Along with this course, I am taking LLSS 532, The Reading Process. This past week we have been focusing on critical literacy and I found myself reflecting on Critical Race Theory. This aligned with my students' reading selection of 'Go West!' an expository piece about how railroads helped settle the desolate southwest...
We started a discussion about how inaccurate that statement is. One student even pointed out that the events in the article occurred after their ancestors began settling near Abiquiu and Cimarron. This then led to a search through our textbooks to take inventory of who is portrayed in the stories. Sadly, the students were not surprised that none of our main selections contained Native American characters. There was one paired selection, The Storytelling Stone, and that was it.
This coming week we will be conducing research into pieces of literature that have Native characters that we could possibly read in place of the basal curriculum. Our major hurdle is convincing the principal and the instructional coaches.
I absolutely love that you involved your students in these type of formative assessment. I say this because you are in the middle of the school year, and both your students and yourself realized that there should be a curriculum change. I commend you for involving your students in finding books together, what a fantastic way to get them excited about the reading material. I can't remember what grade that you teach, but in my 8th grade Native Literature class, we are reading Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (sort of racey, but is a 7th grade reading level book), Power by Linda Hogan (very dense), Bless Me Ultima (Rudolfo Anaya is Native and Hispanic), and Prison Writings (cannot remember the author's name). I've also read corridos in class (El Corrido de Joaquin Murrieta).
ReplyDeleteI commend you for trying to give your students material that will be meaningful to them and being honest with them about their education. I'm thankful my school isn't too tied to their basal but more to having material that connects to the students and their culture. I hope all goes well in convincing the principal and the instructional coaches. I hope they do not actually deny you the opportunity to show students literature that has characters that actually relate to them. I think that would be ridiculous. Good Luck!
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