Across the Curriculum - Gr 4-8 Culturally Relevant Read Alouds

Culturally Relevant Read Alouds Across the Curriculum - Gr 4-82021 Catholic Educators’ Convention

Objectives

Develop an understanding of culturally relevant instruction.

Appreciate the use of the read aloud strategy for culturally relevant instruction.

Integrate the read aloud strategy into the main content areas.

Think, Puzzle, Explore

What do you think you know about culturally responsive and/or culturally relevant instruction?

What questions or puzzles do you have about this

topic? How might you explore the puzzles we have around

this topic?

Introduction and Overview of Research

Purpose of research

To ensure that teacher candidates have developed a deep understanding of culturally relevant pedagogy and have the appropriate culturally relevant dispositions as they enter the teaching profession

A significant goal of the researchers’ School of Education is to focus on educational practices that promote equity and respect diversity.

Methods Course Synopsis

● 22 pre-service teachers across two semesters● Concurrently take five methods courses ● Introduced tools for evaluating children’s literature for cultural

relevance ● Learned to use read-alouds to teach specific elementary and

middle school content in each subject area ● Retrospective analysis used to compare themes across data

from all courses, provide a holistic understanding of the effects of the intervention, and summarize the findings

“I think it’s important to remember that all students do math, but all students don’t look alike. I loved seeing books that had pictures of kids that looked like me in my books when I was younger, all students should have this opportunity.” Teacher Candidate Quote

Culturally Relevant Instruction

What is Culturally Relevant Instruction?

● First termed by Ladson-Billings (1994), culturally relevant instruction, “empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes.” (pp. 16–17).

● Goal is to reverse patterns of underachievement for students of color● Requires teachers to recognize the cultural capital and tools students

of color bring to the classroom ● Utilizes students’ cultural learning tools throughout instruction

Three Components of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Student Learning

The students’ intellectual growth and moral development, but also their ability to problem-solve and reason.

Cultural Competence

Skills that support students to affirm and appreciate their culture of origin while developing fluency in at least one other culture.

Critical Consciousness

The ability to identify, analyze, and solve real-world problems, especially those that result in societal inequalities.

Gloria Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The Dreamkeepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing Co.

Gloria Ladson-Billings, G. (1995, Fall). "Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), p. 465-491.

Components of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Moore Mensah, Felicia. (2021) “Culturally Relevant and Culturally Responsive: Two Theories of Practice for Science Teaching.” Science Scope,

March/April 2021, p. 10-13.

Culturally responsive teaching is validating, comprehensive, multidimensional, empowering, transformative, and emancipatory. - Geneva Gay

Culturally relevant pedagogy is based on three propositions: academic success, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness. - Gloria Ladson-Billings

Horowitz, Domzalski, & Elizalde-Utnick, (2018). Can we teach science in a more culturally responsive way without sacrificing time or content? Journal of College Science Teaching 47(6) p. 8-10.

Model of Integrated Culturally Relevant Teaching

Turn and Talk: Triangle, Square, Circle

△ Three things I learned….

◻ One thing I squared away…...

⭘ One thing still circling In my head…….

Why Read-Alouds?

Read-Alouds

● Utilizes the collective nature and oral storytelling traditions of some cultures

● Positive approach for enhancing the literacy development of children

● Beneficial in developing vocabulary and creating schema

Key Terminology

Primary discourse: language learned at home

Secondary discourse: language acquired at various social institutions, ie: church, school, businesses

Third spaces: hybrid learning contexts in which students' linguistic and cultural forms, styles, artifacts, goals, or ways of relating coalesce and transform the official linguistic and cultural forms of the school

Funds of Knowledge: collections of knowledge based in cultural practices; part of families' inner culture, work experience, or their daily routine

Culturally Relevant Read Alouds● Classroom routines and rituals are especially helpful to students of diverse

backgrounds, whose primary discourse may differ substantially from the

secondary discourse of the school.

● Learning to read and write well in school, which means gaining proficiency

in a secondary discourse, is made easier for students of diverse

backgrounds when classroom activities become predictable and

understandable.

● The interactive read aloud, used across content areas, is an opportunity to

build routines and rituals that encourage primary and secondary discourse.

Culturally Relevant Read Alouds...● The interactive read aloud can be a point of juncture for students

where the two Discourses converge.

● Schools in the United States are social institutions, and

school-based literacy practices are typically associated with the

values and aspirations of the white middle class who control

academic knowledge, ideas, culture, and values.

● Discourse cannot be taught- it is mastered through acquisition

and experience.

Culturally Relevant Read Alouds...● A hybrid discourse may be created by the student and/or teacher in

which the student can function more productively, linking school to

his or her everyday life.

