2020 Invitational Summer Institute

Primary Sources and Picture Books

Explore some possibilities...

Check out at least one blog post written by an elementary school library media specialist outside of St. Louis (and former teacher in residence at the Library of Congress) about teaching with picture books and using primary sources.

On a slide, share:

• a link to the blog post, and
• reflection on what you noticed and wondered about. Specifically, what possibilities for working within, beyond, and against stood out to you?

Don’t forget to gallery walk through the slides and make comments.

Pairing Picture Books with Primary Sources: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

I noticed… that pairing primary sources with storybooks touches upon ELA and Social Studies standards (which is always a plus in a district that undervalues Social Studies).

I wondered… what primary sources can I match with the storybooks I read? My students’ “capstone” requires them to do research on someone of their choice who has been persecuted, but persevered. I introduce possible research subjects by starting each class for a week (while they do preliminary research to find someone interesting to them) with a storybook about a potential subject. I have (embarrassingly) never thought about pairing these stories with primary sources!

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system… I worry that primary sources for certain research subjects whose books I read in class may be harder to find, as I encourage my students to choose people whose narratives are not as well known, but I think that could make for an important conversation about how so often our country has decided a people’s worth based on written record that is written in English. I also think about weaving this into a lesson about the power of youth voices in activism.

I’ve used this text several times, and there are some excellent videos available to support the text!

Picture Books and Primary Sources: All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel and Nabi H. Ali

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I noticed that the blogger stated that multiple readings of the book opened up different levels of inquiry for him... About the character’s life (since it’s based on a real person); about the inception of the ADA and its impact...about motivation

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I wonder if this would be a good resource to use in a morning meeting to open a discussion about the differences and challenges some of us face in our everyday lives, nd possible provide an opportunity for one of the students to connect and share

Picture Books and Primary Sources: Teaching and Learning from Home

https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/picture-books-and-primary-sources-teaching-and-learning-from-home/ Allison

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I noticed…the title first… I feel like when we got thrown into online teaching unexpectedly I became MUCH more of a learner on a daily basis while also teaching Additionally, I noticed the six ideas Tom offered for how children can access picture books at home.

I wondered…the question that Tom posed, how do we connect to students without internet access to engaging lessons. I also wonder about the considerations around communication that Tom refers to, I wonder what factors am I forgetting to consider, especially those that may not have been factors prior to online learning.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...I think about actionable steps and how to create good trouble and meaningful chance.

Engaging Students with Inquiry Using Primary Sources

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https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/engaging-students-with-inquiry-using-primary-sources/

I noticed… This particular blog text resonated with me as I continue to think about the work of Vivian Maria Vasquez’ critical literacy with young children. In her chapter Writing to Disrupt Inequities, it was through the ‘real curriculum’ (overhearing a conversation among some students that uncovered misconceptions about gender roles) that Vasquez used as a springboard to engage kindergarten students in critical literacy (inquiry) around gender. In our ‘mandated curriculum’ we have opportunities to embed spaces for these conversations to take place when using primary sources.

I wondered… I’m thinking how we might extend this work beyond history (social studies) and across all content and contexts within school. How might we also integrate this stance into teachers’ own beliefs about teaching and learning as we work as a collective.

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Pairing Picture Books with Primary Sources: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel click here for link - Mary

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This text is in the 3rd Grade Ready Gen curriculum. This book is a personal favorite and a great text to pair with a primary source. My partners and I actually pair it with a article about the Philadelphia strike. I loved seeing how Tom Bober used different primary sources.

I wondered how I can add more primary sources when reading this text and learning about the topic with my students. I love how the newspaper article is from Omaha, but Clara lives in NYC. Finding more primary sources, especially outside of the tri-state area would really teach the magnitude Clara had.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system, this story can still resonate today. Immigration is still an equal rights issues today! How could I even compare this story/topic with the immigrant farmers who face mistreatment today?

Picture Books and Primary Sources: All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel and Nabi H. Ali

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• I noticed that Mr. Bober gave some ideas on how this source could be used in the classroom on different grade levels. I noticed that he offered additional links to video sources that allowed the story of the book come alive of sorts. The character from this picture book is real and she has given interviews that can help solidify connections.
• I wondered if using this type of material and resources would motivate students to think about their own stories and how they can promote change.
• As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system I am

https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/picture-books-and-primary-sources-waiting-for-pumpsie-by-barry-wittenstein/

I noticed…

• Utilizing this text in a Kindergarten or first grade classroom would be a great way to help students understand the passing of time. Tom encourages students to look for evidence in the illustrations of time passing. This is a critical skill that we teach in the early grades, understanding the setting in a story. Tom shares, “The Boston team was the last Major League Baseball team to integrate. Pumpsie’s debut in 1959, more than twelve years after Jackie Robinson, gives the reader an understanding that the movement for integration is a long one”. I notice that very young children need a lot of support to understand sense of time. While developing a “historical mindset” with young learners, I think it is important to help them understand that these decisions did not happen overnight. It took a lot of time, effort, and dedication for these changes to be made throughout history.

