Education Commons^™

Young Adult Literature And Empathy In Appalachian Adolescents, Kelsey R. Kiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on recent research concluding that fiction can increase empathy, this project examines how multicultural young adult literature may encourage empathy in Appalachian adolescents. Empathy encourages prosocial behaviors, but evidence suggests that young adults’ ability to empathize has declined in recent decades. In addition, Appalachia in particular is still a relatively homogenous region as it is majority white, protestant Christian, and heteronormative. Because of this, young adults in Appalachia may encounter few diverse perspectives in real life; multicultural young adult literature can provide diverse perspectives with which teenagers can empathize in a region where they might not have similar opportunities …

Asking The Tough Questions: Teaching Literature And Nonfiction Through Critical Literacy To Recapture Our Voices, Agency, And Mission, Elsie L. Olan, Wendy Farkas, Kia Jane Richmond

Conference Presentations

Exploding the Myth of Mental Illness

Disrupting Notions Of Stigma While Empowering Voices: Examining Language Identity, Mental Illness, And Disability Through Young Adult Literature, Elsie L. Olan, Wendy Farkas, Kia Jane Richmond

Conference Presentations

Presenter Two will share new research on young adult literature which features characters with mental illness. She will describe strategies for using texts such as Your Voice is All I Hear (2015), Thirteen Reasons Why (2007), and The Impossible Knife of Memory (2014) to analyze and critique representations of mental illness in young adult literature. Drawing on research by Koss & Teale (2009) and Richmond (2014), this presenter will help session attendees interrogate “the power of language choices” and “become empowered to confront the stigma associated with mental illness and confront bullying” (p. 24).

Franklin Delano Roosevelt’S Historical Representation Within Children’S And Young Adult Literature, John Bickford, Megan Lindsay

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Purpose – Education initiatives require substantive changes for history, social studies, English, andlanguage arts teachers of any grade level. History and social studies teachers are to integrate multiple textsfrom diverse perspectives, which increases teachers’ uses of trade books and primary sources; English andlanguage arts teachers are to spend half their allotted time on non-fiction topics, which enhances the positionof historical content. The compulsory changes are not accompanied with ready-made curricula. Trade booksare a logical starting point for teachers inexperienced with the new expectations, yet, research indicates thathistorical inaccuracies and misrepresentations frequently emerge. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach – …

The Representations Of Lgbtq Themes And Individuals In Non-Fiction Young Adult Literature, John Bickford

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Purpose – Social justice themes permeate the social studies, history, civics, and current events curricula. Thepurpose of this paper is to examine how non-fiction trade books represented lesbian, gay, bisexual,transsexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and issues.Design/methodology/approach – Trade books published after 2000 and intended for middle grades (5-8)and high school (9-12) students were analyzed.Findings – Findings included main characters’ demography, sexuality, and various ancillary elements, suchas connection to LGBTQ community, interactions with non-LGBTQ individuals, the challenges and contestedterrain that LGBTQ individuals must traverse, and a range of responses to these challenges. Publication date,intended audience, and subgenre of non-fiction – …

See Me Shine: Developing Character Through Books For Children Ages 3-6, Shelley Oakley, Rachel Schwedt, Janice Delong

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selecting books for the preschooler and beginning reader that engage the young audience and yet teach values that parents and educators desire is an elusive task. This first volume of the See Me Shine series offers reading recommendations focusing on distinct character traits such as caring, courage, responsibility and more for ages 3 to 6. Each character trait offers 20+ book recommendations, as read-aloud or independent reading, and each recommendation includes a description of each title, critique, awards, list of related subjects, and the distinct character themes demonstrated in the text. Whether your role is one of parent, grandparent, guardian, …

Missing Persons’ Report! Where Are The Transgender Characters In Children’S Picture Books?, Ashley Lauren Sullivan, Laurie Lynne Urraro

Occasional Paper Series

When ruminating on the factors that impact early childhood education, one invariably reflects on the topic of how curriculum represents (or fails to represent) issues of gender, specifically with regard to how gender is portrayed within the selection of classroom picture books. In such ruminations, many questions emerge regarding the specific role reading curriculum plays as it relates to gender.

