Below the Surface Level of Social Justice: Using Quad Text Sets to Plan Equity-Oriented Instruction

William Lewis and Jill Ewing Flynn Below the Surface Level of Social Justice: Using Quad Text Sets to Plan Equity-Oriented Instruction ave you seen the social justice warrior ment English language arts and literacy instruction memes? If you do a Google search, you may that promotes social justice and critical engagement Hfind some like these: “Minorities are strong, with complex issues related to maintaining a diverse, independent people, which is why they need me to inclusive, equitable society” (NCTE, 2012). As a speak for them.” “There must be some way this vic- result, we have considered how young adult literature timizes me.” “I support equality for all. But f**k those can help meet the goal of promoting social justice. white people.” The list goes on. Many teachers have come to understand the While we believe the work of education is closely value of YA texts as tools to engage their adolescent tied to issues of equity and justice, we understand students. However, these texts have the power to do that, as these memes show, “social justice” can be even more than connect with readers: YA titles have perceived to be the latest buzzword or the most recent the potential to address vital issues of social justice. version of political correctness. These memes present In this article, we will show how one of our course the concept as merely lip service—a trend with little assignments, the Quad Text Set, can be designed meaning. But we know that true engagement in social with the intention of pushing teacher candidates to justice requires a more profound level of commitment; look past the surface level of equity and justice issues teachers and students must push below the surface. in ELA instruction. While this assignment has been As teachers and teacher educators, we believe that discussed previously in scholarship (Lewis, Walpole, we need to grapple with the sometimes complicated & McKenna, 2014), this particular article aims to issues of social justice and learn to become activists highlight how teachers might use the Quad Text Set as and agents. Literature can provide us with a vehicle a planning framework to build their students’ knowl- for these efforts. edge of social justice. Our major motivations include commitments to Social justice pedagogy is defined by Carlisle, educational equity and a more just society, and we are Jackson, and George (2006) as “the conscious and not alone. In this age of accountability, social justice reflective blend of content and process intended to is now evaluated by the National Council of Teachers enhance equity across multiple social identity groups, of English when reviewing applications for accredita- . foster critical perspectives, and promote social tion of teacher education programs. Standard 7 reads, action” (p. 57). As Keehn (2015) reveals, some of its “Candidates demonstrate knowledge of how theories chief aims include: and research about social justice, diversity, equity, Providing students with the tools to think critically about student identities, and schools as institutions can en- their own social identities and social locations, developing hance students’ opportunities to learn in English,” and an understanding of various manifestations of privilege Element 1 asks teacher candidates to “plan and imple- and oppression, building an understanding of the historical 22 HE EVIEW T ALAN R Fall 2017 f22-31-ALAN-Fall17.indd 22 9/27/17 4:27 PM roots of structural inequality, and developing individuals’ framework for the reading volume their students need and groups’ capacities to take action against injustice. (pp. in order to practice sophisticated reading skills as 374–375) well as the critical background knowledge required to We believe that planning ELA instruction that uses engage in important conversations around justice and sets of strategically connected texts (that include high- equity. We argue that without relevant background quality YA titles) has great promise. Such instruction knowledge, our candidates’ future students will be can be used to provide students with exposure to unprepared to engage “with complex issues related multiple perspectives and the background knowledge to maintaining a diverse, inclusive, equitable society” required for critical engagement with issues of equity (NCTE, 2012). and social justice, potentially inspiring them to become agents of change. The Quad Text Set Assignment For this assignment, we have adapted the Quad Text Text Sets in English Language Arts Set approach of Lewis, Walpole, and McKenna (2014). Using sets of connected texts in English language arts This framework is com- is not a new idea. As Applebee (1974) points out, posed of four separate texts that work together to text pairings and text sets have been part of curricu- Such instruction can lar reform efforts since the early 20th century. More build the critical back- recently, they have been used to encourage robust ground knowledge needed be used to provide discussions (see Hartman & Alison, 1996), to foster to engage with a