Digital Student Program: Dana Canedy

Celebrating Black History Month, Kentucky to the World is proud to offer our first video-based, online program designed for students, featuring one of the most accomplished members of the American Arts and Letters community, Dana Canedy. 

In a two-pronged, pre-recorded digital student program, Pulitzer-Prize winner Dana Canedy responds to students’ questions. An additional segment of the student program is hosted by Atherton High School Media Arts students Adison Schanie and Kayden Mulrooney.

Access the full conversation between Dana Canedy and Rick Green here.

Curriculum resources for teachers and students

To support student learning, we are providing supplemental information linked to additional online resources. We have included suggestions and prompts that you may want to use to develop your own lessons, as well as encourage further research, analysis, writing, discussion, and presentations by students.

Kentucky to the World understands that each school is responsible for designing a curriculum that is appropriate for the students in that school, and that teachers are responsible for designing lessons that implement the school and district curriculum. The supplemental information, linked resources, essential questions, and prompts for student work presented here should be understood as suggestions. You may use these suggestions in designing your own teaching and learning modules that engage students in learning about the content presented. It goes without saying that we encourage modification, expansion, or further development of each student assignment suggestion.

Click the link below for more information on our supplemental resources.

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For more information or collaboration inquiries, please contact our Education Consultant, David Thurmond, at dxthurmond@gmail.com.

FEATURED SPEAKER: DANA CANEDY

1. Learn about Dana’s recent accomplishments and groundbreaking career. Here are a couple great places to start:  

   Pulitzer Administrator Dana Canedy Steps Down To Accept Publisher Role at Simon & Schuster

   Simon & Schuster Names Dana Canedy New Publisher

2. Read something written by Ms. Canedy; her articles, her Pulitzer Prize winning 2001 New York Times series on race in America, or her bestselling 2008 memoir, “A Journal for Jordon” which is currently being made into a movie directed by Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan. 

3. Learning more about the Pulitzer Prizes is a truly fascinating exercise, and it will help you form your question for Ms. Canedy.  And that is just the beginning. You might be interested that recent Pulitzer winners include Kendrick Lamar, the Tony Award winning musical, “Hamilton,” and Louisville Courier Journal.

   DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

   Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda

   Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.

question guide 

Regarding her career:

•  The influence of her Kentucky roots; her family, the schools she attended, her adult mentors, etc.

• Her thoughts on any opportunities taken (and missed) along the way in her distinguished career 

• The personal career goals YOU have for your life and any advice she may have in response

Regarding her skillset: 

• The importance of media literacy for students or the ways in which she learned to be an effective communicator.  

• Her research process and advice for young writers

• The amount of discipline required to be successful and any advice she may have for how to effectively schedule yourself for big projects in the future. 

Regarding the Pulitzer Prizes and Simon and Schuster:

• Her  perspective and advice on the value of using the online resources of the Pulitzer Prizes and Simon and Schuster as a launching pad for research, additional reading, watching, listening, and writing, as well as for virtual discussions and online student presentations

• Her thoughts on being the first woman, first African American and youngest person to ever be appointed as the administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes

• Her dreams and goals for the future in her new role at Simon and Schuster 

Regarding historical and contemporary social, political and cultural issues:

• Her life’s work in addressing the issues of equity, equality, class, race and racism, gender issues, and sexism and any advice she has about working objectively and honestly when writing about deeply personal issues

• Her views on issues, pressures, challenges, and opportunities faced by young people today that are different from those she faced as she was maturing into adulthood

• How the tragedies of wars and violence have affected her life and the lives of countless other Americans and her thoughts on the ever-growing militarization of America both domestically and abroad

Or, ignore all of these suggestions and come up with something all your own to ask Dana! We look forward to hearing from you! 

Submit Your Student Review of “A Journal for Jordan”

WHO CAN SUBMIT A REVIEW?

• Any Kentucky middle or high school student.

• Reviews may be solo or with a partner.

HOW LONG CAN MY VIDEO REVIEW BE?

Your review should be no longer than five minutes.

WHO WILL JUDGE MY VIDEO REVIEW?

Members of the Kentucky to the World creative team, a group of professional bloggers, filmmakers, and educators.

WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR JUDGING MY VIDEO?

• Do you present a cogent introduction to your review?

• Do you provide a concise summary of the plot or story of the movie?

• Do you give a clear explanation of how well the actors developed their characters?

• Do you effectively explain and analyze the main theme of the film?

• Do you present well reasoned explanations of why you would recommend (or not recommend) the film to others?

• Do you present a summary that ties your comments together?

MAKE IT LOOK GOOD! 

Pick a location that represents you well. May we suggest, unless you have developed it into a well lit studio, your basement might not be the best choice! The number one and two considerations are lighting (so we can see you) and sound (so we can hear you).

Remember you want to represent yourself well. Having said that, no, you are not required to wear a coat and tie or skirt and blouse, but keep in mind that your review may be seen by a lot of people, so if you wouldn’t post it on your own social media, it probably won’t make the cut for this video either.  

MAKE IT SOUND GOOD! 

Script your review so you won’t stumble and mumble. You want to maintain your audience’s interest so that they stay with you all the way through your review.

Record your review on the best available recording equipment. If that is your phone….fine!

Follow the link below to submit your video through our Google Form.

WHAT PRIZES CAN I WIN?

The first twenty students to submit video reviews will receive a customized deck of Kentucky to the World Illustrated Playing Cards

1st Prize – A day on set with the Kentucky to the World video team.

2nd Prize – $50 gift card to any Cinemark theater.

3rd Prize - $25 gift card to any Cinemark theatre.