A Wood Comes Toward Dunsinane: The Synthesis Of Traditional And Constructivist Methodologies, Randall L. Kaplan

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Education professionals now favor Constructivist and project-based strategies for learning over Traditional methods, which include such frowned upon practices as rote memorization and recitation. The Constructivist approach is being taken to its natural apex by educators like Larry Rosenstock who have created Constructivist utopias such as High Tech High in San Diego, the school put under the microscope in the 2015 documentary film Most Likely to Succeed. Project-based, experiential units of study are effective, exciting, and edifying for both students and teachers. They promise to prepare students for the type of world they will inhabit, a world whose economy …

Bilingualism And The American Family, Caitlin M. Nickerson

Senior Honors Projects

Bilingualism is the ability to speak more than one language fluently. People of all ages may aspire to learn a second or third language in order to fulfill both personal goals and communicate with a variety of people in different contexts. Irrespective of one’s walk of life or socioeconomic status, being bilingual is a valuable skill. Although English is the language of power in the United States, there are hundreds of other languages spoken in this country.

There are a number of different ways in which children can become bilingual. For example, they may enter the school system speaking the …

Creating A Multiracial Lesson Plan, Clayton Davis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to teach students about multiracial identity issues. Multiracial populations in the U.S. continue to grow and it’s important for educators to address the needs of these students. A 5-E multiracial literature lesson plan was created for second grade that incorporates KWL and Text-to-World teaching strategies. A second grade class were read two children’s picture books, each featuring a biracial protagonist, and were asked to discuss and evaluate the content and commonalities of these stories. Students recorded what they learned in this lesson in their KWL’s. The results reveal that some students understood the problems …

Disabled ≠ Disempowered: A Critical Framework For Analyzing The Representation Of Mental Disabilities In Young Adult Literature, Michele L. Dobbins

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this honors thesis, I focus on young adult novels that highlight rather than minimize the experience of having a mental disability, and I argue that this topic must be included in education and book discussions in order to create more inclusive classrooms and communities. I examine representations of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and autism in popular young adult novels, paying special focus to the way characters represent the relationship between power and disability. After reading a wide range of novels from award-winning bestsellers to reviewers’ recommendations, I noted the frequency of topics such as identity, community, institutions, and romanticization …

Using Visible Thinking Routines To Teach About The Impact Of Colonialism On Race Within The Language Arts Classroom, Carol Kelly

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Particularly within Language Arts, the curriculum has historically been based around the classics of Literature, which are heavily dominated by wealthy white men. Finding suitable materials to teach from, whilst still providing the background knowledge of the traditional canon, is a challenge to effective teaching about diversity. I am aware that I come from a culture of whiteness, and this makes me wary of my own biases when teaching about cultural diversity. When approaching this topic I have drawn upon a variety of resources, and this paper will use a mixture of academic research, teaching materials, and self study to …

Delving Into Multicultural Literature With Inquiry, Juan Gonzalez

Honors Theses

This paper argues for the use of multicultural literature in the classroom, and puts forth a unit plan that uses critical literacy in an English 11 classroom, though it can be readapted to fit other grade levels. Bishop (1990) describes multicultural literature as a set of windows, that people use to view the experiences of others, and mirrors, that reflect and validate peoples’ experience, a core principal in this paper. Critical literacy is comprised of four dimensions (Lewison, Flint, & Van Sluys, 2002) that allows for analyzing literature in a different and meaningful way. The final part of this paper …

Innovation And Controversy In Children’S Literature, Sean Ferrier-Watson, Madeline Keck, Danielle Sullivan, Hannah Hightower, Kathryn Forshee

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Student presenters: Madeline Keck, Danielle Sullivan, Hannah Hightower, and Kathrun Foshee

Our panel will focus on various issues related to children’s literature and will use research from reputable literary, education, and psychology journals. We will examine issues dealing with fairy tales, YA novels, and comic books and will explore a wide range of social issues. The panelists each have a different topic and focus on different primary sources and secondary research.

