Critical Literacy Strategy SAMPLES (assignments)

Illustrations
Author's Purpose  

Website Reviews

Disrupted Understandings

Although a fantastic story teaching about the history of the relationship that the Choctaw and other Native American people had helping slaves reach freedom, the illustrations were the focus of our assignment.  The following report describes the illustrations by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.  IN THE MEANTIME, I encourage you to read this book:  

As Tim Tingle explains in a note at the end of The Crossing of Bok Chitto, "...it is difficult to imagine a world where the human voice reigns supreme.  Yet, Native Americans live in a world that tends to accept the spoken word as the authority.  Even today, many Choctaws are likely to trust a story told to them by another Choctaw more than anything they read on the printed page.  We Choctaws live by our stories."  As a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Mr. Tingle continues the tradition of the oral story-telling, but also takes pen to paper:  "We Indians need to continue recounting our past and, from this book non-Indians might realize the sweet and secret fire that drives the Indian heart.  We are proud of who we are.  We are determined that our way, shared by many of all races, a way of respect for others and the land we live on, will prevail."  

THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF CROSSING BOK CHITTO

Jeanne Rorex Bridges illustrated the award winning Crossing Bok Chitto:  A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom, written by Tim Tingle.  The author’s words were literally transformed into a visual story.  The author’s use of detail work in the main focus area, while keeping the backgrounds and foregrounds uncluttered and subdued, the artwork offered only the necessary perception of the surrounding environment and events, while literally pulling the audience’s eyes to focus upon the vital image.  The style helped create a sense of authenticity and mirrored not only the probable artistic methods of the time (focusing only on the central images) but, more importantly the characters’ focus as well.  The detailed work in the main image, contrasted by the low tones, color and movement in the foreground and background, literally demands the eye to lead the reader to experience the events as the character experiences them.   

The first page is motionless – and muted: the eye is drawn to the river’s reflection of light and rises with the sun.  The forest is implied but, through implication, it is notably is thick and prevents the viewer from seeing that which is within the forest.  The use of light and shadow catches the attention and, combined with Tingle’s description, transports the reader to a time of darkness for some (slaves) and light for others (the free Choctaw nation), visually setting the entire mood throughout the story. 

As the sun rises with lighter tones, we meet Martha Tom as she crosses the river.  Other than the young girl’s eyes, dress and basket, the colors are muted and the setting is lifelessly implied.  As if irrelevant, the stacked stones upon which Martha Toms walks are barely noticed but, in conjunction with the written word, the reader’s attention is brought to them; the artist’s methods demonstrate they are not visible, beneath the water, but familiar to the feet upon them.  The eyes are drawn to serious, confident girl.  The readers’ eyes are pulled “in” to Martha Tom’s face, stopping at her eyes, and then relaxed to view the details of the basket and patterns and folds within her apron.  Through her artistic talent, Jeanne Rorex Bridges does not allow the viewer to see the whole picture at one time, sometimes creating a discomfort as the eyes seem to be pushed, pulled and directed at the whim of the art!. 

When the slaves step out of the forest, the artistry is, again, muted and implied.  The background trees are one of three colors, and the individuals depicted lack detail implying distance, depth and coming out of hiding.  Although three characters are in the foreground, only one (the adult, protective mother) has a moderate to high levels of detail yet all three have eyes which meet the viewer’s eyes.   Although there is no movement, the haunting spread is meant to be seen at once, but the eyes are in constant motion, pushed and pulled, making the viewer painfully aware of the depth of the scene, physically and spiritually.  In people depicted, there’s a sense of caution, protectiveness (hand/arm positioning of couples/groups), and a created sense of service and respectfulness to the event (hands held behind backs.

