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LITR 4332 American Minority Literature Model Assignments Research Project Submissions 2013 research journal |
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Jillian Norris
April 19, 2013
Teaching American Minority Literature in the Middle School Classroom
Introduction:
As a student who strives to one day teach English Language Arts & Reading to the
young people of Houston, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the
country, among the many important tasks I am going to face is incorporating
American minority literature into my middle school curriculum. For this research
journal, I have chosen to explore different methods that teachers across the
country are using to present American minority literature in their English
Language Arts & Reading classrooms, how their students react to the literature,
and any problems that arise during the lesson. At this point in my degree, I
have taken many education courses that prepared me for teaching literature to
children, but none of them touched on the subject of teaching minority
literature specifically. As we previously discussed in this course, teaching
American minority literature presents a different set challenges and sensitive
material that must be handled and addressed with proper care and tact. My
objective with this research journal is to gain a better understanding of the
use of American minority literature in middle school classrooms and to discover
new and effective ways of incorporating the genre into my own curriculum.
Why Teach American Minority Literature?
Teaching American minority literature in public classrooms is incredibly
important for several reasons. Not only does exploring multicultural literature
in the middle grades allow students to learn about and celebrate non-dominant
cultures, but it also allows students to gain a better understanding of the
cumulative culture that makes up the population of the United States. In fact,
in an article published by the National Council of Teachers of English entitled
Teaching Minorities Fairly, Elizabeth
Hart speaks on the importance of teaching African American literature by stating
“black history and culture are deeply rooted in the history and culture of
[America]…An honest teaching of literature demands that it reflect the
pluralistic nature of society. Unfair teaching of black literature is unfair
teaching of American literature” (Purnell 268). While Mrs. Hart’s statements
directly focus on African American literature, I believe everything she said is
equally applicable to American Indian and Mexican American literature as well.
All of these minority groups hold strong roots in American history, and American
society as it exists today is a direct result of those roots. To deny that truth
would be to deny the realities of our nation’s past. While teaching American
minority literature can be a sensitive topic due to the poor treatment of
minorities in the early days of American history, I agree with Mrs. Hart when
she says it would be unfair to teach American minority literature without
teaching the history of the culture behind it, because the two will always be
entwined with one another.
Teaching Techniques and Facing the Challenges of Teaching Minority
Literature:
For the sake of personal interest, I chose to investigate different approaches
teachers have taken when it comes to teaching minority literature in grade
school classrooms. The first
instance of a teacher introducing minority literature into the classroom comes
from Rose Reissman’s experience with Amy Tam’s
The Joy Luck Club. In an article
written by Reissman in the English
Journal entitled “Leaving Out to Pull In: Using Reader Response to Teach
Multicultural Literature,” she discusses a unique technique she employs to help
introduce her students to literature from a non-dominant culture that I had
never heard of before. She calls this method “leaving out to pull in.” Her
method begins by informing her sixth grade students that they will be listening
to a portion of the novel via audiobook, although she very carefully removes
portions of the text such as names of places, native language terms, and customs
that may give away the author’s cultural identity. As they listen to the
teacher’s personal recording of the text, "I ask that during the reading they
try to guess the ethnic or cultural background of the author and write down the
phrases, images, or words which suggest a particular ethnicity or cultural
background to them" (Reissman 20).
The results of this exercise surprised me because every student held a different
opinion on what they believed to be the author’s cultural identity. For example,
a Korean student in the class believed what they were reading was Korean
literature based on a particular setting in the story that reminded him of a
Korean-style marketplace. Another student assumed the book was Cuban because a
character from the story held similar behavioral characteristics as her Cuban
grandmother. Other students supposed the story to be Puerto Rican, Japanese, and
even Italian. When the teacher finally revealed the author’s Chinese descent,
the students were initially shocked because no one had guessed the right answer.
