Literacy Now

TAR BEACH (Crown Publishing, 1991) 
Written and Illustrated by Faith Ringgold
Grades K–5

TAR BEACH, by Faith Ringgold, is a beautiful picture book with imaginative illustrations. The story is told from the point of view of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot. During the summer Cassie and her family play at the “tar beach,” which is the rooftop of the apartment building where she lives in Harlem. Cassie lies on the “beach” and imagines herself flying through the sky over the rooftops. She dreams about being free—to go where she wants without any boundaries, or anyone to tell her she can’t. And so begins the story of Cassie’s flying adventure.

The notion of flying has wonderful and magical connotations in the African American culture. Historically, flying was symbolic to African Americans for freedom from slavery and the opportunity to return to their native land. In TAR BEACH, flying symbolizes freedom in Cassie’s world. In her flying dreams her father owns the buildings he looks up to rather than down from buildings he builds as a construction worker. Cassie’s mother has the privilege of laughing and sleeping late into the morning like the well-to-do neighbors. And best of all, her family eats ice cream every day!

You’ll notice that the border on the illustrations resemble a quilt. Originally, the author wrote this story on a quilt that she sewed and then used as a canvas for her paintings. The actual quilt is part of a series called, “Woman on a Bridge.” They are on display at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Although TAR BEACH is an older publication, it’s still in print—and continues to give a taste of what can be done in the classroom to teach African American culture, language, and history. Hopefully, these lessons will spark awareness in the students and provide some background knowledge for future lessons.

Cross Curricular Connections: language arts using imagery commonly found in the African American culture, reading comprehension, vocabulary, art, history.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

History and Symbolism

Read the story out loud to your students. Be sure to show them the pictures as you read. I especially like technology in the classroom at times like this. You can display the pictures on a big screen while the students follow along with the text as you read aloud. This is a fun way to meet every child’s level of reading and comprehension. After you have finished the story you can engage your students in a deeper understanding of the text. Here are a few questions to prompt a lively group discussion:

• What is meant by “tar beach” in the story? (The blacktop roof on the top of Cassie’s apartment building where she lives). How does the reader know this?
• What does flying symbolize for Cassie? (Possible answers might be: Freedom for herself to go beyond the boundaries of her home, freedom for her father from racial bigotry with the unions and freedom for her mother to be able to live like the wealthy neighbors who can sleep late each morning). Ask students to give examples from the text and illustrations to support their answers.
• Are Cassie’s adventures real or imaginary? How can you tell?
• What are some traditions that Cassie and her family have?

Visualizing/Verbal Sharing:

Materials: beach towel for each student (students can bring a towel from home).

Clear some space in your classroom by moving desks and tables to the side. Ask your students to lay out their beach towels and lie on their backs. Next, ask them to imagine they are at “tar beach.” Tell them they are flying through the sky. Remind them that flying is symbolic for freedom from something in their lives. It could be something as immediate as homework to something deeper like a parent being out of work.

Invite students to share out loud to the class what some of their freedoms are. I always enjoy taking part in activities with my students whenever possible. This one particularly lends to the teacher participating. So, remember to bring your beach towel, too!

Dream Journal:

Materials: notebook paper, pencils

This activity can be done after the previous activity or on its own. Ask your students to either return to their desks or to find a spot on their “beach” to write their dreams down on paper. This activity lends itself quite nicely to a free-write or journaling exercise. Or you can extend this activity over the course of a few days to include the writing process from prewrite to final draft.

Paper Quilt:

Materials: crayons/paints/pastels (choose the medium that you think will best suit your group of students), blank sheets of paper, large sheet of butcher paper (any bold color will do)

Now your students can make their flying adventures in their minds come to life on paper. Pass the book around to groups of students to refer back to while they make their own illustrations. Remind your students of the vibrant colors the author/illustrator used. After your students have completed their illustrations, mount them on one large sheet of butcher paper to resemble a quilt of flying dreams. And, if you also did the writing activity you can include your students’ writings along the border of illustrations, similar to Faith Ringgold’s. Now your classroom quilt is ready to go on display!

Additional Texts:

Frame, Jeron Ashford (2003). YESTERDAY I HAD THE BLUES. Tricycle Press.

Ringgold, Faith (1995). AUNT HARRIET'S UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN THE SKY. Random House Children’s Books.