When Martha Tom is discovered, although we know through the story she has been moved emotionally, her expression does not reveal much to the reader.  However, the viewer’s eye is not drawn initially to Martha Tom’s face, but to the dark, large hand upon her shoulder, contrasting beautifully with the void foreground and Martha Tom’s apron.  Simply looking at the picture, the viewer sees the hand belongs to someone very large, that the touch was unexpected by Martha Tom and, yet, because of the position and the placement, the hand touches with care, not malice.  On the next page, the same gentle touch of the hand is placed upon his son’s shoulder, and the viewer sees, though facial expressions don’t reveal, the father’s encouragement and the feelings of Little Mo.  The focus is in the foreground; the background does not distract. 

As Little Mo and Martha Tom walk past the house, there is little detail and the eyes are allowed to move about more or less freely.  The image of the two walking away show the budding friendship;  the pillars on the porch of the home stand out and, artistically, literally draw a line of separation between the two children and the plantation owners.

The artwork which shows the women on their way to the wedding has little detail and little emotion, yet, the strands of hair, the highlights within their hair and the stitching and folds within their gowns capture the attention.  The eyes are not free to do what they please but, instead, are pulled one by one to each woman and in spite of little detail and color, to the singing  elders.  The artwork allows the viewer to actually “see” the song which Tingle writes about, and, like Little Mo, through the artwork and rhythm of Tingle’s writing, may well be touched deeply. 

However, the song fades through the artwork on the next page, as the attention is immediately pulled to the disapproving mother of Martha Tom.  As written, one can see her irritation, but the soft face and the first hint of a smile seen within the pages, allow the reader to see the love for her daughter and gratitude to Little Mo. 

The most significant piece of art is the one in which we see Little Mo and Martha Tom together.  It struck me that the author fails to present the differences of appearance but highlights the similarities of all.  She forces the reader to realize that we are more alike than we are different, and, although similar to historical photos of the time (expressionless faces), we can see, the setting is washed in light, the background is lit and the families are close.  Little Mo and Martha Tom are standing shoulder to shoulder, side by side, each with the suggestion of someone next to them (suggested by the overlapping of fabric).  In no other pictures do people who are not in the same family (with the exception of Little Mo and Martha Tom) touch one another and, therefore, the placement of Martha Tom suggests complete acceptance and love.

The emotions shown on the faces of Little Mo’s mother and father in the following two pages, are unmistakable.  The tears hold the reader’s eye, allowing it to move away only momentarily.  For the first time, the background highlights actions, motion and emotions of all.

The final pages allow us to see the tenderness, tenacity and connectedness of the Choctaw people and Little Mo.  Little Mo is completely accepted, demonstrated by the touch and eye contact.  It is interesting and poignant that on the page with Little Mo and Martha Tom’s mother, it is one of the first times we are not called into the picture through direct eye contact.  Instead, we are almost uncomfortably viewing a tender moment; we are invited to understand the connection.  While Tingle describes what is to come, we are held within the warmth acceptance. 

The last two pages, we see the Choctaw women as the angels that they were to the slave family.  With expert artistry, our eyes settle on Martha Tom’s singing lips, are pulled back to the woman in the background and released to see the remaining women.  Although only four women are shown, the dark background and the method of having some of the view “fall off the page,” creates within the reader’s mind the illusion of the great number of participants.  Again, with the words given to us by Tingle, the artist paints the illusion of the song. 

The final page is similar to the beginning, but depicted at night, with the moon initially pulling the eye, before allowing it to relax and see the Martha Tom reaching to Little Mo, and the rest of the family moving as one… while the white robes tug for attention. 

The illustrator has taken a truly remarkable book carrying a remarkable story and, in a world where children are under a deluge of over-stimulating visual effects, is able to quiet the reader’s mind, while awakening it to the human emotion and bringing the story to life.  Although I firmly believe that this story could capture the attention through the Choctaw tradition of oral story-telling, the illustrations offer a beautiful way to share the history and relationship with far more people. 

I believe that I would use this book not only as a story, but as an opening to art instruction.

One useful critical literacy strategy is to have the class discuss the author's purpose.  

The following information is an assignment used to discuss the purpose of Cynthia Lord, the author of Rules. 
(Want to know more about the author and this book, which is an ideal book  to teach understanding about disabilities, while remaining entertaining?  Click here!!) 