This method of presenting Chinese literature worked really well for the students
because it allowed them to view the story and its characters objectively, while
also helping them realize that people from other cultures are not always as
different from their own as they may think. By “leaving out” obvious
characteristics of the author’s and characters' cultural identity, students were
then able to “pull in” and apply aspects of their own culture, creating a
personal connection to the story. While this particular method was used to teach
Chinese-American literature, I thought it was such a clever idea and could be
just as easily used to teach any of the three American minority literatures we
discussed in class. By taking out certain elements of the story, students are
required to think deeper and analyze what they read in order to determine the
culture in which the story is rooted. This method is also a great way to make
reading fun because it turns reading into a game. The students are given a
mystery to solve (the cultural identity of the author) and they have to find and
decipher clues from the text to crack the case.
Additionally, I also uncovered a surprising amount of information in
regards to the variety of strategies used in teaching Native American literature
to young people. From all that I have found, the two articles I found most
interesting were “An Ethical
Approach to Teaching Native American Literature” by Bruce Goebel
and “Teaching Native American
Literature: Inviting Students to See the World through Indigenous Lenses”
by Carol Zitzer-Comfort. Every article found on the subject of teaching
Native American literature identified the same unifying problem: their students’
lack of background knowledge. The two articles I mentioned are ones I believe
best identify the issue as well as provide helpful methods in resolving it.
Goebel and Zitzer-Comfort both mention that students often come into the class
with internalized assumptions and stereotypes regarding Native American people.
However, Goebel argues that it is not just students who may be uninformed, but
the teachers as well may be uneducated because they may also have been raised to
believe the popular assumptions about Native American culture. Such
assumptions include the idea of "'good Indians' such as Squanto and Pocahontas,
the 'savages' of television and movies, and the 'tragic and disappearing Indians
of the nineteenth century" (Goebel
95). Before a teacher is capable of effectively teaching Native American
literature, they must first educate themselves on the matter to ensure proper
deliverance of information. Goebel’s method for
combating what he calls problematic stereotypes, and lack of prior knowledge, in
his students is to begin by first educating yourself as the teacher. Next he
begins his Native American unit by first introducing his students to non-fiction
work such as narratives and documentaries after determining what his students
already know about them. He believes introducing his students to an unbiased
presentation of Native American culture better prepares his students for the
novels that they will be reading and creates a strong foundation of knowledge
that they can then build upon as the unit progresses.
Goebel’s method of introducing Native American literature is a great way for
students to cleanse themselves of any preconceived notions they may have
regarding “Indians” so they can move on to mythical stories, folktales, and
modern novels with an objective frame of mind.
For junior high students, I think the best way to present non-fiction
material would be to use Goebel’s suggestion of presenting clips or segments
from a documentary. For a Native American unit,
500 Nations is an excellent
eight-part documentary that accurately portrays
“how indigenous civilizations thrived and tells the painful story of Native
Americans’ struggle to hold onto their way of life” (Huval). By viewing the
documentary, the visual representation of Native American life exposes the
students to the reality of the culture and the people, while at the same time
establishing a base foundation of knowledge concerning Native Americas.
Following the documentary, I would hold a class discussion in which the students
would discuss what surprised them most about the documentary and how they think
Native American history impacts life in the United States today. By this point,
the students should have a firm understanding of Native American life and
culture which can then be expanded upon and applied to a novel or folktale.
What the Teachers Have to Say:
In my quest to uncover as much information as possible from a wide variety of
resources, I decided to reach out to a couple of my former professors who also
happen to be grade school teachers with personal experience teaching American
minority literature to young people. The two teachers I spoke with are Charlotte
Orso, certified in grades K-12, ESL, ELAR, reading specialist, principal, and
self-contained grades 1-8, and also Elaine Hendrix, certified in grades K-12
ELAR (English/Language Arts & Reading). These two ladies gave me some profound
insight on what it takes to realistically teach minority literature to middle
school students.
