PED 3114: Literature Anthology
October 2019
LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE
This anthology is a collection of children’s literature that can be used in a junior level classroom (grades 4-8) and are a great way to introduce and educate students to LGBTQA+ terms, identities, and perspectives. The chosen text all touch on the quintessential theme of ‘fitting in’ and engage students in critical thought, as they themselves seek answers on their own journeys of self-discovery. As junior students explore multiple perspectives and look at equity and social justice issues, this anthology creates the space and environment for students to have important discussions that are simultaneously being had outside of the classroom, on larger scales. These titles also engage in the intersectionality of the urban communities cohort perspective. The activities cultivated around the collection will address issues of inequality found in school communities, and invite students to “identify and challenge discourses that structure normative ways of belonging” (Urban Communities Cohort Agenda for Critical Inclusive Teacher Education).
Books Featured:
Princess Princess Ever After
The Other Boy
Drumroll, Please
Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill
Keywords: adventure, fantasy, character of colour, found family, friendship, LGBTQA+ representation, fitting in
Princess Sadie has been locked away in a tower, and doesn’t care much for her potential rescuers until the day that Princess Amira rides up on a unicorn. Together, they’re able to escape the tower, and together they embark on an adventure that includes saving a prince, talking to a misunderstood ogre, and challenging Sadie’s older sister. Presented as a graphic novel, Princess Princess Ever After is a heartwarming story, where representation matters as the junior level students can potentially see themselves reflected in the story.
Classroom Suggestions:
-
Using what they have inferred from the texts, students will create a 4 panel comic of what they think Amira did to become a Captain of the guard.
-
Following a discussion and further reflection on expectations that students feel have been placed on them because of certain aspects of their personality and/or identity, students will re-write a fairy tale where the main characters subvert the expectations that society has placed on them.-Using what they have inferred from the texts, students will create a 4 panel comic of what they think Amira did to become a Captain of the guard.
Link to Ontario Curriculum:
These activities will touch on the overall writing expectations of the Ontario Grade 6 Language Curriculum, as students generate ideas and information to write for an intended purpose, revise their writing, and use a variety of literary and graphic forms that are appropriate for the purpose (p. 114).
Specifically, these activities can also address the following Grade 6 Reading expectations, as found in the Language Curriculum:
1.1: Variety of Texts; 1.6: Extending Understanding; 1.7: Analysing Texts; 2.1: Text Forms; 2.4: Elements of Style; 4.2: Interconnected Skills (p. 111-113)
Discussion about representation found in Princess Princess Ever After (characters with various LGBTQA+ identities, a main character of colour, a plus-size main character, etc.), can address the following Media Literacy expectation in the Grade Language Curriculum:
1.4: Audience Responses; 1.5: Point of View (p.117-118)
The creation of a comic book page will also address aspects of the Grade 6 Arts Curriculum:
1.1: Variety of Texts; 1.6: Extending Understanding; 1.7: Analysing Texts; 2.1: Text Forms; 2.4: Elements of Style; 4.2: Interconnected Skills (p. 111-113)
The discussion of identity and expectations can be tied in with the Grade 6 Health Curriculum, specifically as students can reflect on gender roles and expectations, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity:
D3: Making Connections for Healthy Living (p. 232)
Drumroll, Please by Lisa Jenn Biglow
Keywords: friendship, identity, music, coming of age, first love, family, summer, LGBTQA+ representation
Drumroll, Please follows Middle Schooler Milly during the summer of her parents’ divorce when she, along with her best friend Olivia go to Rockaway Camp. The plan is simple: they’ll jam together under the stars and learn how to be rockstars, but plans change when Olivia starts to pull away and Milly finds herself falling for another girl at camp. Feelings get complicated, friendships change, but no what what, Milly still is able to find solace in the music.
Classroom Suggestions:
-
Students will create a playlist of at least five songs that they think might help Melly get through the summer at Rockaway Camp. Students will write 1-2 sentences on why they think the song would fit on the playlist, reflecting on both the lyrics and the music of the song.
-
In groups of 3-5 students, students will write a script on a scene that they think was missing from the book, either continuing an existing scene, re-writing a scene from a different character’s perspective, and/or a whole new scene that fits within the context of the novel. Students will write the script, assign roles, and after presenting the scene to the rest of the class, will discuss why they felt it will add to the story. Audience members are invited to also weigh in on what the scenes added to the story.
