Dear Teachers,
I am Karli Rodebeck and I am a junior at Ball State University studying Elementary Education. I chose Mr. Lincoln’s Way because Patricia Polacco presents racism and bullying in a realistic way that all children can understand. By providing characters that are realistic to a school system, Polacco presents multicultural issues that are relatable to all students. As teachers, it gives us an example of how patience and determination can help us change the way our students' think about the world and how students' view others. Racial and ethnic differences are becoming more prevalent in today’s classrooms and we as teachers need to be prepared to create a classroom community suitable for all students. “I think teachers should incorporate multicultural literature in their classrooms because it exposes kids to real world situations that they will one day encounter” (S. Lim, personal communication, November 15, 2013). In order to create a classroom where all students feel comfortable, teachers should follow the steps provided by EdChange to create a multicultural classroom. EdChange suggests that teachers should create open communication within the classroom, teachers should get to know their students beyond the classroom and find out why they do what they do, and teachers should use the curriculum to celebrate cultural differences (Fish, 2012). Research also suggests that teachers should use children’s literature to educate children about diversity and multiculturalism (Smith-D’Arezzo, 2003). Children are more likely to become engaged with literature that reflects their personal experiences, which helps teachers promote reading (McNair, 2011). As teachers, it is important to select books that are rich in diversity so that all students can see themselves in the stories.
Patricia Polacco is an excellent author to incorporate into your classroom library. Her knowledge and experience from growing up in a diverse family and town has influenced her multicultural writing as an author. “Now that I am in the rural area, I didn’t realize that not every child has the glory of growing up in a neighborhood where people are different than they are. Multicultural literature gives them an understanding that they might not otherwise have; they won’t hear it in their own homes. If they can read authentic stories, they can understand that the heart of humanity is the same. It doesn’t matter how we’re packaged on the outside, we’re all the same. I think that does a great service to molding a child to be a citizen of the world” (Polacco, 2010). Through her illustrations and stories, Polacco is able to help broaden children’s knowledge of the outside world.
Although all of Polacco's stories provide excellent examples of multicultural literature, I believe Mr. Lincoln's Way is one of her best. She does a wonderful job of combining racism and bullying into one story. Students are better able to have an understanding of what motivates prejudicial views or what could motivate people to judge others with bias. It allows prejudiced students to see the effects of unfair attitudes and gives students a new perspective of viewing others who are different from them. "Never have I read a children’s book that discusses prejudice in such a realistic and heartwarming manner as how Patricia Polacco portrayed it!" (Ronyell, 2013). By reading the book and following the activities provided, you can help broaden your students' understanding of the world and can help give students a deeper understanding of racism and prejudices in today's society. You can even use this book to teach about the Civil Rights era by discussing how racism was a problem in America during the fifties and how, or if, it is still an issue today.
Under the "assessments" tab, you will see potential assessments you can use for each activity listed. Each assessment also has a sample rubric that can also be used. For example, the first activity asks students to summarize the main idea of the story. To assess their summary, you would check to make sure the main idea is stated and that they use complete sentences/capital letters/correct punctuation, etc. for a total of five points. A more detailed list for the criteria can be found on the sample rubric. Along with the assessments, I have attached the Indiana State Standards in green and the Common Core in orange for each Bloom's Taxonomy activity.
Resources:
Alexander-Snow, M. (2004). Dynamics of Gender, Ethnicity, and Race in Understanding Classroom Incivility.
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 99, 21-31.
Clark, P. (2010). ‘I Don’t Think I’m Biased.’ Teaching Tolerance, 37. Retrieved from
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-37-spring-2010/feature/i-don-t-think-i-m-biased
Darden, J. (2009). Talking Race. Teaching Tolerance, 36. Retrieved from
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-36-fall-2009/feature/talking-race
Fish, L. (2012). Building Blocks: The First Steps of Creating a Multicultural Classroom.
Retrieved from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/buildingblocks.html
Grauerholz, E., Milkie, M., Pescosolido, B. (1997). Culture and Conflict: The Portrayal of Blacks in U.S. Children’s
Picture Books Through the Mid- and Late-Twentieth Century. American Sociological Review, 62(3), 443-464.
McNair, J. (2011). “It Was Like a Book Buffet!” Parents and Children Selecting African American Children’s
Literature Together. The Journal Of Negro Education, 80(2), 163-175.
Polacco, P. [wetalearningmedia]. (2010). Patricia Polacco [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II8Qq_QYT9Y
Ronyell. (2013, February 2). Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415108.Mr_Lincoln_s_Way
S. Lim, personal communication, November 15, 2013
Smith-D’Arezzo, W. (2003). Diversity In Children’s Literature: Not Just a Black and White Issue. Children’s
Literature in Education, 34(1), 75-94.