From Refugees To Voting Rights, Books To Inspire A Just, Inclusive Society, Bank Street College Of Education

The Center for Children's Literature

This list - which includes contributions from the Bank Street Children's Book Committee, the Bank Street College Library, and School Library Journal - is intended to be a starting place (not a comprehensive list) to help educators and librarians create a supportive space to explore these issues and help promote an inclusive, democratic, and just society. Sections include: Immigrants/Immigration, Refugees, Islam, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Questioning, Transgender/Binary, Intersex, Sexual Harassment/Sexual Assault, Disability, Women in Leadership, English/Spanish Bilingual, Voting Rights, Democratic Process, Children's Rights, History, Bullying, Racism/Injustice Nonfiction, Climate Change, Protest and Activism, Racism in Fiction.

Review Of The Inventor's Secret: What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford By Suzanne Slade, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Review Of Finding Winnie: The True Story Of The World's Most Famous Bear By Lindsay Mattick, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Review Of Mr. Squirrel And The Moon By Sebastian Meschenmoser, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Review Of Fetch By Jorey Hurley, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Review Of Beatrix Potter And Her Paint Box By David Mcphail, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Using Disciplinary Literacy To Fill The Historical Gaps In Trade Books, John Bickford, Cynthia Rich

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Times} span.s1 {font: 6.5px Times} Many elementary and middle level teachers integrate historywith disciplinary literacy.1 Balancing fiction and non-fiction, orliterature and informational texts, provides space for teachersto link multiple, diverse texts.2 Pairing distinct texts positionsstudents to explore connections between secondary sources,like textbooks and trade books, and primary sources, likeletters and photographs. Scaffolding can assist close readings,text-based writing, historical thinking, and civic engagement.3Where textbooks introduce readers to history via specificterminology and short passages, trade books present historicaleras through relatable characters and engaging prose. For mosttopics, trade books are numerous enough for teachers to …

Historical Representation Of Jackie Robinson Within Primary And Intermediate Level Children's Literature, Amy Minor

Masters Theses

Educators today meet national and state initiatives by spending approximately half their time on non-fiction literature. Starting as early as primary grades students are to analyze multiple texts on the same historical topic. Student's reading levels vary; consequently, trade books can be used to reach each individual child. Due to this, trade book usage has increased. Research indicates trade books can contain possible historical misrepresentations. Few studies have been completed, therefore more research is necessary. My research examined the historical representation of Jackie Robinson within trade books for primary and intermediate grades. After determining events in reading the historical research …

Relevant And Represented: The Presence Of Special Populations In Trade Books, Jessica Krahnke

Masters Theses

This study provides insight into the presence of special populations in trade books. Special populations are defined as a population that has been assigned a label for the sake of educational interventions; in this case, special populations refer to thirteen categories of disability as well as English Language Learners. Past winners of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award were analyzed for the presence of special populations, how special populations were portrayed, and any significant patterns over time regarding the presence of special populations. Results indicated a lack of characters belonging to special populations, characters in a special population most …

Review Of The Day The Crayons Came Home By Drew Daywalt, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Review Of An Ambush Of Tigers: A Wild Gathering Of Collective Nouns By Betsy R. Rosenthal, Jessica A. Elder

Library Intern Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Scientific Literacy Matters: Using Literature To Meet Next Generation Science Standards And 21st Century Skills, Cynthia Tomovic, Sueanne Mckinney, Clair Berube

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Scientific literacy matters. It matters because it is vitally important to the education and development of America’s children, tomorrow's workforce, and the keepers of our future. If the future of American individual decision making, engagement in civic and cultural affairs, and valuable contributions to economic development is to be protected, it is critical that American students become more scientifically literate than they are today. Today, most Americans, including students, are considered scientifically illiterate. Recognizing the need to develop and enhance scientific literacy (also known as science literacy), science educators have worked diligently at developing new science standards, new approaches to …

An Examination Of Relational Bullying In Award Winning Newbery Books, 1996-2016, Kaysey N. Wann

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Relational bullying, although covert in nature and difficult for adults to notice and identify, is becoming increasingly prevalent among young children and teens. The success of bibliotherapy as preventative and intervention practices for bullying shows that portrayals of relational bullying in quality children’s literature would be effective in reducing and preventing it. However, relational bullying is rarely portrayed in children’s literature. My goal was to find quality children’s realistic fiction literature that portrays relational bullying in Newbery award-winning books, and to bring them to the attention of teachers.

After creating a table to determine what types of bullying, if any, …