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Introducing: The Caribbean Unit!

Posted on February 27, 2025

WWB Campus is pleased to unveil our unit of stories and poems from the Caribbean! This diverse collection offers students and educators entry points into important topics such as migration, natural disaster, identity, and family history.

Our new collection includes 21 stories and poems from 7 countries and territories and 5 languages. Of these pieces, 14 are published bilingually, making them an excellent fit for multilingual learners.

The literature of the Caribbean, like everywhere else, embraces all realities, from the squalid to the sublime, transforming them into something fresh and unique. 

In a brand new critical essay for WWB Campus (translated from French by Paul Curtis Daw), Haitian novelist and scholar Évelyne Trouillot offers a look at the history of the region and guides readers through the unit. 

Wondering where to begin? Here are a few highlights:

  • "Black Spring," an oral history of growing up after the Cuban revolution, featuring videos on Cuban history, resources on censorship, and creative comic-making assignments
  • "Self-Portrait," a humorous persona poem from the Dominican Republic, featuring a video performance from the author, the original Spanish text, and prompts for autobiographical writing
  • "Bruises," a Puerto Rican story of friendship, bullying, and queer identity, featuring author videos in Spanish and English, lesson plans on making inferences, and resources on LGBTQ+ rights
  • "Women's Fantasies," an ode to womanhood from Martinique that challenges gender stereotypes, featuring an exclusive bilingual author interview, background on Greek mythology, and creative prompts for writing odes
  • "January 12, 2010," a firsthand account of Haiti’s shattering earthquake, featuring survival stories from the quake, critical resources on disaster relief, and trauma-informed lesson plans for teaching difficult topics

Wondering how to start teaching the unit? We have a few suggestions:

  • Teach ENL? Check out NYC teacher Stephanie Chiu’s slideshow scaffolding “Poem for Children with Trouble Sleeping,” a high-interest, low reading level poem from Haiti that puts a dark spin on a lullaby.
  • Teach creative writing? Show students how to put a twist on classic fairy tales with the rollicking Cuban story “Cinderella’s Secret Dream.”  
  • Teach college students? Try the more advanced “We Cried a River of Laughter,” a personal essay from a Haitian Italian writer that tackles Haitian diaspora, marronnage, and an imagined homecoming.

How are you using the Caribbean unit in your classroom? Let us know and you could be featured on the WWB Campus blog!