Additional Resources and Activities:

Virtual Museum Visit
If you can’t make it to the real Guggenheim, take your students on a virtual field trip and show them the quilt that preceded TAR BEACH. The site also offers a lesson plan and more information about author/artist Faith Ringgold.

Flying to Freedom: TAR BEACH and THE PEOPLE COULD FLY
This lesson plan, from ReadWriteThink.org, focuses on liberation and racism by comparing these two titles in a complex, multifaceted manner.

Teacher’s Guide
This teacher’s guide, from Teachers @ Random House, contains a plethora of ideas for more thematic and interdisciplinary connections, as well as suggestions for further reading.

TAR BEACH Discussion Guide
Short guide from Scholastic with suggestions for pre- and post-reading discussions.

Kathleen A. Hunter, MS is a literacy tutor and aspiring children's book author. You can visit her online at www.KathleenHunterWrites.com.

THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT (Charlesbridge, 2012)
Written by Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by Rebecca Bond
Grades K-5

THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT takes K-5 readers on an informative and fun journey back to the early days of the White House. The creation of the most famous house in America is revealed in picturesque step by step progression with beautiful watercolor illustrations by Rebecca Bond. Slade reveals how George Washington was part of building this presidential project from design to deadline.

Readers will be delighted to observe the colonial landscape and the construction process evolve from beginning to end. It wasn’t easy, and Washington faced many challenges, the story speaks to perseverance! This Junior Library Guild selection (and 2013 Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year) shares two writing styles: informative historical narrative and rhyming verse in cumulative memorable prose children will love to repeat!

The Author’s Note discloses little-known details about the White House project. From the contest Washington held to the many additions, a lot has changed to the house that George built, especially after it was set fire during the War of 1812. Readers will be surprised to learn it has received many improvements and every US president has lived in the White House except Washington himself.

Whether teachers are looking to introduce President's Day or inquisitive students are learning about the construction process, this book is a valuable resource. THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT can help connect K-5 classrooms to the history of the White House, Washington DC, Election Day, or an American symbols and landmarks study.

Cross-curricular connections: Science, History/Social Studies, Writing/Language Arts

Ideas for Classroom Use:

Building the President’s House 

Read THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT picture book.
Students will write a descriptive paragraph(s) which explains how the President’s House was built including the raw materials and order of construction. 

Modification option: Teacher may specify the number of construction steps to be included in narrative (more for older grades or less for younger grades.) 

[Addresses : CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2]

Changes to the President’s House

After reading “The Changing President’s House” section in the back of the book, students will write a descriptive paragraph(s) which shares several improvements made 
to the White House after it was built, including details of who made each and why.

Modification option: Students will reference the White House website below and find one improvement not listed in the book to share in narrative.
Changing White House Timeline

[Addresses: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2]

The Best President’s House Improvement

In a class discussion, ask students to answer the following question and provide reasons for their opinions—“What was the best addition/improvement made to the President’s House and why?”

[Addresses: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1] 

Student Improvement Ideas

Students will write a narrative about their own plans for a new improvement or addition to the President’s House or grounds. Narrative will include well-chosen details about the improvement and its potential benefits (for President’s family, White House staff, visitors, or country.)

[Addresses: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2]

WebQuest, Research and Write Descriptive Essay

Students in Grades 3, 4 or 5 will collaborate in groups and research past improvements to the White House, take a short video tour, and write a descriptive essay with three supporting details describing an addition or improvement from their group using this instructional WebQuest.

[Addresses: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2]

Additional Resources and Activities:

THE HOUSE THAT GEORGE BUILT book trailer

The White House - Symbol of Leadership (K - 3) 
These White House Historical Association activity sheets explore what being a “symbol” means, and describe how the White House is a symbol. They also share how the White House became white, include a printable coloring sheet of the White House, and provide an opportunity for students to draw their own plans for an expanded White House.

Every Day is President’s Day at the White House (Grades K - 3)
This link provides White House Historical Association activity sheets which help students imagine what it would be like to be president. Activities include writing a new law, choosing supplies for the Oval Office, and a quiz which explores the decisions presidents must make.

The Colors and Shapes of the White House (Grades K - 3)
These White House Historical Association activity sheets ask students to draw plans of their own homes, then compare their plans to the White House plan. Photographs of two rooms in the White House are provided so students can search for various shapes in the room.

