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Literature for Empowerment
In my New Literacies and Global Media course, we discussed literature for sparking discussions about social justice issues. I used the story Last Stop on Market Street for a book talk to display human kindness and the diversity of life. Using literature to introduce young students to important topics whether it is about the environment, economics or gender equality is crucial if we want them to grow up to be compassionate and contributing global citizens. "High-quality multicultural literature sets the stage for students to grapple with real-life problems and to understand different possible solutions." (Au, 2000)
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This is a powerful video about educator Erin Gruwell, who empowered her students to tell their stories and then explore literature with characters who went through similar struggles in life.
Using literature as a platform to share your voice was stressed in my Teachers as Writers course. Reading like a writer, exploring an author's craft, being empowered by the way the author shared their perspective, are all ways that my students can be empowered to share their voice. Using literature about real issues and topics that are relevant to our students' lives makes learning personal. "Connecting through culture provides a way for students to build from the familiar to the unfamiliar and learn unfamiliar content in meaningful ways." (Watanabe Kganesto, 2016)
Standards Addressed
Social Studies:
K.C.1.1 Explain similarities in self and others.
K.E.1.1 Explain how families have needs and wants.
ELA:
RL.K.3 With guidance and support, identify characters and settings in a familiar story.
RL.K.9 With guidance and support, identify the experiences of a character in a familiar story.
Resources
(2015, April 08). Retrieved April 28, 2019, from https://youtu.be/h4mF7CP3rSM
Au, K. H. (2000). A multicultural perspective on policies for improving literacy achievement: equity and excellence. M. L. Kami, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 835-851). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kganetso, L. M. (2016). Creating and Using Culturally Sustaining Informational Texts. The Reading Teacher,70(4), 445-455.
Peña, M. D., & Robinson, C. (2017). Last stop on Market Street. London: Puffin.
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