We March

We March

Written and Illustrated by Shane Evans

Roaring Brook Press, 2012

32 Pages

Multicultural - African American

     I originally chose the book We March by Shane Evans to use in my Historical Fiction or Informational book blog. I ended up finding more rigid fitting books for these categories, and luckily, this book fits perfectly under the Multicultural heading. This is a story about the March on Washington that occurred on August 28, 1963. The story is told from a young boy's perspective. He and his family arise in the morning and prepare for the March. The reader is taken on a journey through time to see how an African American family in 1963 might have went about this morning. This book depicts the March on Washington in a mere 61 words. Simple and moving, this book is a powerful representation of what it means to have a dream.

     Evans' mixed media illustrations using textured paper collages with line drawings and paintings offer extensively more information and emotion than even words can say. With only 61 words in total, We March leaves a lot of information to be found in the illustrations. The colorful images of African Americans coming together to march for a cause highlights the hardships and shared culture of this group of people. I specifically chose the picture above because it shows that not only did African Americans March on Washington, but also men and women, black and white, elderly and children, Jews and Christians. People from all different races, religions, ages, and cultures came to march for the same cause. I believe this paints a powerful picture to readers-- that even those who are different, are not all that different after all.

     We March is best suited for grades Pre K - 2. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom began at the Washington Monument and ended with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic, "I have a Dream" speech. Discuss ways to make a difference with students. Allow students to talk with one another about their dreams to make the world a better place. Then, have students create their own "I have a dream..." bubble. Perhaps during Black History Month, devote one day to researching a famous leader of Civil Rights (such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., etc.) each day of the week. At the end of the week, have students move around the room and play "Who Am I?" by reading the description of their person and guessing who they are based on the description. You might also ask students to tell how people communicated on the day of the March (i.e. speeches, signs, buttons, etc.). Tell them that another way that the message about freedom was shared was by singing. Introduce them to the song lyrics for “We Shall Overcome.” You may choose to play the song and sing along together. Finally, ask students to write, draw or tell why they think songs were included as part of the March on Washington. This would be a great springboard to lead into Freedom Songs and African American culture in the 1960's.

Oh Say Can You Seed?

Oh Say Can You Seed?

Written by Bonnie Worth

Illustrated by Aristides Ruiz

Random House, Inc., 2001

48 Pages

Informational

     Scouring the science section, I catch a glimpse of the Cat in the Hat. Who misplaced this delightful children's story? Who would do that? I snatch it up out of curiousity only to find that was exactly where it belonged the whole entire time! Oh Say Can You Seed? is the amusing tale of a journey of a little boy and girl alongside the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2. With the Cat in the Hat as their guide, these children are sure to learn lots of valuable information! Why are plants important? How do plants come to be? What do plants need to survive? Check out Oh Say Can You Seed? to find the answers to these questions and so many more!

     I was astonished to find that Oh Say Can You Seed? was not actually written or illustrated by Dr. Suess. Both the text and detailed drawings are very Suessian. I believe Ruiz did a wonderful job staying true to Dr. Suess' vision for these characters. Because the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 are primary characters in this story, I believe many children would be drawn to this nonfiction book. Dr. Suess' characters are easily recognizable and shared favorites across many generations. I believe Ruiz's illustrations of these beloved characters will motivate students to read, listen, and learn about plants and seeds. Aristides Ruiz also incorporates numerous diagrams with headings, labels, and captions. These informational text features are sure to assist readers in understanding plant growth.

     Obviously, this book would work well with a lesson on plants or seeds. The story covers many aspects of plants: uses, kinds of plants, parts of a seed, parts of a plant, life cycle, kinds of leaves, things plants need to survive, parts of a flower, fruit, pollination, and how seeds travel. In my practicum, my third grade students are currently growing their own bean plants. I think it would be a wonderful idea to have read this book prior, as it specifically identifies parts of a bean plant. Then, introduce the science experiment and allow students to grow their own bean plants and chart the growth over time. Using this book as a tool, I think it would be excellent to engage students in the life cycle of a plant by sorting them in groups and having them reenact how a seed turns into a plant. For instance, one group would be seeds, another would be rain, another sunshine, another flowers, etc.. Students would have a blast acting out their role while also learning about plant life cycles. Originating from a Dr. Suess classic, this book would also be a great story to use when talking about poetry and rhyme scheme. Written entirely in four-lined stanzas and ABCB rhyme, Oh Say Can You Seed? would be a great example to use in the classroom. Depending on the grade level, students could identify rhyming words, or even the rhyme scheme and create their own four-lined stanza using end rhyme. The grade level listed for this book is K-2; however, I think it may be best suited for grades 2-4. I feel that the large quantity of scientific information may interfere with Kindergartener's comprehension. Fourth graders, on the other hand, could effectively read this and identify key facts about seeds independently.

Marching With Aunt Susan

Marching With Aunt Susan

Written by Claire Rudolf Murphy

Illustrated by Stacey Schuett

Peachtree Publishers, 2011

36 Pages

Historical Fiction

     "Strenuous excercise is not for girls," Bessie's father said. "You're not strong enough," Enie told her. "It's not ladylike," Charlie added. Their words swirled around in Bessie's head as she tried to understand why she couldn't go hiking with her father and brothers. Bessie could ride her bike faster than anyone on the block. The reason couldn't be her strength. It must be because she is a girl. Mama says Aunt Mary will be arriving soon to the suffrage tea party with the guest of honor, Miss Susan B. Anthony. When Bessie meets Aunt Susan, she learns about all the different activities women are allowed to participate in. Aunt Susan invites Bessie to a women's rights rally in San Francisco. Will change come over night? Will Bessie ever get to hike with her brothers? Read Marching With Aunt Susan to hear Bessie's story about women's suffrage.

     The vibrant and detailed illustrations are what captured my interest in this book. Schuett uses gouache on watercolor paper to create her paintings on the cover and throughout the story. In addition, the beginning and ending of the book contain real newspaper clippings, letters, pictures, and postcards from the late 1800's and early 1900's. I love that Murphy and Schuett went to such great lengths as to search for and include primary sources to accurately record the history of women's suffrage.The paintings are lively and apppropriate for the historical fiction storyline of Marching With Aunt Susan, while the unaltered, real pieces of history provide this book with historical validity.

    This story could be used in the classroom for many purposes. In addition to reading comprehension and writing, Marching With Aunt Susan would be a great tool for teaching lessons about voting, women's rights, and Susan B. Anthony. I found many great ideas from the website: http://www.socstrpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/8-Final-Summer-2013-MS06529-Troncale.pdf. I love the idea of presenting two choices for students to vote on, such as having recess inside or outside before introducing the book. Then, while passing out ballots, the teacher will explain that only boys will be able to vote. After tallying votes, the teacher would allow students to quickwrite about how the girls felt about not being able to vote and why both genders should have a say. In my own classroom, I would choose to give girls the only right to vote. This way, the boys can better understand what women went through and connect more to the story since it is written from a girl's perspective. A great activity for after reading and discussing Susan B. Anthony's life, is to divide students into groups and allow each group to create a Bio Cube. On the Bio Cube, students would include the acts and contributions of a current woman reformer or activist of their choice. An idea I had after viewing the primary sources placed at the beginning and ending of the book, is to have students create their own political cartoon or slogan in favor of women's rights. Because this book includes a biography of Susan B. Anthony, a timeline of Women's Suffrage, real photographs, headings, newspaper articles, political cartoons, and letters, it could also be a great resource for teaching about nonfiction or informational text features. This book is best suited for grades 2-4.