Building the White House (Grades 4 - 8)
This White House Historical Association link provides activities for students to learn how the White House has expanded through the years, and instructs students to create their own expansion ideas.

The White House Time Machine
This website lists important historical events relating the White House from 1790, when the site for the nation’s capital was first selected, through the year 2000. Each entry in the time machine has a link to related media clips and/or additional content.

Kimberly Osko is the children’s librarian at Lily Lake Grade School in Maple Park, IL. She recently graduated with a Library Information Technology degree from the College of DuPage and is one the first Illinois Paraprofessionals to earn the Certified Library Support Staff or CLSS, a new national program from ALA. She enjoys helping 4th and 5th graders create book trailers and has presented at the Illinois School Library Media Association conference in 2012. Kimberly is also proud to be an Illinois Monarch Award Committee Member.

At every author event I do—whether it’s a signing or a school visit or a panel—there’s always one story that I make a point to tell regarding my path to publication. I began writing THRONE OF GLASS at age sixteen, but my journey began years before that. In fact, I never would have had the courage or confidence to attempt writing a novel if it wasn’t for my 7th grade teacher.

Growing up, I loved Disney Princesses and cute boys and nail polish—I loved clothes and parties and just being a girl. I also played sports, loved “boy”/“nerdy” things like Star Wars and video games, read endlessly, and was far more interested in being the one kicking butt than the damsel in distress. But as I got older, I felt more and more pressured by the world around me to choose between the “girly” side of me and the “tomboy” side. By the time I got to 7th grade, I made a conscious effort to drop the nerdy/boy stuff.

Worse, I stopped reading.

Honestly, I hated most of what I read in school—so the majority of my reading was done outside of it, always for fun and as often as I could. But I stopped reading all together, and (this is so horrifying to admit) decided to focus more on those cute boys and nail polish (the mixed signals I received regarding femininity and strength is a story for another day).

But I had this amazing teacher in 7th grade: Stan (I went to one of those schools where you call your teachers by their first names). And Stan noticed that I’d stopped reading. Granted, I wasn’t the best student in my class by any means—I didn’t stand out much in any subject, actually. Yet he somehow noticed this shift in my behavior.

p: rogintakesphotos via photopin

Upon meeting with my parents for a parent-teacher conference, he mentioned my sudden lack of reading to them. He told them that it was okay if I wasn’t enjoying what we read in class, but I needed to be reading something. Stan asked them to take me to the bookstore to pick out some books that I wanted to read—to let me select a few titles for myself. Immediately following that conference, my parents did just that.

I walked out of the store that day with Robin McKinley’s THE HERO AND THE CROWN and Garth Nix’s SABRIEL, two novels that were seemingly sprung straight from my daydreams: fierce heroines in compelling fantasy worlds who get to save the day and kick butt. Those books were all I’d ever wanted, a combination of those two parts of me, and reading them changed my life—in so many ways.

They rekindled my love of reading—and introduced me to the fantasy genre; they made me slowly begin to realize I didn’t have to choose between the girly-girl and tomboy sides of me at all (a realization later solidified by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer). And more than that, reading those two novels made me want to write.

I’d never written anything before—at least, not outside of class. But I began writing after that. Complete and total rip-offs of those novels, but they sparked a desire to keep writing.

I didn’t share a word of my writing with anyone until we had a creative writing unit in school, and I submitted one of my SABRIEL rip-off stories for an assignment. I had no idea if it was good, no idea if I could write—no idea if writing was even worth my time.

And then Stan read my assignment and told me my writing was good—that I was a good writer, and should keep at it.

Again, I’d never been that great at anything before—at least anything that had sparked my interest in such a big, big way, so hearing from a teacher I respected and adored that my writing was good…well, that changed my life. I stopped thinking of myself as someone who wrote for fun, and instead thought of myself as a writer.

I kept writing for several years after that—mostly fantasy rip-offs and embarrassingly awful fan-fiction. I wrote whenever I could. I kept reading, too—any and all fantasy novels I could get my hands on. Yet by the time I was sixteen, when that first spark of inspiration hit for the Throne of Glass series, I still credited Stan with giving me the encouragement and motivation to start writing. And when THRONE OF GLASS was published in 2012 (ten years after I began writing it; fourteen years after being in Stan’s 7th grade glass), Stan was right there in the acknowledgements, for all that he’d done for me.