complex connections with canonical literature (see Herz & target text, as well as ad- students with exposure dress issues of equity and Gallo, 2005; Kaywell, 1997), and to leverage quality to multiple perspectives young adult literature and multimedia texts to build social justice. We ask our mature understandings of thematic issues (see Pytash, teacher candidates to build and the background Batchelor, Kist, & Srsen, 2014). It is this last goal that these instructional units animates our engagement with this planning frame- using four categories of knowledge required for work in our preservice teacher education program. text: 1) a video clip, piece critical engagement with More specifically, with a focus on social justice, we of artwork, or musical use the Quad Text Set to measure NCTE Standard 7 selection to introduce the issues of equity and (NCTE, 2012) for accreditation. topic and develop general As researchers have argued, teaching for social background knowledge social justice, potentially justice is an important and complex pursuit (Lee, about the text or theme; 2) 2011). If teachers are to engage their students in an informational text that inspiring them to become robust conversations around issues of equity and builds more specific con- agents of change. social justice using challenging and complex ideas textual or thematic knowl- and texts—while avoiding surface-level conversations edge and highlights issues that “celebrate diversity” but do little to encourage of justice and equity; 3) a students to be active change agents—students must complex canonical or contemporary young adult target have well-developed background knowledge. Recent text; and 4) a canonical or contemporary young adult research demonstrates that students are provided with text to extend student understanding of equity and significantly limited reading opportunities in many social justice issues (Lewis & Walpole, 2016). (For a secondary ELA classrooms (Swanson et al., 2016). complete assignment description and rubric, see Ap- However, studies also show that the reading and com- pendix A.) prehension of individual texts can provide students Before the Quad Text Set is assigned, teacher can- with both the language and background knowledge didates read nine YA novels and apply critical lenses needed to be successful with subsequent texts (Shana- (Appleman, 2014) to these texts in face-to-face discus- han, Fisher, & Frey, 2012). We believe, therefore, that sions, online discussion posts, and two formal papers. these connected text sets offer teacher candidates a The lenses lay the groundwork for social justice 23 HE EVIEW T ALAN R Fall 2017 f22-31-ALAN-Fall17.indd 23 9/27/17 4:27 PM exploration, as they help uncover missing voices and ity of blacks and whites, while also reinforcing the highlight power relations in texts. In the next sections, essential separateness of the groups and the inequal- we discuss in depth how two students successfully ity that exists between them. This separateness is a designed their Quad Text Sets. key motif in All American Boys (Reynolds & Kiely, 2015), which is reinforced by the dual narrative—one Quad Text Set Example: Racial Inequality chapter written from Rashad’s perspective followed To understand how these text sets are constructed, we by a chapter written from Quinn’s perspective. In the first provide a sample set that one of our teacher can- movie, black characters work and sometimes live in didates, Rachel, designed. Rachel centered her set on the same homes as their white employers, yet are the criminalization of peo- not allowed to be a part of that society with its legal, ple of color in the United financial, and social privileges. Similarly, Rashad and Once students have been States, focusing specifically Quinn go to the same high school and have friends in on police brutality against common, yet still lead lives that are almost entirely exposed to the inequality African Americans. She segregated by race—a problem that emerges as the chose as her target text town’s demographics transition from primarily white inherent in historic and the award-winning young to more racially diverse. While the implicit bias of modern instantiations of adult book All American the police officer likely caused his violent assault of Boys by Jason Reynolds Rashad, segregation exacerbates misunderstanding segregation through the and Brendan Kiely (2015). and mistrust and contributes to the unjust act. Unlike This dual-narrative novel All American Boys, The Help—both the movie and the video and informational presents two accounts book (Stockett, 2009) it was adapted from—has been texts, they might be better of an incident of police justly criticized for its shortcomings in the authentic- violence against an African ity of its voice, in its depiction of the horrors of Jim prepared to take action American high school Crow and the struggles of the civil rights movement, student. One perspective and in echoing the harmful trope of the “white savior” against this injustice is from Rashad, the victim (Dargis, 2011; Solomon, 2011).

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