Using Literature to Promote Cultural Competence: a Bullying Prevention
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Permissions Portions of the Glossary and Terms section were adapted with permission from Class Meetings That Matter: A Year’s Worth of Resources for Grades 9-12 (2012) by Marlene Snyder, Jane Riese, Susan P. Limber, and Nancy Mullin. Center City, MN: Hazelden Publishing (p 16-17) Portions of the Introduction were adapted with permission from Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Companion Bibliography for Grades K-12 (2009) by Nancy L. Mullin. Pittsburgh, PA: Highmark Foundation. This bibliography is one of the many resources for teachers, parents and community members that have been developed through the Highmark Foundation to address bullying, with the ultimate goal of making students safe at school (click here to search their site view and download titles) or visit the following websites: http://www.highmarkfoundation.org/publications/index.shtml http://www.bullyingpreventioninstitute.org/ *************************************************************************************** After you have had a chance to read through the Bibliography and begin to use it in your classroom or with students, please take a moment to provide us with feedback about this resource. The survey will take about 8-10 minutes to complete. This online survey is important to our work. It will help us improve the Bibliography and develop future projects. Thank you for your time. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/culturalcompetence9 © Nancy L. Mullin Page 2 Table of Contents Page Preface 5 Introduction Challenges 7 What is Cultural Competence? 8 Why is Cultural Competence Important? 10 Definitions of Bullying and Bias-Based Bullying 11 The Link between Cultural Competence and Bullying Prevention 11 The Role of Literature in Promoting Cultural Competence 12 Tips for Using This Bibliography Overview & Caveats 15 Using Student Literature Entries 16 How to Use Themes 17 Where Can Teachers Obtain Books? 18 Using Adult Resources and References 19 How to Use the Special Issues Charts 20 Guidelines for Choosing Student Literature Guidelines for Choosing Student Literature About Bullying and Cultural 21 Competence Selecting Resources for English Language Learners 23 Selecting Resources for Students with Profound Physical, Mental or 23 Emotional Challenges Glossary and Terms 25 List of Endnotes 34 Student Literature Grades K-2 37 Grades 3-5 56 Grades 6-8 76 Grades 9-12 105 Special Issues Charts Addiction/Mental Illness 151 Bias-Based Bullying 152 Child Abuse/Neglect 153 Disabilities 154 Diverse/Non-Traditional Families 155 Gender Issues 156 Gender Violence 158 Homelessness 159 Human Rights/Human Right Violations 160 Immigration 162 Incarceration 163 Inspirational Biographies/Memoirs 164 Multicultural Perspectives (Including Bilingual Literature) 165 Poverty 167 Racism 169 Suicide 171 © Nancy L. Mullin Page 3 Table of Contents Violence/War 172 Adult Resources and References Curriculum Support Materials (Including Audio Visuals) 174 Feature Films 182 General Resources and Reference Materials 184 Periodicals 195 Websites 198 About the Author 208 Acknowledgements 209 About the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 210 © Nancy L. Mullin Page 4 Preface “A child who reads becomes an adult who thinks.” Anonymous Literature inspires, challenges, motivates and comforts us. It offers us companionship, validation, insight, knowledge and understanding. But perhaps most important: literature can provide a glimpse of life beyond our own experiences and offer us hope! That hope nurtures a vision of new and better ways of being. When paired with the insights we gain about ourselves and others, hope can empower us to improve and change our own lives, but also to make our world a better place. Education, and the power of books in particular, can spark changes that lead to a more equitable and peaceful world—a fact eloquently expressed by teen Malala Yousafzai in her July 2013 speech to the UN1. Schools, and all adults who care about young people, share a responsibility to create caring and safe learning environments that are respectful and welcoming not just for some, or even a majority of students, but for all. As educators, we have the opportunity to guide and motivate students to go beyond what is comfortable and familiar: to think about “big picture” concepts and issues that matter, but that can be difficult to talk about. Having these challenging conversations with students is crucial to their development as culturally competent world citizens who aren’t afraid to ask questions, who can think critically and independently, and who have the tools and motivation to improve their own lives, and the lives of others. As part of that process, students of all ages need safe forums in which they can ask questions and share their own experiences, attitudes and feelings. Literature becomes a tool that allows young people to become deeply and thoughtfully engaged in conversations about difficult or emotionally- charged topics they may lack the skills to discuss. This new bibliography is an extension of the work and commitment the Highmark Foundation has placed on bullying prevention over the past decade. This new document addresses the growing need that schools and teachers have for additional student literature and adult resources about broader social issues that are often related to bullying. This bibliography is intended to complement Highmark Foundation’s original 2009 publication The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Companion Bibliography for Grades K-12i. While that edition focuses almost exclusively on themes related to bullying and bullying prevention, this new volume addresses bullying from a human rights perspective, and introduces new literature focused on social issues related to building students’ cultural competence. Because the two bibliographies provide complementary listings (rather than duplicating or simply updating them), teachers are encouraged to use them together, as a set, to get the greatest benefit. Both documents are available as free downloads in PDFii format and are recommended to be used in conjunction with academic curricula in the classroom. A good bibliography rests on the strength and variety of available literature—and its usefulness depends on the ability to access the resources it lists. I considered it a great responsibility to select books that represented a variety of cultural viewpoints, that would resonate with a broad base of students, that had teaching value, and that represented best practices in both multicultural education and bullying prevention. I encountered some interesting challenges in the process. First, there continues to be a lack of published books for students of all ages reflecting the faces and experiences of students of color, students who are poor, students who are gender non-conforming, students who are disabled, etc., and even fewer that offer marginalized students a vision of a life filled with possibilities (i.e., many focus on ____________ i http://www.bullyingprebentioninstitute.org/ ii http://www.bullyingpreventioninstitute.org/ © Nancy L. Mullin Page 5 Preface particular periods in history, such as slavery in the US, the Holocaust, the Civil Rights Movement, or wars, or various urban problems such as homelessness, drugs, teen pregnancy and violence). To paraphrase illustrator Christopher Myers: students need to see themselves reflected in literature, but they also need concrete “roadmaps” that give them direction to make better lives for themselves than the ones they may be living. Additionally, remarkably few children’s books are written and illustrated by people of color, though some positive changes are occurring on that front. As a consequence, this bibliography reflects those limitations and should not be considered a definitive resource on either multicultural issues or cultural competence. It is my sincere hope you find this to be a useful tool in your classrooms, and that the resources contained here help you to continue to create safe, caring and welcoming environments for your students. Remember: books inspire students to aspire to be their best selves, and also help them to visualize a world where everyone is valued and treated with dignity. Nancy L. Mullin, M.Ed. (August, 2014) © Nancy L. Mullin Page 6 Introduction “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.” Kofi Annan (Ghanaian diplomat and former UN Secretary-General) Challenges Readers of all ages deserve to have books that depict characters that look and sound like them, that describe life-experiences they can relate to, and that accurately depict cultural and socio-economic situations like their own. Young people should have access to literature that challenges them to reflect on their own experiences, relationships and events in their lives, and that offers examples of hopeful possibilities for their futures. To become culturally competent adults who value and respect others, every student also must have opportunities to learn about and understand the lives and views of people whose races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, family structures, immigration status, abilities, communities, genders, and sexual orientations differ from their own. Carefully selected, developmentally appropriate literature can give them access to authentic voices that communicate a wide range of emotions, attitudes, and experiences beyond those that are familiar to them. In addition to opening windows on aspects of the world they may never have a chance to experience first-hand, students are more likely to express empathy