● In transformational third spaces, students' primary Discourses are

merged with official, academic Discourses to inform the curricula

and enrich learning.

● The interactive read-aloud provides a secondary model of language

for students who need to merge their primary form of discourse.

Impact of Culturally Relevant Read Alouds● Highly effective interactive read alouds (IRA) encourage children

to interact verbally with the text, peers, and the teacher

● IRAs support an environment that promotes active construction

of meaning and high levels of student engagement

● Culturally responsive IRAs honor students and build on

community-gained knowledge including primary Discourse

and/or native language abilities.

Essential Components1. Books chosen are culturally responsive/relevant, engaging, and are

developmentally and emotionally appropriate.

2. Selections are previewed, planned, and practiced

3. The IRA has a clear purpose established

4. The teacher models fluent oral reading

5. The teacher is animated and uses expression during reading

6. The teacher stops periodically and thoughtfully questions students

7. Students have opportunities to share and discuss

Is it AUTHENTIC?

1. Is the information in the text accurate?

* Does the cover reflect the culture?

* Are the vocabulary and images accurate to the culture?

* Are the time frames, dates, and locations portrayed accurately?

2. Is the language use accurate?

* Is the dialect used correctly?

* Is the character dialogue correct?

3. Is there a common/universal experience within the storyline?

* Does the theme of the text come from a cultural perspective or character?

Identifying Culturally Relevant Literature

Is it REALISTIC?

1. Are the images and events realistic?

* Does the cover reflect reality?

* Are the physical features and colors of the characters portrayed realistically?

* Does the culture or color of the characters matter to the story?

* Could the events experienced happen to/have happened to someone else in

real life?

2. Can connections be made to the characters and storyline?

* Are the characters portrayed positively?

* Do the characters identify themselves as a part of the culture represented?

* Are traditions and ideologies depicted?



Is it CULTURALLY CONSCIOUS?

1. Do the endings hold true to the culture?

● Is the character’s primary culture retained? (The characters should

not assimilate in any way)

● Are similarities and differences between that culture and the

mainstream culture discussed?

2. Does the author’s message reflect a culturally conscious ideology?

Using Read Alouds to Teach Content in Grades 4-8

ResourcesBooks: The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children by Gloria Ladson Billings

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice by Dr. Geneva Gay

Articles:

“Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Some Key Features,” by Sonia Nieto: http://www.sonianieto.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Culturally-Responsive-Teaching.pdf

“Culturally Responsive Teaching: Core Principles,” https://theequityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CRT-In-the-Classroom-Where-to-Begin.pdf

Resources

Websites and other digital sources:

● Colorful Pages: https://colorfulpages.org/● We Need Diverse Books: https://diversebooks.org/● Cooperative Children’s Book Center: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ ● American Indians In Children’s Literature:

https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/● Colours of Us: https://coloursofus.com/ ● Asian-Pacific-American Librarians Picture Book Awards (since 2005)

https://www.apalaweb.org/awards/literature-awards/● Pura Belpré Award is given annually to the Latina/Latino whose work

celebrates the culture in their works of literature for children https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpre

● Social Justice books: https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/

COURSE BOOK SELECTIONS (SCIENCE) SCIENCE CONCEPT INTEGRATION(NGSS curriculum standards)

Javier Builds a Bridge by EiE ● STEAM/ETS

Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams and Catherine Stock ● STEAM/ETS

Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Turn by Janice N. Harrington and Theodore Taylor III

● Life science/LS

Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley and Jessica Lanan

● Earth and space sciences/ESS

The Water Princess by Susan Verde, Georgie Badiel, et al. ● Environmental education/ESS

Look Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars by Jennifer Berne

● Earth and space science/ESS

Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson ● Life science/LS

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

● Earth and space sciences/ESS & ETS

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer , et al.

● Earth and space sciences/ESS & ETS

Cherry Blossom and Paper Planes by Jef Aets ● Physical science/PS

COURSE BOOK SELECTIONS (MATHEMATICS) MATHEMATICS CONCEPT INTEGRATION (from the CCSS curriculum standards)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr ● Geometry terminology, shapes, angles

Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert ● Geometry - Properties of shapes, tangrams, area,

The Black Snowman by Phil Mendez ● Geometry - transformations in kente cloth● Operations and algebraic thinking - How many

pounds of cans are needed to buy perfume for Mom?

