Diverse Texts Resource List: Brainstorming Questions with Princess Books

Crowns, Books, and Representation: Using Princess Books to Practice Questioning

51nt-fC6L2L._SX399_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

This fall I am facilitating a training on using diverse texts across the curriculum to help teach comprehension and raise engagement. While preparing for my training, I spent some time looking into activities that use diverse texts regardless of the assigned content area. The text Strategies That Work, 3rd edition: Teaching Comprehension for Engagement, Understanding, and Building Knowledge, Grades K-8 by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis is a great place to start because we all teach comprehension (we want our students to understand what we are talking about) and we all want engagement (attention and participation in the lesson). This lesson sequence uses a current event topic and marries the idea of diverse texts to encourage questioning. Participants will also get a chance to label and categorize questions to lead to further discussion. While I chose a current event topic and this particular text set, this strategy could be applied to a variety of topics or content areas. As teachers, we want our students to question the world around them to become better citizens. The fall is approaching quickly, and I am busy reflecting on the areas in my classroom and instruction that need attention in regards to diverse texts and representation.

Lesson Sequence

First, I am going to hand my participants an article about the Little Mermaid Controversy that hit news and social media outlets in summer 2019. Here are links to other similar articles:

Disney's Original Ariel Reacts to Halle Bailey Being Cast in Live-Action The Little Mermaid | PEOPLE

‘Ariel...is a mermaid’: Disney network defends casting black actress in live-action remake of classic film | WASHINGTON POST

Disney's Freeform responds to critics of Halle Bailey casting as Ariel | NBC NEWS

Next, I will ask participants to annotate or write on the text. The focus will be in asking questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).

Ah-Ha Moments and Hands in the Air_ Using Diverse Texts to Teach Comprehension and Raise Engagement Across Content Areas copy 3.jpg

Before I hand out the books from the text set, I want to make connections to other activities and content areas. I am also going to show the clip from ABC News.

Ah-Ha Moments and Hands in the Air_ Using Diverse Texts to Teach Comprehension and Raise Engagement Across Content Areas copy 4.jpg

Then, I will give participants time to look through the books at each table. They can mark them with sticky notes and practice adding questions to each article and book. I tried to grab as many books from as many different categories as possible.

Ah-Ha Moments and Hands in the Air_ Using Diverse Texts to Teach Comprehension and Raise Engagement Across Content Areas copy 5.jpg

After a check-in, I want participants in the session to categorize questions as well. This can give the teacher or facilitator a ton of information as they can see what kinds of questions the class is asking…and not asking.

Ah-Ha Moments and Hands in the Air_ Using Diverse Texts to Teach Comprehension and Raise Engagement Across Content Areas copy 6.jpg

My goal is to have a general conversation with teachers about how they could use this in their classroom or subject areas when they are done. However, when I use this in my classroom I am going to focus on the kinds of questions that students are asking and not asking to generate some thinking about our thinking as we read.

Books/Diverse Texts Resource List

Writing Mindset Reflection: How would you use this lesson in the classroom? Do you have more princess titles to add to the list? Share below!


diverse princess books


Stephanie Hampton

A dedicated educator with over a decade of experience in public education, specializing in English Language Arts, writing instruction, and using mentor texts in the classroom. Stephanie currently works as an educational consultant. When she isn’t talking about teaching, she is with her family, spending time journaling, and enjoying a fresh cup of coffee.

Previous
Previous

Diverse Texts Resource List: Listacles with Biographies

Next
Next

Ways to Conquer Three Types of Assessments (So, I'm Not Taking Papers Home)