We Need Diverse Books!

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 140

These books and the tasks/activities that we have completed to go with them have been so powerful for my students! They learned about themselves, each other, people who are different, people who have something in common with them, holidays from around the world, foods, and more! I overheard a student saying "be more like Color Monster and find a way to express your emotions, you look upset" to another at recess after they were excluded from a game. As an incentive for completing their work and following their 7 Habits/Leader in Me skills, we completed a "Cheerio activity" where students made their faces out of various Cheerio faces and described why they are special. This coincided with a few of the books that discussed different skin colors and how we can respect/appreciate each other. In a year where social-emotional learning was more important than ever, these books were truly helpful for our students. Seeing a character experiencing something and having an author put their thoughts into words helps our students realize that they are not alone, allows them space to express themselves, and helps them empathize with the situations of others. During Women's History Month in March we read about powerful women in history and current events; girls in class were surprised and one even shouted, "I didn't know I could be an astronaut when I get big!". These were empowering moments for my girls, seeing examples of women who led/lead and have an impact on the world. I saw many become inspired after reading these books, who started aspiring to higher dreams of "what I want to be when I grow up". For Black History Month, some of my students chose their favorite new, diverse book with a person of color as a main character. I watched as one girl beamed with pride as she read I Promise to the class. Another "taught" her friends about her braids after reading Hair Like Mine with them. Reading stories about immigration and Hispanic heritage was incredibly powerful for my students. Seeing characters overcome obstacles and find happiness/success brought out a ton of motivation in my students who are first generation Americans. We had powerful conversations after reading these books. I've seen friendships blosom after these conversations when students realize they have something meaningful in common. During an incredibly challenging year, when some thing appear to be devisive, my students and I have come together around a book and learned about ourselves, each other, and the world around us. I truly believe the lessons they've learned from these characters and activities are some that they will hold onto for years to come.