One of the main topics that I discussed with Professor Orso refers to addressing
the unique set of challenges associated with discussing minority cultures and
teaching minority literature to students of a young age. I wasn’t sure what to
expect in this regard. I assumed teaching American minority literature to middle
school students must be a nightmare, but what Professor Orso said both surprised
and comforted me. She explained that the students in her classes generally did
not have much of a problem accepting the literature and the diverse cultures
presented to them. This could be because of the fact that she usually teaches in
predominantly Title 1 schools of low economic status, and the majority of her
students are of African American or Hispanic
heritage. However, I still found it a bit unusual for young students to be so
readily accepting of an unfamiliar culture's literature, but she explained to me
that the principal and school district “very carefully thought through what and
when [teachers] will teach concepts to students.”
She says her current literature books contain a broad selection of
stories appropriate for the age and maturity level of her students, and
represent diverse cultures. Because the school district takes such special care
in ensuring the material being presented to students is appropriate, she has not
experienced many issues and has never received a complaint from a parent.
However, she did share a story with me of a colleague who found herself in hot
water upon her teaching of multi-cultural literature. The incident occurred
during a class discussion of The Diary of
Ann Frank when the teacher presented video footage from the Holocaust to her
eleventh grade classroom. Professor Orso said a big fiasco ensued and many upset
parents came forward due to the footage containing nude photos of emaciated
holocaust victims at concentration camps. While Professor Orso herself has not
experienced any issues yet in her teaching of minority literature, the
experience of her colleague provides an excellent demonstration that a certain
amount of caution must always be exercised when discussing such sensitive
topics. Personally, I believe teachers should be able to teach their students
the realities of the past when discussing such histories as the holocaust or
slavery because, as Mrs. Hart stated in her essay, it would be unfair to teach
minority literature without teaching the history of that minority’s culture. On
the other hand, it is also important to remain within the bounds of what has
been approved by the school board to show students in order to avoid conflict or
offense.
In my second interview, Professor Elaine Hendrix shared a different view on the
challenges faced when teaching American minority literature to middle school
students. She explained that one of the biggest problems she faced was helping
the students to understand the history of the culture being discussed. She says
"a basic understanding of the history of the particular culture and an
understanding of the cultural issues or concepts specific to each culture is
critical as far as giving the reader an accurate picture and understanding the
text in question." This, to me, is what I think would be one of the greatest
challenges to overcome as well, because if the students lack a solid foundation
of basic knowledge, which she calls the "big picture" of the culture, then they
will not be able to experience the full meaning of the text. When I asked what
could be done to help students obtain that foundation, Professor Hendrix
provided me with a rather familiar answer. She seems to follow the same
procedure as the previously mentioned Goebel by stating the necessity of
determining what the students already know about the culture and building from
there. She says as a teacher "it is important to always put yourself in the
students' frame of mind in order to anticipate any positive or negative
reactions that might occur so there are as few 'surprises' as possible."
Another challenge Professor Hendrix faced while teaching American minority
literature was not very surprising to me: the language. Much of the minority
literature being taught is set in the past, which can cause a bit of a language
barrier for students in today's society because the words and dialects used at
the time that the story takes places may be completely new and unheard of for
the students reading the text. In regards to certain elements of language, such
as mild profanity, Professor Hendrix states "some authors use these conventions
to make a point when honestly, the text would be just as understood and just as
effective without those words. . . . It is the teacher's responsibility to
develop a screening process that works for them as they select appropriate
minority literature." I agree that it is important to make sure the material
being selected for the students is appropriate and non-offensive, but at the
same time respects the dialect and language of the culture. One could even argue
that the language of the culture is just as important as the history of the
culture. If a teacher were to simply ignore the words and dialects of the
culture because they were felt uncomfortable discussing them, the students would
lose a very important aspect of everyday life within that culture.
Websites
During my research, I found a couple of interesting websites created by teachers
and for teachers on the subject of addressing American minority literature in
the classrooms. What intrigued me about the information I found was the amount
detail and planning these teachers put into their suggested lesson plans. They
introduced different activities and discussion topics I had never thought to
consider before, and will be incredibly useful to me in the future.
