Literature that Supports Understanding and Knowledge of Diversities:
a. Title: Esperanza Rising
b. Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
c. Genre: Historical Fiction
d. Culture Represented: Mexican Culture
e. Summary of the text: A young girl named Esperanza lives on a farm in Mexico with her family. After her father is murdered, Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee to California where they move to a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza struggles with her new lifestyle. Because of the Great Depression, Esperanza and her mom are now poor and they have to work very hard on the farm. Esperanza also faces a lack of acceptance because of her Mexican heritage. Because of all these factors, Esperanza must find a way to rise above all of her difficult circumstances.
f. Ideal method for implementing this book within my classroom as part of a culturally responsive pedagogy:
i. I would read this book together as a class. After we finished reading the book and have had discussions about it throughout, I would like to have students journal about a time where they felt they weren’t being accepted by others. We will discuss how Esperanza felt like she didn’t belong because of her Mexican heritage. Students can write about when they felt like they didn’t belong. What was it like? What made you feel that way? How did people treat you? Did this change? When did it change? What helped you eventually feel accepted? Through this assignment, students will be able to put themselves in Esperanza’s situation in order to relate to how she felt and also recognize the similarities they have with someone of another culture.
Book 2:
a. Title: One Crazy Summer
b. Author: Rita Williams- Garcia
c. Genre: Historical Fiction
d. Culture Represented: African- American Culture
e. Summary of the text: The story takes place in the summer of 1968. Historically, it’s the summer after Black Panther founder Huey Newton was jailed. Three black sisters from Brooklyn travel to California to spend time with their mom, a poet who left them years before to live in Oakland. When the daughters arrive, their mother is distant and cold. She sends the girls to a center run by the Black Panther Party, where they spend a lot of time learning about the revolution. This story raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility.
f. Ideal method for implementing this book within my classroom as part of a culturally responsive pedagogy:
i. It would be nice to read this book as a class and have frequent discussions about certain cultural aspects of the story, such as, what the Black Panthers was, what the revolution was all about, etc. I would like students to become aware of African- American culture and history. I could read this book during Black History Month and I could also use it to align with what I was teaching in social studies. As a writing extension, I could ask students to write about how they spent one of their summer vacations and they could compare it to how the three sisters in the story spent theirs.
Book 3:
a. Title: Encounter
b. Author: Jane Yolen
c. Genre: Historical Fiction
d. Culture Represented: Native American Culture
e. Summary of the text: This story takes place in 1492 when Christopher Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador. It is told from a young Taino Indian boy’s point of view and shows the other, darker perspective of the story of Christopher Columbus. The story follows the young boy’s attempts to warn his people about Christopher Columbus and his men.
f. Ideal method for implementing this book within my classroom as part of a culturally responsive pedagogy:
i. This book would be great to use for a lesson about Christopher Columbus. I would use Critical Literacy to inform students about different perspectives. In school, students are usually only taught the one perspective of how Christopher Columbus was a hero who discovered America. I think it would be great for students to hear the story from the perspective of the Native Americans. First, I would ask students to think about what they know about Christopher Columbus, and then I would read them the “hero” story of Christopher Columbus. Afterwards, I would ask students to think about how the Native Americans might have felt and how they would feel if they were the Native Americans. Then, we would read Encounter. Afterwards, we would have a discussion about how the two perspectives of Christopher Columbus were very different. I would then provide students with a writing assignment where they would write about their opinion.
a. Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
b. Author: Grace Lin
c. Genre: Children’s Literature
d. Culture Represented: Chinese Culture
e. Summary of the text: The story is a cross between fantasy and Chinese Folklore. A young girl names Minli lives in the Valley of Fruitless Mountain with her parents. The family is very poor and when they aren’t working, Minli’s father tells her many old Chinese folktales. One story in particular is about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon. It is believed that The Old Man on the Moon knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Minli becomes intrigued by this story and decides to go on a journey to ask the Old Man on the Moon how to change her family’s fortune.
f. Ideal method for implementing this book within my classroom as part of a culturally responsive pedagogy:
i. I would read this book as a class, but also have students read assigned chapters at home. Throughout the reading of the story, we would have several discussions. After the reading of the story is finished, I could have students research the importance of storytelling and folklore in Chinese culture. This would provide students with a deeper understanding of a culture different than their own. After students learn more about the tradition of storytelling in China, groups of students can research some popular Chinese folktales. Each group can pick a story to present to the class.
Book 5:
a. Title: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu
b. Author: Wendy Wan-Long Shang
c. Genre: Realistic Fiction
d. Culture Represented: Chinese Culture
e. Summary of the text: The main character, Lucy, believes that she is going to have the best school year ever. However, that all changes when her father comes home from China and brings Lucy’s great-aunt, Yi-Po, with him. Lucy is forced to share a room with her. Yi-Po doesn’t speak English, and she only cooks Chinese food; two things Lucy is extremely annoyed by. On top of having to be roommates with her great-aunt, Lucy must also attend Chinese school every Saturday. Lucy is content with her American life and doesn’t wish to speak Chinese or practice Chinese traditions. Eventually, after spending time with Yi-Po, Lucy learns about Yi-Po’s life during China’s Cultural Revolution and she begins to appreciate her Chinese culture.
f. Ideal method for implementing this book within my classroom as part of a culturally responsive pedagogy:
i. I would use this book as a way to get students to learn about their own cultures. After we read the story, I could have students interview someone at home that could tell them about their culture (I.E- a parent or grandparent). Students could write about their culture (such as, traditions, holidays, and family stories) and share it with the class. We could have a “Cultural Show and Tell” where students can share what they learned about their culture and they can also bring in something from their culture, such as food, pictures, music, etc. This activity would provide students with the opportunity to learn more about their classmates, as well as new information about a variety of cultures.
No comments:
Post a Comment