Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry Summary

1)
A) The first issue would be tied to using social and political books in the classroom. On page 61, the author mentions Ian’s Walk which is a book on the topic of Autism. Although this book could be used in a classroom, teachers may not use books with topics on social issues because it might be too disturbing for the children. A study about sexual preferences was an example used but there was a bit of an uproar due to the religious views of others. This is an issue that could definitely arise when reading books that have to do with social and political issues.
B) Authentic and multicultural literature are another issue relating to choosing and using multicultural trade books. Authentic trade books often include social and political issues that are directly related to a race, class, language, and more. One problem that may arise when reading a specific book in the classroom is relating it to children that are not of that same background. This may not help students see themselves in the literature.
C) Page 65 mentions a couple of issues right away in the International literature principle. The books are not usually easy to find in a classroom and much of the international study books are taught in social studies and history textbooks. Another problem with choosing books with an international
aspect is finding books that do not look touristy or superficial. Lastly, issues come into play with smaller or developing countries. Page 68 talks about the economic challenges related to obtaining books and/or making them in the language best suitable for that country. Lastly, page 69 spoke about how a class focused on Afghanistan as an international study for the entire semester. This sparked a bit of controversy due to Annual Yearly Progress. Although the topic was something the class could relate to and was just as educational, it did not meet the criteria for that semester.

2) A) The word “equitably” means dealing with everyone fairly and equally. With children, chapter four talks about the topic of working with linguistically and culturally diverse students. The paragraph starts off by stating that “since all students are capable and bring a wide range of experimental, cultural, and linguistic resources to a classroom…” (73) This is important because the author does not exclude one particular group of people. Books about social and political issues also give students the ability to see the harm and inequality in our society. This helps them treat other with respect and fairness. “The books themselves can serve as springboards for digging deeper into issues, feelings, and perspectives.” (61) Choosing diverse books for a student is one of the main topics in this chapter. Giving every child a book they are able to relate to is very equitable in my opinion.
B) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a great book readers can relate to in chapter 4 of the reading.
Regarding social and political books, page 60 of the text, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry includes political and social issues. An example of political issues in the book would be the segregation and inequality within the school system. African American children were segregated from white children due to laws set by congress. Social issues were obvious as African American students were deemed the “lesser” race. In the book, Cassie says "Ah, shoot! White ain't nothing!” This shows the social differences and feelings even African American children felt toward white
children.
C) In The Color Of Home, Hassan is followed through his first few days at school. Hassan, a first grader and new to the United States, fled from Somalia. I believe this book would fall under the authentic multicultural literature aspect of chapter four from the text. It is directed toward a particular group of people, but it could be shared with the class as a social and political literature piece as well. A specific area in the book where social literature is used is the quote "People like to judge without knowing.” In a new and different country, preconceived ideas about Hassan and his family are made without any awareness of their situation. This is how I related chapter four of the text with each of these books.