1. I think Cynthia Lord wants children to realize that everyone should be treated equally. I think that is a main point in the book and it is important for children to learn that you shouldn't ostracize someone for being "weird" or "different" from other people. The novel points out different rules that David nees to follow, and I think it is eye opening for students to read about a child who does have a disability. Cynthia does a great job writing about what happens in a household with a child who has a disability. Since she is a mother with a son who has a disability, I think she wants readers to realize that having a son with a disability is not the end of the world. The family is just like any other family, and all families have their hardships.

2. I found a couple passages that show what it feels like for Catherine when David gets the attention and she feels left out.

"In front of me, Mom holds David's hand as we walk up the ramp to the clinic. "It's warm enough for the park today," I say, glancing across the parking lot to the strip of sun-sparkled ocean gleaming between Coastal Marine Supply and Otis's Hardware. "After I give Jason his words, can we go?" "If David's doing well," Mom says. I watch the back of David's head and repeat in my mind: Do well today. Do well today." -pg. 66

This quote shows how much Catherine wants attention from her mother. I think out of experience, Cynthia Lord knows how difficult it is to give each child equal attention, especially if one has a disability.

""Catherine, I have one more call to make. Could you keep an eye on David for a few more minutes? Then I'll take over, I promise." Before I can get out "no," I see Mom's legs in the mirror, hurrying back toward her office." -pg. 79

This quote is similar to the first quote, but I think the second quote demonstrates how Catherine feels invisible to her mother. I felt like Catherine's mother treates Catherine like she's her brother's keeper, and I found that sad because Catherine cannot be her own person. I think Cynthia wrote these quotes in to show that children really feel this way in a situation like this, and it is important to make sure they get equal attention. I love that even though Catherine gets frustrated with David, she still loves him and would do anything for him.

3. I made a connection with David. I myself am awkward and "weird" sometimes and when I was younger, I knew what it felt like for people to pick on you for it. Bullying does hurt children emotionally and physically, and it's sad to imagine how David felt when he was picked on. Even though this is only a book, this situation happens all too much in schools. People who are different are unique in their own way, and I do not think it is right to pick on someone for standing up and being different from the "average" person. I think the message of bullying is also a great learning topic in this book. 

Below is a completed assignment regarding 

the critical literacy strategy of websites as resources.  

The assignment discusses some websites which address the concerns of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered.  
(For more information on website resources, click here!)  

CRITICAL LITERACY STRATEGY:

WEBSITES

The focus of this paper will be to discuss websites which address the issues and concerns of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) as well as other people who have been victimized, discriminated, or simply underrepresented in children literature. As educators, regardless of personal opinion, family history, faith, or values, one must treat all students without discrimination and/or negative expectations, and be an educated adult knowledgeable enough and available to intervene in discriminatory and/or abusive behaviors, correct misconceptions, address questions from students, and work seamlessly with a student who is or has been victimized, including those of different ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, from non-traditional families, religious affiliations, etc. Additionally, it seems to be more common for students to confide in a teacher with whom the student feels safe and, because of this, may approach such an instructor with information with which the teacher is historically unfamiliar or negatively biased. Rather than rely on “instinct,” which can lead to behaviors based on stereotypes, an educator must commit to rely upon knowledge. The reviewed websites are all potential avenues for educators to investigate for knowledge, additional resources, and to suggest to others, including their students and/or students’ parents and/or guardians.

The website for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (http://community.pflag.org) is free of a great deal of flash, but full of useful and quality information. The forty year old, non-profit organization has chapters in fifty states, including four in Montana (Butte, Kalispell, Great Falls, and Hamilton), and holds the commitment to advancing equality as well as offering support to families and individuals. For an educator, this website offers a wealth of information including education from the simplest explanations of terms (including, but not limited to, “transgendered,” “queer,” “intersex,” “gender identity,” and “gender expression”) to ways people can support the GLBT community, available programs (including scholarships, diversity networks and creating relationships with faith communities), discussion of legislation (including the Safe Schools Improvement Act), PFLAG events and ways in which action to help fight for equality can be taken. This would be a wonderful website to suggest to families and/or parents who may need support as they discover their child’s sexual orientation is not the same as their own. It is simple to navigate, with a wealth of information presented in such a way that people who may be uncomfortable investigating the subject will not feel any needless discomfort or embarrassment which, especially within conservative families, can be the best bridge to understanding.

