Does Censorship A ffect L iteracy?

1. Does Censorship Affect Literacy? Organized Book Drive and Held Small Reading Groups With Students Renee Rose

2. Why I Chose My Topic • I chose my topic because I have always thought that a love of reading contributes to a better ability to comprehend and learn. Literacy is important to function in everyday life. • I believe the decreased interest in reading in the world today is in direct correlation with a lack of reading material that interests students.

3. What is Book Censorship? • Books = most frequently banned materials. • What is book censorship? • Challenge: attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. • Banning: complete removal of these materials.

4. Why Are Books Banned? • Most common reasons for banning: • Offensive language • Sexual content • Political grounds • Religious beliefs • Violence

5. Censorship • From 1990- 2000, 6,000+ challenges were made. • In 2001, Harry Potter was the most challenged book. • Books recently challenged and/or banned include: • The Perks of Being a Wallflower • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time • The Catcher in the Rye

6. Statistics • 2/3 of students that cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare • According to UNICEF, "Nearly a billion people worldwide are unable to read a book or sign their names and two thirds of them are women.”

7. Why is Literacy Important? • In the United States, an estimated 30 million people over the age of 16 read no better than the average elementary school child. • The ability to read and write is the basis for all other education. • Without literacy skills, today’s adults will struggle to take part in the world around them and fail to reach their full potential as parents, community members, and employees.

8. Obstacles in Research • Finding new information • Finding new and reliable sources. • Time management. • Forming a question to research.

9. Success in Research • My interest in my topic gave me a better understanding of the statistics. • Learned skills in time management. • Developed writing skills. • Learned research skills. • Passed my paper!

10. Link Between Research and Product • My research was related to my topic in that it focused on literacy and encouraged literacy in students. I used my product to state the importance of literacy to an audience.

11. My Product

12. What This Project Taught Me • Organization • Time management • Planning skills • Working closely with new people • The importance of literacy

13. What I Learned About Myself • Branching out of my comfort zone • Gained some confidence in my communication skills • I work more efficiently on projects concerning topics that I am passionate about • Reaffirmed my belief in the harm that censorship can cause with its effect on literacy

14. Benefits for the Future • College • Learned how to better manage time for college. • Learned how to research and develop a paper. • Learned how to organize and stay organized. • Career • I want to be a child psychiatrist and my project offered a lot of experience working with children. • Learned better communication skills which is really important for the job field I want to enter.

15. Was It Worthwhile? • Yes, this project was worthwhile. • It taught me organization and planning. • It gave me experience working with other people and forced me out of my comfort zone which is something very valuable as it will be used in everyday life.

16. Thank You For Your Time Do you have any questions?