There were other teachers over the years—some encouraging, some quite the opposite—but I will be forever grateful for Stan taking the time to notice that I had stopped reading, and to give me that initial bit of praise about my writing. I usually tell the story of Stan at my various events, but I always make a point to share it at my school visits. Not just for the students, but also for the teachers watching, too—so they know just how far a bit of praise and a nudge can go, and how much of a positive impact they leave on their students’ lives. I wouldn’t be here today without it.

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times bestselling author of Throne of Glass and its sequel Crown of Midnight, published with Bloomsbury. She was born and raised in New York City, but after graduating from Hamilton College in 2008, she moved to Southern California. She's always been just a tad obsessed with fairy-tales and folklore, though she'd MUCH rather be the one slaying the dragon (instead of the damsel in distress). When she's not busy writing, she can be found geeking out over things like Han Solo, gaudy nail polish, and ballet.

I have been a teacher for quite a while. I truly love working with my kindergarten kids. Every year there are new challenges to teaching, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are definitely one of these challenges. But not in the way that many people think.

I read the CCSS the first time they were accessible for public review. I have now been teaching kindergarten with the new standards for a couple of years. I don’t really find the standards to be much different than what I have been teaching for many years. I believe the difficulty is in the approach to teaching and the expectations that may be put on teachers to deliver these standards.

p: woodleywonderworks via photopin

As I review the CCSS again I think it is important to pay attention to the language used in the standards. Many of the standards insert “With prompting and support” before the focus of the standard. When I read “With prompting and support” I interpret that to mean that one should, as I have always done in my class, teach students the concept, provide them opportunities to practice the concept and give support through the entire process. 

One of the reading standards for literature states, “With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.” I have always expected my students to be able to do that. As far back as 15 years ago I asked my students to provide key details in a text. Some students did this easily and others required prompting and support.

One area of the standards that have been hotly debated in education forums, faculty meetings, PLCs, and even happy hour discussions at a local restaurant, has been close reading. Everyone seems to be asking, “What does it mean?” The CCSS state “Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.” When I read this it sounds like an awful lot for a 5 year old. But let’s look at what close reading should mean in kindergarten.

Close Reading in Kindergarten:

• Rereading (having text read to them) over several days
• Exploring key vocabulary in the text and discussing vocabulary in the context of the text
• As students listen to the story they are asked text-dependent questions.

That’s a lot, right? The truth is most of us have done this for years. There are many texts that we read multiple times in the classroom over the course of a year. We explore texts repeatedly to gain meaning from the text. When I read a text that has academic vocabulary that may be unknown or challenging we discuss it in the context of the book.

I ask my students what the author tells us to help understand the meaning of the word. For example, if I am reading an informational text on bears that uses the word hibernate, I may first ask students if they are familiar with the word. If a student can provide a definition we will write it on a chart for that book. If no one can define the word then we will reread the section and see if we can get a definition from the context. If not, then I may either look it up in a dictionary with the students or simply provide the definition and use it in a sentence. If I am reading a challenging text I will often provide some vocabulary before reading the text to the students.

After reading the text at least once I will usually have students use their reading notebooks or sticky notes as they listen to the text again to write down a key detail. What does this look like in kindergarten? It may be a picture of a bear, a cave, or just a few letters from a word. Of course there are some students that will be prepared to write about the key detail. My purpose for this activity is not to see how much they can write, but to trigger their thoughts about the key details in a text. And yes, this takes practice.

The CCSS ask students to be able to retell key details from a text. As I ask text dependent questions throughout reading, the students are asked to jot down their thoughts about what is happening in the text. I might ask “What important details did the author use to support why bears hibernate in the winter?” The students can draw a quick sketch to show the lack of food, they may write a word or two about the lack of food or write a complete sentence about a fact taken directly from the text. Any of these responses shows me that the student is able to identify a key detail. We then turn and talk about these facts or have students come up and share their sticky notes on a chart.

When I am finished with reading this text over several days I will ask students to complete some form of performance task to demonstrate their understanding of the texts. This is the part that we have done well in kindergarten. I don’t always have to ask students to go to their seats and write about what they learned. In this example of an informational text on bears, I might break my students into groups and have each group create a poster that represents a different season (which was discussed in the book) and what they know about how bears survive during that season.