The GLTB National Help Center website (http://www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org) is very straight forward, offering assistance to people who have questions (offering answers to 14 frequently asked questions, linking users to over 15, 000 resources, etc.) or need to find support in one’s geographic location. However, the main focus of the GLTB National Help Center is, of course, a telephone hotline for all ages, a “talkline” for youth and an online peer support chat system (not a chat room, but the ability to privately chat with a volunteer). As an educator, it provides another avenue for education but more importantly it is a website to which an educator could feel comfortable referring a student as it seems to be reputable, providing a safe place to discuss things which they might otherwise avoid discussing, receive peer counseling and end the sense of being alone.

The Western Montana Community Center, based in Missoula, MT, offers the GLBTI (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) people a safe place to socialize at a Community Center in Missoula, Montana. The organization’s website (http://www.gaymontana.org) is the least conservative of all other websites reviewed within this paper, as would be expected from their mission statement which is to provide an environment, regardless of one’s sexual orientation, which is open and affirming. Although the website does provide educational information regarding health, safety, and a link to their newsletter, this site’s dedication seems to be to bring people together through social events (e.g., dances, yoga, choral groups, youth groups, etc.), programs, support systems (including one for families led by a LGBT parent or parents), and fundraising. For those living in the Missoula area, this would be a website which I would recommend to parents of children who are LGBT (or to high school students) to research as a potential source for an environment in which they can gain understanding and support through social events. However, outside of the Missoula area, the potential benefits are limited to online, informational resources.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) of the American Library Association website (http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/glbtrt) serves the needs of the GLBT professional library community, through promotion of quality library materials related to the needs of the GLBT community, and awareness while also eliminating discrimination and stereotyping of people within the GLBT community and culture. Through the website, an educator can obtain resources to help them defend the inclusion of literature which is deemed “LGBT,” learn about programs and conferences available across the United States, and, potentially most valuable to the educator, the professional tools which include bibliographies, resource guides, awards, lists and reviews. In order to design a curriculum that is inclusive of the GLBT community, an educator should reference the GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association frequently.

A combined project of the GLBTRT and the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association, The Rainbow List (http://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks) annually compiles a bibliography of books for children eighteen years and younger which meet specific standards of quality and contain “significant and authentic GLBTQ content.” Because of the reputation of the GLBTRT, this should be a routine “go-to” website for an educator who is looking for material so he/she can integrate the GLBT culture and community into the classroom.

The Teaching Tolerance website (http://www.tolerance.org/about), began by the Southern Poverty Law Center, dedication is to improve relationships between groups, to reduce prejudice and to help create equitable education and school experiences across the United States. The website offers a plethora of information which is priceless to educators and those responsible for designation of curriculum. The organization produces a bi-annual magazine and offers professional development through teaching and classroom strategies, free educational kits, lesson plans, and book summaries. It is seemingly impossible to think that the value of what Teaching Tolerance could be overlooked by an educator with a desire to incorporate multicultural education, and help, through integration of quality literature and skilled teaching and classroom strategies, create a positive environment based on respect and appreciation of the diversity of our classrooms, communities and nation.

As we move forward in education to include the integration of acceptance, the harmonious embracing of differences and the understanding of the value of diversity, educators must arm themselves not only with the knowledge needed to lead a nation of learners to a brighter future of acceptance, but also work together to share the teaching strategies, lesson plans and literature which, when presented to the classroom regularly as a natural occurrence, which inspire our youth to work together toward the completion of the bridge of understanding stronger, building it with the width of history and the indestructible strength of wisdom. One day, perhaps as our students begin to teach the youth of tomorrow, websites such as the ones reviewed above, will be unnecessary. Until that day comes, educators must remember that learning never ceases and that, just like their students, we must open our minds to new ideas, such as those presented in the valued websites, to find a successful way to dispel the stereotypes of yesterday which still lurk in the shadows of today.

