Overview of Lesson:
Picture books are tools we use to bring social studies topics into the elementary classroom, specifically topics, people, and histories that teachers deem hard for children to learn about. This activity asks us to supplement a social studies picture book with primary sources as a way to give students access to the knowledge within the book and the realness of the topic. After reading the article Reading Beyond the Book with Primary Sources (Rodriguez, et. al, 2022) and the chapter Beyond the Books (James, 2022), we will each choose a book that we believe has social studies focus (centers one of the 4 disciplines). You will read through and “beyond” the book to decide what primary sources could be paired with the text. Think about how you will use these primary sources with students and when you will share them in connection with the book. You can create a document, slide deck, or a Padlet that provides insight on the text you chose, the primary sources, where you found your sources, and why you chose them.
Author: Dawnavyn
Instructions for Task: Instructions for Task:
- Choose a picture book and primary sources to pair it with.
- Read the book aloud to students and decide to present the primary sources before, after, or during reading.
- Have students analyze the primary source by sharing what they see, think, wonder, or analyze if song lyrics, song, or video are chosen.
- Have students reflect on how pairing the primary source with the picture book enhances their knowledge of the presented topic.
