What is critical literacy?

1. What is critical literacy? • “Critical perspectives push the definition of literacy beyond traditional decoding of words in order to reproduce the meaning of text or society until it becomes a means for understanding one’s own history and culture, to recognize connections between one’s life and the social structure, to believe that change in one’s life, and the lives of others and society are possible as well as desirable, and to act on this new knowledge in order to foster equal and just participation in all decisions that affect and control our lives.” Shannon

2. Characteristics of books (picture or otherwise) that teach for critical literacy • 1) They don’t make difference invisible, but rather explore what differences make a difference • 2) They enrich our understanding of history and life by giving voice to those who traditionally have been silenced or marginalized. • 3) They show how people can begin to take action on important social issues. • 4) They explore dominant systems of meaning that operate in our society to position people and groups of people-helping us question why certain groups are positioned as “others” • 5) They don’t provide “happily ever after” endings for complex social problems • 6) They depict multiple and contradictory perspectives

3. 1) Disrupting the commonplace 2) Interrogating multiple viewpoints 3) Focusing on sociopolitical issues 4) Taking action and promoting social justice

4. 1) According to Benedict and Carlisle (1992) "[...Picture books] can add depth to a specific topic by providing detailed information that is often missing from textbooks"(Farris & Fuhler, 1994, p. 381). 2) "[...P]icture books also lend themselves to presenting sometimes difficult or sensitive concepts to children in a palatable manner"(Farris and Fuhler, 1994, p. 381). 3) "[P]icture books can be used to pique student's curiosity as a new unit is introduced"(Farris and Fuhler, 1994, p. 381). example: Deborah Hopkinson's Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (1993) describes how slaves embedded a map of the underground railroad within a quilt to help them plan their escape. This book can be used to start a unit on slavery What picture books do for Social Studies:Farris, P.J., & Fuhler, C.J. (1994). Developing social studies concepts through picture books. The Reading Teacher, 47(5), 380-387.

5. The Alphabet Thematic Unit is based on the following pieces of literature: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom; Q is for Duck; Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten; and Tomorrow's Alphabet. This reproducible resource is filled with ready-to-use lessons and cross-curricular activities. Also included are management ideas, creative suggestions for the classroom, a list of software resources, and a bibliography. Activities/Projects:

6. How would you like to read a book that makes you feel sad and happy at the same time? Well, I just did. The name of the book is When I was Young in the Mountains. Hello, my name is Charlene Anderson. This book was about a little girl who lived in the mountains with her grandparents. I liked the pictures in the book, but my favorite was when the grandfather came home from the coal mine with dust all over his face. The only part that was clean on his face was his lips and he would use them to kiss the top of the girl's forehead. Even though this family is poor, they are still rich with love. I think you should read this book, because it's sometimes good to feel happy and sad at the same time. Diversity in Culture:

7. "A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry (1992) depicts life from 1400 to 1990 in the Nashua River Valley [...]. The book details how, over a period of several decades, people can greatly damage the environment. It also depicts how the environment can be restored and maintained (p. 382)." The book explains how English settlers in 1600, completely destroyed Native American's hunting land for farming. Environment:

8. The class can read, The Terrible Eek, a Japanese legend, retold by Patricia A. Compton (1991) about misunderstanding and miscommunication. Activity: Following reading this, "the class may discuss similar incidents in their own lives and what can be done to alleviate misunderstandings through miscommunication. [This discussion can be furthered...] by posing the question 'How does this apply to history?' Responses can be recorded on chart paper [...]"(p. 383). Cultural Traditions:

9. Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Sharmat (1980) is a story about a boy who moves from New York and Arizona. Activity: This book can be used to get students discussing "[...] the advantages and disadvantages of locations, including where they live, different cities or states, or different countries. [The class can also do...] writing activities, such as what it is like to move to a new location and school or how different climates affect activities such as sports"(p. 383). Geography:

10. Read: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Jeffers (1991). The book includes a famous environmental speech given by Chief Seattle in the 1800s. The book includes a disclaimer that indicate's the book does not include the original speech. There are also multiple discrepancies in the book. "For instance, the text of the speech makes reference to buffaloes, animals Chief Seattle never saw in his lifetime since he lived in the Pacific Northwest. His tribesmen did not ride horses, although they are depicted on horseback in the book. In addition, the illustrations portray Chief Seattle wearing the full headdress of the Sioux Indian tribe, which lived on the Plains not in the Pacific Northwest region"( p. 384). Activity: This book can not only be used to teach about the environment, but it also helps students to realize that they cannot accept everything they read. They must analyze the content. This can be a springboard for students to critically examine their textbooks. Helping Students to Critically Examine Picture Books:

11. Read: Ten Little Rabbits by Grossman (1991). This book discusses ten Native American tribes of the West. It is a book that has been highly criticized by Native Americans, because it "depicts Native Americans as rabbits, which are small animals, largely unable to protect themselves from their enemies"(p. 385). Activitiy: The class can discuss this issue and extend it into "the current issue of Native American groups resenting the Native American names used by professional sports teams. [...This can help] students to examine the concept of cultural respect" (p. 385). Sociology:

12. Read: Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley (1991) which is about a young girl searching in the neighborhood for her brother, and she sees families from many cultures cooking various rice meals for their dinners. Activity: This book can be used to show how cultures have similarities. "To extend this idea, students might keep track of what they eat for a week and then share their results in a class chart indicating how many had hamburgers, pizza, [...] etc., during that weeklong period of time"(p.385). COOKING CULTURE

13. References • Shannon : • Critical literacy: A questioning stance and the possibility for change. Cynthia Mcdaniel The Reading Teacher volume 57 (2004) • Taking on critical literacy: The journey of newcomers and novices Lewison, Flint, Van Sluys Language Arts 79 (2002). • Farris, P.J., & Fuhler, C.J. (1994). Developing social studies concepts through picture books. The Reading Teacher, 47(5), 380-387. • Farris, P.J., & Fuhler, C.J. (1994). Developing social studies concepts through picture books. The Reading Teacher, 47(5), 380-387. • Kieff, J. (2003). From social action to civil disobedience to resistance: Young people can change the world. Journal of Children's Literature, 29(1), 98-102 7. Carr, S. et al. (2001). Not just for primary grades: A bibliography of picture books for secondary content teachers. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 45(2), 146-153.

14. Picture Story Books and Critical Literacy ELED 416 Sp 06 Dr. Steve Wolk • Sarah Plotnick  • Michael Courington • Samuel Lasco