Anytime we get out chart paper, markers, glue, construction paper, even glitter, my students are highly engaged and they can certainly show me in a creative way that they are able to identify key details from a text. If you are interested in checking out some of the other creative ways to address close reading check out my website at www.sharpenyoungminds.org.

I really want to challenge my fellow kindergarten teachers to explore the standards. Reread them and remember that many of these standards are asking us to do the things that we have always done. It may just be the language is a little different. And don’t forget those words, “With prompting and support!”

Sam Williams is a kindergarten teacher in Tampa, Florida. He is also a published author, and is a professional development writer and trainer. He owns an educational resource company that supplies resources and professional development for teachers around the country.  You can find Sam at www.sharpenyoungminds.org.

As residents of Alabama, my students and I rarely experience much in the way of snow. A few flakes are a treat, and any accumulation has the potential to be an event. In the midst of the snow days resulting from last week’s wintry weather, a colleague suggested via Twitter that students would likely have stories to share from their snow-and-ice-capades. Other teachers joined the online conversation, and a few tweets later we had a plan for collecting and sharing their experiences with each other and with the world. We spread the word through Edmodo, Twitter, text messages, and Instagram itself, asking our school community—students, teachers, and parents alike—to share their stories through a photo and a six-word memoir. Our chosen storytelling platform: Instagram.

Getting Started with Instagram
We selected Instagram because it is both widely used already and user-friendly for beginners and because it allows for the sharing necessary for a successful community event. To start using Instagram, first download the app, which is available for iOS or Android, then create an account. When signed in, users can take photos using the app itself or import photos already in their device’s camera roll. Instagram allows a limited degree of photo editing, including cropping and adding filters, and adding a caption is the final step before sharing a photo on Instagram and in other spaces such as Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Instagram Video
In addition to photos, Instagram also allows users to film short videos, up to fifteen seconds in length, and post them using the same method used for posting photos. Much like the photo options, there are some options for minor editing and filtering of videos once their shot.

Using Hashtags
You may choose to follow other Instagram users within your school or community, and others may follow you. However, hashtags offer a way to connect your posts with others’ without the need for a follow. For example, our school uses the hashtag #RQMSJags to connect social media posts. For our snow day storytelling, we asked participants to include #RQMSJags in their photo captions, so a search for the hashtag on Instagram would yield all the relevant posts. You might develop a similar hashtag for your entire school or choose instead to create a class, grade-level, department, or event hashtag for your purposes. Whatever you choose, communicate your desire to use a hashtag to ensure that all participants’ posts are included in the ongoing conversation.

Collecting Instagram Posts
At times it may be helpful to gather a collection of related Instagram posts in one place for easy viewing and sharing. Storify is the perfect tool for this job. Users can log in to Storify using an existing Facebook or Twitter account or create an account on the Storify website, then search for and collect desired posts across social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+. The collection of posts can be rearranged, and edited to include a title, story description, and headers to guide readers along the way and then shared via a link or embedded on a website or blog. See our collection of snow stories below.

Storytelling
Instagram may be used as a platform for documenting a shared experience like our snow days or a school field trip. However, there are other options for utilizing this tool for storytelling purposes. Instagram photos can serve as writing prompts with students building collaborative stories in the comments or writing individual stories elsewhere. Posts might offer teasers for upcoming class content or ask students to make predictions about future events in a novel, as well. 

Grammar and Vocabulary Practice
As part of ongoing grammar and vocabulary studies, I often ask students to seek out examples of word usage or common errors “in the wild”—on signage around town, in their favorite publications, and online. Instagram offers an easy way for students to document these sightings and share them with me and with their classmates. Additionally, students can post photos that demonstrate understanding of new vocabulary or literary devices and practice vocabulary usage or grammatical forms through comments in response to posted photos.

Other Uses for Instagram
Instagram is a flexible and powerful tool that allows for a wide variety of uses. In addition to those mentioned above, it can be use for showcasing student work, sharing daily activities within a class or whole school, and much more. Please share your ideas for using Instagram in the comments section below.   

Laren Hammonds teaches 8th grade language arts at Rock Quarry Middle School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her interests include media literacy, cross-curricular collaboration, and the design of learning spaces. Connect with her on Twitter where she goes by @_clayr_, or read more at her blog, Game to Learn.