An example of DISRUPTED UNDERSTANDINGS follows   -    Return to Sender
(Want to know more about the author and this book,?  Click here!!)

In regard to Disrupted Understandings, I have had a life-long education with people who have come to the United States illegally, some from Mexico and others from European countries. Frankly, I knew about the trials, tribulations, atrocities and more that they experience in an attempt to call the USA home. Therefore, I found no disrupted understandings in those passages.

I can remember, as a very little girl (certainly no older than six), when my family was visiting Texas (we lived in California) and stopped in at a family member’s south Texas ranch where I met one of their “workers.” In broken English, he asked my brother, sister and me into a small room which was illuminated by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. It had a cot along one wall, where my older siblings sat down, and a camp stool which he picked up and carried to the other corner, with me on his heels. He sat down on the stool and smiled a huge smile from beneath his bushy mustache when I crouched down and watched him make us each a flour tortilla over a small fire (probably a camp stove). He was so pleased by my response (it is, to this day, still the best tortilla I have ever eaten) and spoke Spanish to me, patting my face. An adult explained that I reminded him of his daughter whom he hadn’t seen in a very long time because she had to stay in Mexico. I also realized that the windowless room in which he had taken us was where he lived. As soon as I had crayons and a paper, I drew him a picture of a window and, outside it, a little girl playing. I hoped it would remind him of me and of his daughter. I remember being sad for the man and his daughter. I grew up knowing that it was illegal for these workers to come but they did so to improve the lives of their families, sending them the minimal wages they made. On the other hand, I grew up also to see what was involved for our country when the country had to support the people who came illegally. I, like Tyler, have a difficult time possessing opposing opinions within my own mind.

Within five sentences (two paragraphs), I found I found myself questioning the realism in Return to Sender, the winner of the Pura Belpre Award, by Julia Alvarez. If it reflects reality, the very first “disrupted understanding” is that I believed that the Vermont education system to be better and the children within Vermont to have had a better awareness of the world and community around them. On the first page, page 3, Alvarez writes: “Tyler looks out the window of his bedroom and can’t believe what he is seeing. He rubs his eyes. Still there? Some strange people are coming out of the trailer where the hired help usually stays. They have brown skin and black hair, and although they don’t wear feathers or carry tomahawks, thy sure look like the American Indians in his history textbook last year in fifth grade.” It is an inconceivable idea that a pre-teen child is unaware of the Hispanic and Mexican people’s presence within his area and had not had any contact or awareness of them because, in 2009, 80% of Vermont dairy farms [including the character’s “Uncle Larry’s…adjacent farm” {pg12}] used Mexican labor, almost 3% of the population of Burlington [a city close to where Tyler lived and visited) was Hispanic, and over 400,000 people in the Boston “metro area” [a city in which Tyler had just spent a month, visiting museums, etc.] were of Hispanic descent. Additionally incomprehensible to this reader is that this boy would believe that “…maybe being Martian is a lot easier to explain than being Mexican in Vermont” (pg. 16).

It is unbelievable that a sixth grade boy living in 2005, would, after being gone for a month and knowing that they were in need of help to save the farm, immediately be suspicious that anyone “coming out of the trailer where the hired help usually stays” would be trespassers on his Vermont farm, consider people of a different race “strange people,” (the Spanish teacher, to whom he refers throughout the story, is Mexican) and be hesitant in labeling them as Indians only because “they don’t wear feathers or carry tomahawks.” It would be as believable as would be an opening paragraph about a Montana rancher’s son to read “Tyler looks out the window of his bedroom in his log house and can’t believe what he is seeing. He rubs his eyes. Still there? Some strange people are coming out of the bunkhouse where the hired help usually stays. They have black skin and curly black hair, and although they don’t have huge hoops through their noses and aren’t covered only in loin cloths and face paint, they sure look like the African tribesmen he saw in the National Geographic last year in fifth grade.” I believe, firmly, that Julia Alvarez read a passage in someone else’s book with a sixth grade child trying to deduce the ethnic background of another person, thinking “They have brown skin and black hair, and although they don’t wear sombreros and aren’t sleeping against the wall, they sure look like the Mexicans…” that Alvarez would be infuriated by the racial stereotype.

