Scenarios of Intellectual Freedom for grades 4-8

Possible questions between parents and teachers. These possibilities are realistic and open ended so that you may try out your ideas in a role play situation.

1. You and your team teacher are reading aloud the “latest” hot series that is also made into a film (use Harry Potter series perhaps as your example but The Golden Compass series or any fantasy series works). You receive a complaint from two parents that do not want their children to hear any book that contains any element of witchcraft. They want you to stop reading the book aloud.

2. Your classroom library in the 6th grade contains some young adult novels that have won awards and been selected for youth choice awards. You have many levels of reading in your classroom library ranging from 3rd grade to adult. You receive a complaint that there is a swear word, boyfriend/girlfriend, and even one that hinted at a boy/boy relationship ideas in some of your books (books such as Eight Seconds by Jean Ferris about the rodeo and a gay star,  and Stargirl  by Jerry Spinelli about a non-conformist first love. These books are listed as sixth grade reading level). They want you to remove all books that are not listed as 6th grade reading level.

3. Your  reading class is divided into self- selected reading circles in grade 7. (teen titles such as Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mickelson juvenile delinquent set to Alaskan island for alternative tribal time ,  Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap, juvenile delinquent on the loose after being accused of murder are chosen) Two parents complain that students should be reading curriculum to pass the state reading test and not be just talking about a teen book with their friends.

4. At your 7th grade open house, 2 parents  approach you with concerns about your summer reading list they received from their child’s 6th grade teacher and your open letter to parents about your reading philosophy. The list includes recent award winners selected for early teens or tweens and your philosophy includes free reading time and student selection of some of their reading material. They strongly believe that their students should be reading classics not new popular books and they are against open reading time during class. They want their students to be reading classics such as Moby Dick,  Tale of Two Cities, and The Yearling.

5.  Your middle school has a reading testing program ( Accelerated Reader or Reading Counts) and one of your students scores at the twelve grade reading level. In order to receive  credit for reading class, he or she must read books at the twelve grade level ( such as Hiroshima or Hunchback of Notre Dame). The parents complain that their son/daughter is a great reader but should be allowed to choose a variety of titles including a mixture of current teen titles, classics of his/her selection and popular books others are reading and not be limited to the tests the schools has for 12 th grade.