I am Karli Rodebeck and I am a junior at Ball State University studying Elementary Education. I chose Mr. Lincoln’s Way because Patricia Polacco presents racism and bullying in a realistic way that all children can understand. By providing characters that are realistic to a school system, Polacco presents multicultural issues that are relatable to all students. As teachers, it gives us an example of how patience and determination can help us change the way our students' think about the world and how students' view others. Racial and ethnic differences are becoming more prevalent in today’s classrooms and we as teachers need to be prepared to create a classroom community suitable for all students. “I think teachers should incorporate multicultural literature in their classrooms because it exposes kids to real world situations that they will one day encounter” (S. Lim, personal communication, November 15, 2013). In order to create a classroom where all students feel comfortable, teachers should follow the steps provided by EdChange to create a multicultural classroom. EdChange suggests that teachers should create open communication within the classroom, teachers should get to know their students beyond the classroom and find out why they do what they do, and teachers should use the curriculum to celebrate cultural differences (Fish, 2012). Research also suggests that teachers should use children’s literature to educate children about diversity and multiculturalism (Smith-D’Arezzo, 2003). Children are more likely to become engaged with literature that reflects their personal experiences, which helps teachers promote reading (McNair, 2011). As teachers, it is important to select books that are rich in diversity so that all students can see themselves in the stories.
Patricia Polacco is an excellent author to incorporate into your classroom library. Her knowledge and experience from growing up in a diverse family and town has influenced her multicultural writing as an author. “Now that I am in the rural area, I didn’t realize that not every child has the glory of growing up in a neighborhood where people are different than they are. Multicultural literature gives them an understanding that they might not otherwise have; they won’t hear it in their own homes. If they can read authentic stories, they can understand that the heart of humanity is the same. It doesn’t matter how we’re packaged on the outside, we’re all the same. I think that does a great service to molding a child to be a citizen of the world” (Polacco, 2010). Through her illustrations and stories, Polacco is able to help broaden children’s knowledge of the outside world.
Although all of Polacco's stories provide excellent examples of multicultural literature, I believe Mr. Lincoln's Way is one of her best. She does a wonderful job of combining racism and bullying into one story. Students are better able to have an understanding of what motivates prejudicial views or what could motivate people to judge others with bias. It allows prejudiced students to see the effects of unfair attitudes and gives students a new perspective of viewing others who are different from them. "Never have I read a children’s book that discusses prejudice in such a realistic and heartwarming manner as how Patricia Polacco portrayed it!" (Ronyell, 2013). By reading the book and following the activities provided, you can help broaden your students' understanding of the world and can help give students a deeper understanding of racism and prejudices in today's society. You can even use this book to teach about the Civil Rights era by discussing how racism was a problem in America during the fifties and how, or if, it is still an issue today.
Under the "assessments" tab, you will see potential assessments you can use for each activity listed. Each assessment also has a sample rubric that can also be used. For example, the first activity asks students to summarize the main idea of the story. To assess their summary, you would check to make sure the main idea is stated and that they use complete sentences/capital letters/correct punctuation, etc. for a total of five points. A more detailed list for the criteria can be found on the sample rubric. Along with the assessments, I have attached the Indiana State Standards in green and the Common Core in orange for each Bloom's Taxonomy activity.
Resources:
Alexander-Snow, M. (2004). Dynamics of Gender, Ethnicity, and Race in Understanding Classroom Incivility.
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 99, 21-31.
Clark, P. (2010). ‘I Don’t Think I’m Biased.’ Teaching Tolerance, 37. Retrieved from
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-37-spring-2010/feature/i-don-t-think-i-m-biased
Darden, J. (2009). Talking Race. Teaching Tolerance, 36. Retrieved from
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-36-fall-2009/feature/talking-race
Fish, L. (2012). Building Blocks: The First Steps of Creating a Multicultural Classroom.
Retrieved from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/buildingblocks.html
Grauerholz, E., Milkie, M., Pescosolido, B. (1997). Culture and Conflict: The Portrayal of Blacks in U.S. Children’s
Picture Books Through the Mid- and Late-Twentieth Century. American Sociological Review, 62(3), 443-464.
McNair, J. (2011). “It Was Like a Book Buffet!” Parents and Children Selecting African American Children’s
Literature Together. The Journal Of Negro Education, 80(2), 163-175.
Polacco, P. [wetalearningmedia]. (2010). Patricia Polacco [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II8Qq_QYT9Y
Ronyell. (2013, February 2). Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415108.Mr_Lincoln_s_Way
S. Lim, personal communication, November 15, 2013
Smith-D’Arezzo, W. (2003). Diversity In Children’s Literature: Not Just a Black and White Issue. Children’s
Literature in Education, 34(1), 75-94.