Rather than accepting that mine is a disrupted understanding and that the education system has created a closed community with “blinders” on the children within in it , I believe mine is realization that the book

• is not written from the reality of a current 6^th grader
• possesses dated dialogue (“’Sokay, boy, quiet down…” (pg. 4) “…stop being a pest, Jake” (spoken by a 15 year old girl to a boyfriend, pg. 78)
• fails to connect the knowledge of a 6^th grader -- who has experiences of playing video games and watching movies (pg. 11), staying in a condo, going to amusement parks and museums in Boston for a month (pg. 11), knowledge of the “9-11” attacks (pg., 42), Homeland Security (pg. 117) and drug dealers (pg. 186), is familiar with Oprah and her television program (pg. 4), has a teacher whose parents came from Mexico (pg. 142), is familiar with and quick to make connections from his present state to history and science, and is aware of, if not watches, the television - to the behaviors and beliefs of the character within the story and plot
• uses Mari’s “letters” to fill in missing information and the author’s beliefs, but, in doing so, fails to make the letters of an eleven year old girl sound realistic.
• Is not written in a style which would appeal to the audience for which it was written, in spite of having an important lesson to be shared

Indeed, Alvarez may have been the recipient of the Pura Belpre Award for portraying, affirming and celebrating the Mexican culture and struggles of the illegal workers, but, in doing so, she suggests old stereotypes toward another race (Native Americans) and leads the reader to believe that children in Vermont are unfamiliar with people of different cultures, the struggle of illegal workers, and created an irritating, unbelievable book.

To the credit of Alvarez, the glimpses into the struggle, hardships, and abuse undocumented migrants face, Mexican culture, family relationships and celebrations of the country’s and people’s holidays were very interesting and quite educational. I was unaware of the celebration of posada, and had only an idea of the Day of the Dead celebrations.

I will say that, on page 310, when Mari is writing Tyler she says “One of the good things about moving is getting my old Papa back!” and on page 312 “Not only is Papa happier, but Mama, too. Being around their family and in their homeland has been good for them both. Papa is involved now in the local politics –“I have a disrupted understanding! I suppose, based on my beliefs and the stories I heard/hear about the conditions in Mexico, I’m surprised that Papa and Mama are content. But, then again, there is poverty and hardship everywhere. To be with a loving family and in the midst of a culture you not only understand but love, may make it all that much better. It appears, however, that, just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you never know just how much you like your home until you’ve abandoned it and been put to the test in a foreign land.

The description of Dia de la Candelaria (Day of the Candles – pg. 163) was most interesting and educational to me. In a way, the description created a disrupted understanding. Having spent a good deal of time in Louisiana, I knew that January 6^th was the day of Epiphany, or the arrival of the Three Kings. In Louisiana, this marks the beginning of the Carnival season, leading up to Mardi Gras! At all the celebrations, there is a king cake: a pasty in which a plastic baby (or a bean, if a baby is unavailable!) is baked. Whoever receives the slice of King Cake which contains the baby, is responsible for hosting the next party. The description of Dia de la Candelaria, or Day of the Candles, on page 163 (“We had told her how on Three Kings Day, Mexican people make a special cake that has nuts and fruits, which she said sounded just like fruitcake. The only thing is the American fruitcake doesn’t have the little baby Jesus inside. In Mexico, whoever gets the baby in their slice has to throw a big party on February 2^nd, which is Dia de la Candelaria, or Day of the Candles, when Jesus was baptized.”) was definitely news to me! I never knew there was anything similar to a king cake and, through the author’s brief explanation of the event, I realized that the celebration, though shorter in length with far fewer cakes, was the same in Mexico.