, students will analyze the use of speaker and structure in Section 1 of the poem.
A Video Lesson on “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
Banned in some states in the early 1970s, this poem by Gwendolyn Brooks is the topic of our video lesson in which students will analyze the use of rhyme, alliteration, rhythm, and theme.
A Video Lesson on “I Am Offering This Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca
In this lesson, students will analyze the use of repetition and figurative language in Jimmy Santiago Baca's poem "I am Offering This Poem."
It had been banned in the past because the author was incarcerated at one point in time.
A Video Lesson on “Women” by Alice Walker
This poem has not been banned, but its author, Alice Walker, is no stranger to having her work challenged.
Her novel, The Color Purple, has been banned in the past and is still banned today in some parts of the United States.
A Video Lesson on Anne Frank
The Diary of Anne Frank is a frequently challenged book and has been banned in the past.
In this lesson, students will explore what life was like for Jewish people in Europe during World War II by examining Anne Frank’s diary entries and learning about her time in the Secret Annex.
A Video Lesson on "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
Did you know that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass where this poem was taken from, have both been banned at some point?
In this video lesson, students will use their knowledge of syntax and connotation to analyze the meaning of this classic poem.
A Video Lesson on "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood
Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s works are frequently banned, above all, The Handmaid’s Tale.
Here in this video lesson, students will analyze the tone and structure of the poem “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, including its use of persuasive techniques.
A Video Lesson on "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe is also a frequently banned author. Collections of his works have been banned as well as his most famous short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Students will analyze the narrator of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” through the lenses of diction and tone in this video lesson.
We hope you find these lessons useful, and remember to share your plans for Banned Books Week with the Edpuzzle teaching community on Twitter!