The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy ● Geometry - transformations, area and perimeter

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Brian Mealer

● Measurement; circumference, rotation, STEAM

My Very Own Room by Amanda Irma Perez ● Measurement; area, perimeter, proportions - scale drawing of a room

Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi! by Art Coulson ● Measurement, area, volume

COURSE BOOK SELECTIONS (MATHEMATICS) MATHEMATICS CONCEPT INTEGRATION (from the CCSS curriculum standards)

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa ● Prime numbers, factors, multiples, number theory

The Rajah’s Rice: A Mathematical Folktale from India adapted by David Barry

● Exponential growth

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical FolkTale by Demi ● Exponential growthA Million Fish... More or Less by Patricia McKissack ● Large numbers, exponential decayGettin’ Through Thursday by Melrose Cooper ● Money, operations with whole numbers or

decimalsGrandma and Me at the Flea by Juan Felipe Herrera ● Money, operations with whole numbers or

decimalsCounting on Katherine by Helaine Becker ● Positive example of a female African American

mathematicianThe Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague ● Positive example of a female African American

mathematicianMathematicians are People Too by Luetta Reimer and Wilbert Reimer

● Positive examples of several male and female mathematicians from a wide range of cultures;

● Connections to a wide variety of mathematics content

COURSE BOOK SELECTIONS (SOCIAL STUDIES)

SOCIAL STUDIES THEMES (from the NCSS curriculum standards and themes)

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts3-5

● Culture● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions● Production, distribution, and consumption

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Penak-3


A Shelter in Our Car by Monica Gunning3-5

● Culture● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions● Power, authority, and governance● Production, distribution, and consumption

A Different Pond by Bao Phi3-5


Too Many Tamales by Gary Sotok-5

● Culture● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity

The Bracelet Yoshiko Uchida3-5

● Culture● Time, continuity, and change● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions● Power, authority, and governance

What is a Refugee?By Elise Gravelk-5

● Culture● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions● Power, authority, and governance



A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams


We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

● Culture● Time, continuity, and change● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions● Production, distribution, and consumption● Global connections● Civic ideals and practices



Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard

● Culture● Time, continuity, and change● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions

The Birdsong by Julie Flett ● Culture● Time, continuity, and change● People, places and environments● Individual development and identity● Individuals, groups, and institutions



African – American Authors & Suggested Bibliography

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem - What Color is My World?

Crews, Donald – Freight Train - Ten Black Dots

Alexander, Kwame - The Crossover- Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band

Diggs, Taye - Mixed Me!

Anthony, Julius B - Me! Ten Poetic Affirmations Elliot, Zetta - Bird

Barnes, Derrick - Crown, an Ode to a Fresh Cut Flake, Sharon -The Skin I’m In- Unstoppable Octobia May

Bryan, Ashley - Freedom Over Me, 11 Slaves their Lives Brought to Light

Frazier, Sundee - Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire

Carrick-Hill, Laban - Dave the Potter Greenfield, Eloise - Honey I Love- Rosa Parks

Cooper, Floyd - Max and the Tag-along Moon Grimes, Nikki - Meet Danita Brown


Hamilton, Virginia - The People Could Fly- Zeeley- Planet of Junior Brown- MC Higgins the Great

Nelson, Kadir -We Are the Ship- Baby Bear- If you Plant a Seed- Nelson Mandela- He’s Got the Whole World

Jordan, Roslyn - Salt in His Shoes Nelson, Vaunda - Bad News for Outlaws

Lester, Julius -To Be a Slave Peete, Holly Robinson - My Brother Charlie

McKissack, Patricia - Going Someplace Special- Days of Jubilee- Mirandy and Brother Wind

Phillip, Aaron -This Kid Can Fly – It’s About Ability (Not Disability)

Morrison, Toni - Peeny Butter Fudge Pinkney, Jerry - The Lion and the Mouse


Reynolds, Jason - All American Boys- As Brave as You

Thomas, Angie -The Hate U Give

Richards, Sandra - Rice & Rocks Watson, Renee - Piecing Me Together

Ringgold, Faith - Tar Beach- Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky- My Dream of Martin Luther King

Williams-Garcia, Rita - One Crazy Summer

Steptoe, John - Stevie- Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

Woodson, Jacqueline - Brown Girl Dreaming- Each Kindness

Tate, Don - The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch Wren, Mikey - Mikey Learns about Business

Taylor, Mildred - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry- The Friendship- Song of the Trees

Self-Reflection - 4 C’s

● What connections do you draw between the presentation and your own life or other learning?

● What positions, assumptions, or other ideas from the presentation do you want to challenge?

● What key concepts and ideas do think were important and worth holding on to from the presentation?

● What changes in attitudes, thinking, or actions are suggested by the presentation, either for you or others?

Documents

Across the Curriculum - Gr 4-8 Culturally Relevant Read Alouds