When I find a historically based nonfiction picture book that is also a page turner that keeps me on the edge of my seat, I know that my students are going to enjoy it. And I hope it is one… Read More ›
primary sources
How to Spot a High-Quality Ethnic Studies Resource: Three Key Features
[SPONSORED CONTENT] Ethnic Studies is no longer exclusive to colleges and universities—it’s a quickly growing field of study in K-12 education. As of 2021, nine states had passed legislation supporting the adoption of diverse coursework in public schools[1], with California… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: A Song for the Unsung: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington by Carole Boston Weatherford, Rob Sanders, and Byron McCray
After writing dozens of these posts and working on dozens of other picture book and primary source pairings, there are few that truly shift my thinking about how I should be teaching a topic in my school library. But that… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton and Don Tate
Recently I was working with a group of elementary and classroom teachers in Florida. I was tasked with helping them incorporate effective instruction with primary sources around the topic of Reconstruction. Of course, I wanted to focus one activity on… Read More ›
Fighting Anti-Semitism and Anti-Asian Hate Through Books
May is Jewish American Heritage and Asian American & Pacific Islander Month. Both these cultures contain vibrant histories. Unfortunately, something else they have in common lately is an increase in hate crimes against them. It’s more important than ever to read… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Revisiting a Pairing with Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
After writing for the KQ blog for a few years, I am lucky enough to speak with educators about their own pairings of picture books and primary sources. Recently, Amanda Jones, a fellow KQ blogger and amazing school librarian in… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Source: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper
Since it came out earlier this year, many people have read Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper’s Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. I waited. The Tulsa race massacre was something I had recently learned about. How could what I knew… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Kate’s Light: Kate Walker at Robbins Reef Lighthouse by Elizabeth Spires and Emily Arnold McCully
Maybe I’m a sucker for a good lighthouse story after sitting on the 2019 Caldecott Committee where Sophie Blackall won for Hello Lighthouse. But more likely, I’m drawn to an intriguing story. That was what I found when I opened… Read More ›
My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Talking about September 11th
In August, my school offered a school-wide professional development about Mind Brain Education (MBE) from The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL). The purpose of this professional development was to identify best teaching practices that are grounded in research. … Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Horse Power: How Horses Changed the World by Jennifer Thermes
One of my favorite units with my first-grade students is the Long Ago and Today unit. Students compare and contrast several aspects of culture and civilization in the U.S. from today and different moments in history. Technology, communication, and transportation… Read More ›