The first website I found comes from
Carol Otis Hurst,
which has been featured in the “Library Corner” column of
Teaching K-8 Magazine. The webpage is a compilation of information Carol
believes useful when teaching Native American literature to elementary through
middle school students. Her website includes everything from class activities to
information on Indian mythology. Perhaps my favorite segments she covered are
the sections on "Gathering Information" and "Nonfiction." In the "Gathering
Information" section, Hurst gives several great ideas for the teacher to use in
order to determine what the students already know about Native Americans and
their culture. She suggests making a list of everything the students already
know or think they know about Native Americans, and write everything they say
down without comment or criticism. Next, categorize the students' ideas into
logical topic groupings such as “where do they live,” “what do they do?”, and
“tribes." Finally, create another list of topics students
want to know about Native Americans.
Creating lists of what students already know and what they would like to know
more about provides a great starting point for the lesson and can generate many
thought provoking discussions throughout the Native American literature unit.
I also found The “Nonfiction” section of Carol's website incredibly useful
because she provides several non-fiction books and biographies that can be
presented to classes of all age groups. She lists the name, author, and even
ISBN number, which makes locating the books much easier. Along with book
suggestions, Carol provides a helpful template for a chart for students to fill
out during or after the reading of the non-fiction literature. Carol's chart
helps students organize information about the tribe being discussed by listing
unique characteristics, their location, type of housing, clothing, and famous
individuals for the tribe. Using graphic organizers like the one Carol provides
is a great way to help students organize and recall all of the new facts they
learned from the text.
Carol's template
The second website I found comes from a website called
Zunal.com
and was created by Ray Detwiler for grades 6-8. Zunal is a website that hosts
thousands of “webquests” created by teachers and student teachers geared towards
initiating student-led research and interactive learning experiences. The
webquest that I found in my research is meant to be used as an introductory
lesson for Things Fall Apart written
by the late Chinua Achebe. The
general idea for the lesson is that the students have been contacted by a local
news station to interview Chinua Achebe about his book, but in order to prepare
insightful questions for him they will need to conduct some research first. The
author of the webquest states that his objective is to “provide students with
background information on Africa, Nigeria's history and culture (specifically
the Igbo people), and author Chinua Achebe. The lesson challenges students to
gather information in preparation for an interview with Mr. Achebe” (Detwiler).
The webquest is divided into five sections: Introduction, Task, Process,
Evaluation, and Conclusion. Each portion of the page is designed to help the
students in conducting their research by providing helpful links and
information, detailed maps, biographical information, information on literary
elements, and worksheets. At the end of the webquest, the author provides an
evaluation page, allowing students to view the grading rubric and know in
advance what the expectations are for their final product.
This is an absolutely fantastic way to get students engaged in the learning
process. Webquests allow the students to take charge of their learning
experience, making the assignment seem like less of a chore and more of an
activity in which they are voluntarily participating. This lesson also
incorporates computer usage and research, and it is important to integrate
elements of technology into the classroom whenever possible. Not only do
students love showing off their computer skills, but it also introduces them to
using the computer for research – something they will definitely need to know
prior to high school and college.
Conclusion:
As I began to gather information and conduct research for this journal, I was
surprised at how little information was available on the topic of teaching
American minority literature from scholarly journals. However, the information I
did manage to find proved very helpful and informative and provided several
teaching techniques that I very much look forward to integrating into my own
lesson plans. Reissman’s method of introducing new cultures explained that
allowing students to determine the cultural nature of a novel on their own, they
are generally more likely establish personal connections to the text based on
their own cultural background. Even if the students did not determine the
correct cultural identity of the author, the activity still requires students to
analyze the text on a deeper level and build personal connections with the
characters – a valuable skill to have as they begin to read more complex
literature.