Link to Ontario Curriculum:
The classroom activities designed for this novel have been developed in part to acknowledge the themes of music and performance found in the book. The following expectations in the Grade 6 Visual Arts curriculum will be addressed:
MUSIC C2: Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences (p. 126)
DRAMA B1: Creating and Presenting to process drama and the development of drama works, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and multiple perspectives; B2: Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of drama works and experiences (p.124)
The following specific Grade 6 Language Curriculum expectations will also be addressed in these activities:
WRITING 1.1: Purpose and Audience; 1.2: Developing Ideas; 1.5: Organizing Ideas; 2.1 Form; 2.2: Voice; 2.8: Producing Drafts (p. 114)
MEDIA LITERACY 1.2: Making Inferences/Interpreting Messages; 3.2: Form, 3.4 Producing Media texts (p. 117-119)
The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey
Keywords: acceptance, gender identity, friendship, bullying, growing up, family, identity, LGBTQA+ representation
12-year-old Shane is a regular boy who goes to school, is the pitcher on his baseball team, and hangs out with his best friend Josh when he’s not working on his graphic novel. Shane’s just like all the other boys in his grade, he just also takes hormone blockers, something that he’s kept to himself since moving schools. Shane’s world is threatened when someone finds out his secret, and the story in his graphic novel starts to reflect the life he’s living. With the support of his mom, Josh, and a surprising number of others, Shane finds the courage in himself to prove that he can live authentically in his identity.
Classroom Suggestions:
-
-Using research skills, students will create a resource to education others (peers/parents) and trans and other gender identities. Students should think about why it’s important for people to know about this topic, and think about the different ways this information can be presented.
-
In The Other Boy, Shane is bullied for his gender identity. Students will have open discussions about bullying and what they can do to prevent it in their communities. Students will create anti-bully campaigns to be implemented in the school community.
Link to the Ontario Curriculum
These activities have been designed with an emphasis on research and presentation, as junior learners “are expected to use the knowledge and skills to understand, critically analyse, and communicate a broad range of information and ideas” (p. 76). Further, students should learn to “identify and explore multiple perspectives” (p. 76), especially if this is students’ first introduction to multiple gender identities.
While the presentation of the resource created in activity 1 will address the entirety of the Oral Communication Expectations in the Grade 6 Language Curriculum, the following specific reading and writing expectations will also be addressed:
READING 1.1: Variety of Texts; 1.3: Comprehension Strategies; 1.4 Demonstrating Understanding; 2.1 Text forms; 3.2: Reading Unfamiliar Words (p.111-112)
WRITING 1.2: Developing ideas; 1.3: Research; 1.4 Classifying; 1.5 Organizing Ideas; 1.6: Review; 2.3: Word Choice; 4.1: Metacognition (p. 112-113)
Elements of the Art Curriculum will be addressed:
D1: Creating and Presenting; D2: Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing [D2.2, D2.3] (p. 129-130)
Part of the Grade 6 Health curriculum will also be addressed when discussing bullying and gender identities, specifically:
A1: Social-Emotional Learning Skills; D2.3: Personal Safety and Injury Prevention; D3.3: Human Development and Sexual Health (p. 227, 232)
LINKS TO THE URBAN CURRICULUM
This anthology was curated with the Urban Communities Cohort Agenda for Critical Inclusive Teacher Education in mind. While the main characters and themes of all theme novels revolve around LGBTA+ issues and identity, the three chosen novels also showcase several characters from minority groups that are often underrepresented in the media that junior students consume. The obvious example in this collection can be found in Princess Princess Ever After, which showcases two main characters who don’t fit into the “norm” of being male, white, straight, or skinny characters, and the two other chosen books also have diverse characters. It needs to be acknowledged that they are not the POV characters, however the classroom focus on “creating safe schools [for students from all backgrounds and identities], increasing student achievement and building sustainable community partnerships is present within this anthology. Sharing and finding books where students can see themselves as the characters is essential to their own sense of identity.
SOURCES
Bainbridge & Heydon (2017). Chapter 11. The Pleasures of Literacy (excerpts) & Chapter 12. Responding to Literature (excerpts)… In Constructing Meaning: Teaching Language and Literacy K-8.
Bigelow, L. J. (2018). Drum Roll, Please. New York City, USA: HarperCollins.
Harste (2014). The art of learning to be critically literate. Language Arts, 92, 90-102.
Hennessey, M. G., & Monster, S. R. (2016). The Other Boy. New York City, USA: HarperCollins.
O’Neill, K. (2016). Princess Princess Ever After. Portland, USA: Oni Press.
Ontario Ministry of Education (2006). Language Curriculum, K-8.
Ontario Ministry of Education (2009) The Arts Curriculum, K-8.
Ontario Ministry of Education (2019) Health and Physical Education, K-8
Welcome to the Urban Communities Cohort. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2019, from https://urbancommunitiescohort.ca/
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Ackerman, A. (2018, October 11). Representation in Literature: Why It’s Important & How To Handle It ~ WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/10/representation-in-literature-why-its-important-and-how-to-handle-it/
DePasquale, J. (2018, April 6). Create Inclusive, Affirming Schools for LGBTQ Students | Scholastic. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/john-depasquale/2017/Create-Inclusive-Affirming-Schools-for-LGBT-Students/
Egale Canada Human Rights Trust. (2019, May 22). Community Resources -. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://egale.ca/community-resources/
Oder, B. (2018, July 26). 25 LGBT Children’s Books for the Little Readers in Your Life. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://bookriot.com/2018/07/26/lgbt-childrens-books/
Stepaniuk, C. (2017, May 5). 14 More LGBTQ Middle Grade Books. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://bookriot.com/2017/05/05/14-more-lgbtq-middle-grade-books/
