Getting Started With the Global Read Aloud'
By Lisa P., Mom to Classy Cucumber Giovanna and Future Villager Aidan
Two quaternary/5th class classrooms, Andy'due south Harmonious Hummingbirds and Michele'due south Classy Cucumbers, read the book Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed. Amal Unbound is the story of a Pakistani girl who has dreams of condign a teacher. She is disappointed when she must stay home from school for a while to care for her younger siblings, merely she finds ways to continue her education regardless. Life takes a very unexpected plough when she has a run-in with her village's corrupt landlord, and is then forced to piece of work equally his family unit servant to pay off her own family's debt. Amal is challenged in many means, and must join with others to become free and to help change the unjust status quo for her village.
Teacher Michele said, "I love the Global Read Aloud because information technology helps me bring new books to the classroom that I might not otherwise come across…these books get kids thinking at a deep level about human interaction and social or cultural differences. We have thoughtful discussions well-nigh large issues. And at this age, students are ready for these large topics and discussions." While reading this book, for example, "students were deeply affected and upset almost reading that Amal had to stop going to school — we discussed what it would exist like to be in her situation, and the students felt empathy and compassion for her."
Tools Michele and Andy used to assist students connect with others, and heighten their learning, included FlipGrid, Padlets and Google HyperDocs. "We every bit teachers got a lot of value out of the teacher Facebook page for classrooms reading Amal Unbound for the GRA, and got a lot of tools and ideas to use in the classroom from that group," said Andy. Using FlipGrid, students were able to video themselves answering questions posted past their teachers so share them with each other. With Padlets, which are online bulletin boards, students posted things they were thinking almost, and kids all over the globe could read each other'south responses. For example, they responded to questions such as, "How do you relate to Amal?" and "How is your life unlike than Amal's?" or to prompts such as "I notice…" and "I wonder…" Inside a HyperDoc, students were able to work with maps, watch videos nearly Pakistan, look up vocabulary words with both pictures and words in Urdu, and learn nigh the volume'due south writer and comprehend design.
Within the classroom, Michele and Andy facilitated discussions and projects related to the story as they read. They talked near the striking comprehend art of the volume and its meaning related to the text. In Andy'south class, students had the hazard to do Henna tattoos. Both classes used paper hand templates similar to the cover art so that students could create art that represented them. They drew symbols on the hands of things they love, their interests, and of experiences they have had that have shaped them.
Until mid-Dec, Michele besides mentored Saba, a student teacher of Pakistani heritage, who added to the discussions and to the students' understanding of the story and of Pakistani civilisation. Saba talked about her perspective on social bug presented in the volume. She said, "I tried to run into how we could relate the story to what is happening in the U.South….such equally issues that arise when besides much power is concentrated in just a few hands, and what can we exercise to bring our voices together and create change the mode that Amal did." Saba also brought in foods that were discussed in the volume, such as jalebis (a sweet treat) and kulfi (similar to ice foam). On her last twenty-four hours of educatee teaching, Saba brought in more treats and presented each educatee in Michele's class with a handmade bookmark with their proper name she had written in Urdu.
At the conclusion of the Global Read Aloud this twelvemonth, author Aisha Saeed posted a heartfelt thank you note on the program's blog. Here is an excerpt from that letter:
"All through my elementary schoolhouse years, I was taunted for my identity. And still I couldn't hide from who I was. My skin, my hair, my name— spoke too loudly. And as painful as information technology was, I thought it was normal. I accepted it.
During the Global Read Aloud, then many of you went beyond the book and pigeon into Pakistani civilization. Y'all brought in music. You Skyped with classrooms and people in Islamic republic of pakistan and around the world. Y'all invited local community members to share about the people and the culture of Islamic republic of pakistan. Yous walked into South Asian markets and clothing stores and bought pomegranates and chadors and did everything you could to bring "over there"— here.
In a world where Pakistan is often equated to dangerous, you lot helped gainsay stereotypes. You helped children see the underlying humanity that all people possess which demark us together—considering that is the truth. There is no "the states versus them"— we are all people."
She continued, "Y'all not only helped children glimpse life in another person'due south shoes, you helped children feel seen. You honored them. You validated them. Yous historic them."
Read the total transcript of this beautiful letter here .
Source: https://village.campbellusd.org/get-involved/village-voice/global-read-aloud-one-book-connect-world
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