I also learned how important it is to ensure students have a firm understanding
of the culture being covered prior to reading a piece of American minority
literature. The best way to do this is to discover what the students already
know or believe about the culture, and then present clear and unbiased
informative material that will create a strong foundation of knowledge on which
to build on. Creating a foundation of knowledge about the culture is vital in
helping eliminate the possibility of students misinterpreting the text and also
amends any incorrect notions or stereotypes the students may have picked up on
prior to the class.
In addition to scholarly articles, the websites I found proved equally useful in
discovering the most effective ways to teach American minority literature to
middle school students. I will certainly be referencing Zunal.com in the future
as I begin my teaching career because it is a website that truly engages the
students by capitalizing on their interest in technology to enhance their
learning experience.
Finally, perhaps the most valuable information I gathered while researching for
this journal came from the two teachers I spoke with. Professor Orso and
Professor Hendrix granted me a very special perspective on what teaching
American Minority Literature to middle school students is
really like. They taught me that
teaching about a culture different from my own, or different from my students,
is not the scary or daunting task it may initially seem. Yes, it can be a
challenge to convey just how important American minority literature is and how
it affects day-to-day life to a group of pre-teens, but it is also one of the
most rewarding experiences. As Professor Orso explained to me, the most
thought-provoking discussions can come from the most innocent minds. It is
because of their age, and the fact that they exist during a time in which racial
prejudices are not as common as they once were that young people are capable of
recognizing the injustices of the world and feeling empathy for the victims. I
think an unfortunate number of people share the misconception that young
students are incapable of higher level thinking, and that a story with complex
ideas such as inequality and prejudice would go right over their heads. But my
discussions with Professor Orso and Professor Hendrix have reaffirmed my belief
that students hold the ability to see the deeper in meaning in literature and
provide thought-provoking discussion.
Through this research journal I certainly became more aware of the sensitivities
involved in teaching American minority literature to young adults. As expected,
many challenges and obstacles exist that must be overcome to ensure the students
understand and welcome the new culture, while still gaining an appreciation for
the literature being discussed. It is obvious that a large part of reading
American minority literature is experiencing life from a new perspective and
learning something new about the many cultures that make up America's history,
but it is also incredibly important for students to be challenged by the new
genre of literature and feel encouraged to derive deeper meaning from the text
rather than take the story at face value. Additionally, while many challenges
arise in teaching American minority literature, many benefits can also be found.
Learning about new cultures allows students to better understand their peers who
may have a different heritage. They also learn how important it is to not
blindly accept the stereotypes and labels our society is often guilty of placing
on non-dominant cultures.
As we discussed on the first day of class, America is a cultural melting pot of
individuals from all walks of life who represent hundreds of different cultures
across the world. Whether their ancestors came to this country in search of "the
dream" or were forcibly brought here and had to fight for their right to that
dream, their past shaped America into what it is today and it is vital that we
respect and teach their literature to young people so that they may gain a
better understanding of minority cultures and the impact those culture have on
American life.
Works Cited
Detwiler, Ray. Discover “Things Fall Apart”. Retrieved From
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=6349
Goebel, Bruce. (2005). An Ethical Approach to Teaching Native American
Literature Reading Native American Literature: A Teacher's Guide.
English Journal, 94.3, 95-96. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/30046430.
Hurst, Carol Otis. (2012). Native Americans and Children’s Literature. Retrieved
from
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/nativeamericans.html
Huval, Rebecca. (2012). Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with 8
Documentaries. PBS Houston. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/eight-native-american-documentaries.
Purnell, Rosentine. (1971). Teaching Minorities Fairly. College Composition
and
Communication,
22, 268-269.
Reissman, Rose. (1994). Leaving Out to Pull In: Using Reader Response to Teach
Multicultural Literature. English
Journal, 83.2, 20-23. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/821147.
Zitzer-Comfort, Carol. (2008). Teaching Native American Literature: Inviting
Students to See the World through Indigenous Lenses.
Pedagogy, 8.1, 160-170. Retrieved from
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/pedagogy/v008/8.1zitzer-comfort.html.