I wondered…

• What other texts can I use to help support my students in understanding that big change takes time?
• What people could I bring into my classroom to tell stories about their personal journeys with enacting change and fighting for rights over time?
• How can I effectively utilize the primary source photographs of Pumpsie with my kindergarten students? How can I make the newspaper articles more accessible to young children?

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system…

• Picturebooks and stories that I have read about pertaining to this topic often focus solely on Jackie Robinson. I think it is also important for teachers to be critical of their classroom libraries and the books we select for read alouds in Kindergarten and first grade. I would use this text in my classroom and in thinking about working beyond the system, I would encourage my grade partners to utilize texts beyond the big names of Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, and look for opportunities to look beyond the stories and topics that we have always taught. I think teachers should be actively looking for ways to diversify their libraries and challenge the idea of “that’s how we’ve always done it”, which I’ve heard so often in collaborative planning meetings over the years.

Picture Books and Primary Sources: Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein

Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and Frank Morrison

• This spring, I tried to do an inquiry into “Should people be allowed to protest?” because I wanted to find a way to respond to what was happening with the civil unrest. This book, paired with interviews of children and their families gives a view of children before, during and after a march in Birmingham for Civil Rights.
• The primary source selection emphasizes the importance of the children’s planning and courage and conviction, allowing students to see what goes into protest or civil disobedience. This values the expertise of children. Depending on the lens you view it with, you can do different investigations and inquiries into the recordings and events.

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Picture Books and Primary Sources: Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes

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I noticed that maps were treated as living documents and as primary sources. I noticed how Tom Bober encouraged students to consider the mapmaker when thinking about the map. What did the mapmaker want to focus the viewer's’ attention on? Why? I noticed how maps become a way to think about how a place has changed over time. I reflected on how I’ve used maps in my classroom; they have always felt so 2D. This article has inspired me to consider how to make these maps an avenue for critical literacy.

I wondered if I could find a similarly rich picture book for Philadelphia. I wondered the many avenues I could use within my curriculum to incorporate map study. I wondered if I could connect with a cartographer who could come to our classroom to help us think about what considerations go into making a map. I wonder if I could give students an opportunity to create their own maps, thinking about what information they are including (or not) and thinking about how their map may represent a change over time.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system, I think about the way that geography is described within the 4th grade social studies standards. I think about how limiting that is, but about the avenues that exist for engaging with maps as part of critical literacy.

Picture Books and Primary Sources: Teaching and Learning from Home

https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/picture-books-and-primary-sources-teaching-and-learning-from-home/

I noticed that everyone has a degree of uncertainty and that’s ok and that there is a need to communicate with each other as educators.

I wondered how students who need the FTF time would react to having a read aloud on the computer and how would they communicate.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system the inequity in education becomes more blatant and disturbing when you see that students do not have the basics. The need for free internet and devices from their districts for learning during a pandemic and them not having it to learn is ridiculous. The entire section was contingent on students having access. We need to advocate for our kids.

Pairing Picture Books & Primary Sources:

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey�Click Here for Blog Post

I noticed…the title of Ramsey’s book because I have it in my classroom library. But bigger than that I noticed how Bober was trying to use the picture book and the green book (primary source) to make connections between geography and history.

I wondered…about how my students would feel about the primary sources, and how great of conversations could be started.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...I think using picture books and primary source together will help with going beyond and against the system while still having a foot within the system.

Picture Book

Primary Source

Insert blog post name / link here: https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/pairing-picture-books-and-primary-sources-when-washington-crossed-the-delaware-by-lynne-cheney-and-peter-m-fiore/

I noticed…Lynne Cheney’s name right away. I don’t like her. That drew me in.

I wondered…What would the blogger do with this author and subject matter?

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As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system, I am encouraged that he is aware that marginalized voices would be absent, and that he introduces the idea of “layering information” for young children. Washington is such a pivotal figure for the world, I began thinking of ways to layer primary sources that would counter the mythic status Washington possesses (what about indigenous maps, for instance; or, first-hand accounts of what Hercules was doing at this time).

Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford

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I noticed…that this pairing can be taught in ELA as well as History. I noticed that Tom really wanted to bring the “powerful emotions” out in his students and have them verbalize those feelings.

I wondered…if leading with the picture book is better than leading with a primary source? I wonder how many students drew their feelings vs. wrote them.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...I would love to use this book. I actually purchased it in March with the idea of using it in the Collection titled “The Move Towards Freedom.” I plan to use Tom’s suggestion of allow students to “see” with the picture book and here with the primary source.

Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and Frank Morrison

I noticed…

Throughout the text the author is questioning how best to approach and explore to the topic without being too explicit about the graphic content that involves. The author also wanted to help their students get to the heart of the matter. Allowing them to ask the “whys” of the moment in time.

