Genre-Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4-8

by Danielle E. Hartsfield, Sue C. Kimmel

Overview

Draws on critical and radical change theory to equip both aspiring and practicing library and teacher candidates with practical, research-based ideas for enacting critical literacy practices in middle grade libraries and classrooms.

Genre Based Strategies to Promote Critical Literacy in Grades 4-8 provides strategies and lesson plans with additional resources and tools for school librarians and teachers to engage middle grade students in reading children's literature through a critical literacy lens.

To be critically literate readers and thinkers, students must learn to question what they read, asking themselves who wrote the text, why the text was written, and how the text positions its readers and others. Teaching students how to read from a critical literacy stance is a timely and relevant practice in a world in which text is available instantly and on nearly any mobile device. In many cases, preparation programs for school librarians and teachers do not teach candidates how to incorporate critical literacy practices in library and classroom settings. This book provides both pre-service and in-service school librarians and teachers with that professional development and guidance for teaching critical literacy in children's literature courses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440863165
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/21/2019
Pages:	164
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.35(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Danielle E. Hartsfield, PhD, is assistant professor at the University of North Georgia. She teaches children's literature and courses in the elementary education program in addition to supervising teacher candidates.

Sue C. Kimmel, PhD, is associate professor at Old Dominion University. She teaches children's literature, curriculum, and library science courses. She has been a member of the Newbery, Caldecott, and Notable Books for Children committees.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

1 What Is Critical Literacy? 1

2 Informational Books 9

3 Examining Multiple Perspectives with Multimodal Text Sets (Lesson Plan) 21

4 Narrative Nonfiction and Biographies 31

5 Close Reading and Analyzing Word Choice in Narrative Nonfiction (Lesson Plan) 39

6 Historical Fiction 47

7 Pairing Texts to Expand Perspectives (Lesson Plan) 57

8 Contemporary Realistic Fiction 65

9 Making Disconnections in Literature Circles (Lesson Plan) 77

10 Fantasy 87

11 Unpacking Social Identities and Norms through Character Study (Lesson Plan) 95

12 Picture Books 103

13 Using Asynchronous Discussion to Unpack Visual Messages (Lesson Plan) 111

14 Graphic Novels 121

15 Refraining and Rewriting the Story from Alternate Perspectives (Lesson Plan) 131

References 139

Author/Title Index: Recommended Books for Grades 4-8 143

Subject Index 147

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2020

Hartsfield and Kimmel tackle critical literacy, a framework for examining texts to see hidden bias and other embedded messages related to race, gender, and other identities. The authors discuss how works of historical fiction can be paired to shed light on different perspectives on slavery, how to closely examine a text's word choice, and more. They ground the book, aimed at librarians who work with fourth through eighth graders, heavily in critical literacy theory, which can feel daunting. Fortunately, Hartsfield and Kimmel provide useful case studies to make the theory more concrete. The book covers the major middle grade genres (informational books, narrative nonfiction and biographies, historical fiction, contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy, picture books, and graphic novels). Educators will appreciate annotated bibliographies (with high-quality, recent suggestions) and detailed, standards-based lesson plans, with modifications and extensions, as well as worksheets and rubrics; however, the authors do not refer to the AASL Standards for School Libraries. Also, many of the objectives are not measurable. VERDICT Librarians who want to learn more about critical literacy theory and genre study will appreciate this work, though it is scholarly, so expect to use it more as a reference.—Corey Hall, Manheim Central Middle School, PA

School Library Journal