I wondered…If students would feel more empowered to make change themselves?

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...how my own practices can drive how I give students ideas

What do you do with a voice like that? The story of extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan

I noticed… that the post pairs this historical/biographical picture book with audio/video from Congresswoman Jordan’s speech on Nixon’s impeachment. I noticed that the only image of the picture book in the blog post is of the cover (no inside pages).

I wondered… whether this picture book was “own voices” (if the author and illustrator are part of the same community as Congresswoman Jordan) and if her family authorized/agrees with her portrayal in this book.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system… I didn’t know who Congresswoman Jordan was, and am thinking about so many prominent African American figures who were not featured in my education. I’m thinking about how I want to disrupt this cycle of erasure through intentional highlighting of Black joy and excellence in American history and literature.

Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey

I noticed…this book because I taught with it in my intervention classes. Some of the students had minimal background information on segregation.

I wondered…how much more effective this would have been had I paired it with digital resources.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...I would use this book again, however I also would revise my lesson. I would use this text with other children’s literature books that reflect this era. I also think that this book does an excellent job of communicating to the reader the feelings of going to visit relatives and also how family supports one another. I also would research the author with the students.

Picture Books and Primary Sources: Interview with Chris Barton, Author of All of a Sudden and Forever link here

I noticed…this book was focused on more than one moment in time, as connected to the Oklahoma City bombing. The author explores the traumatic event and the process of recovery and healing.

I wondered…how this book could be used to support grappling with trauma and healing

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...I would need to read the text to think more deeply about this but, how has the event affected different groups of people differently? How have more recent events affected different groups of people? Whose stories are told? Whose stories might be missing? Any differences in the way the stories are captured?

Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/picture-books-and-primary-sources-waiting-for-pumpsie-by-barry-wittenstein/

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I noticed that the story of Pumpsie Green is one that I am not familiar with. I begin thinking about the thousands of stories that go untold.

I wondered how his story is different from Jackie Robinson’s. I also wonder

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...

A Place to Land https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/picture-books-and-primary-sources-interview-with-barry-wittenstein-author-of-a-place-to-land/

Insert blog post name / link here

I noticed…Visuals and illustrations were used to help students visually understand the moment.

I wondered…What ways can students record their responses to the illustrations and share with the class creatively. Presentations to give deeper in sight on the time period, theme and mood.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...

Text: A Place to Land

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I'm thinking about ways I can tie in the content from this book around Dr. Kings speech with the protests that are currently going on across the nation. Students should be able to compare and contrast the time periods in conjunction to Dr. King's speech.

Take a Deep Breath!

I noticed…the question “what is a library really”? I thought about this instantly before continuing to read. To me it is a place to access texts that I may not be able to obtain/afford otherwise. It is also a place where I can discuss texts I like with a knowledgeable person and be pointed in various directions to discover more. The author was able to come to similar conclusions. Her job is to build relationships and have discussions. She also encourages people to take a breath at this time.

I wondered…how many educators were able to realize that at the heart of their job is to build relationships and have discussions with their students. I wonder how many educators have been able to actually take a breath during these times.

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...how we are going to work within the confines of the fall semester to go beyond what education has traditionally been to change the system in ways that ensure we do not return to the same old same old when we are able to resume classes in person.

Engaging Students with Inquiry Using Primary Sources

https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/engaging-students-with-inquiry-using-primary-sources/

I noticed…

Noting visual, qualitative, and written elements. Using multiple primary sources and how they work together. Questions must be specific, feeds inquiry, is not answered with a yes or no.

I wondered…

How this can be modified for using art/artifacts as a primary source

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system…Formulating inquiry via observing and reading primary source data. Using descriptive language to note the significance and value of primary sources. Part of primary source analysis is asking questions. Doing two skills at once. Using more oral historical accounts, encouraging the use of more contemporary topics to be researched, and social media x video sources. Encourage more hybrid research materials

All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel and Nabi H. Ali

I noticed…the American Disabilities Act (ADA) is only 30 years old!

I noticed…the blogger wrote this recently (May 2020) during the pandemic, so his suggestions for inquiry from students include doing inquiry at home.

I wondered…how can I also incorporate inquiry about government with my first graders utilizing this text?

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...I think about challenging myself and my students to think about populations in which we may overlook, especially when we do not share that identity. I tend to forget about the disabled population because I do not have any physical/mental disabilities and most of my students and the majority of my school’s population does not have any disabilities. I also want my students to critically think about the government at an early age.

https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/pairing-picture-books-and-primary-sources-what-do-you-do-with-a-voice-like-that-the-story-of-extraordinary-congresswoman-barbara-jordan/

I noticed…

I wondered…

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...

Insert blog post name / link here

I noticed…

I wondered…

As I think about teaching about within, beyond, and against the system...