10 Children’s Books About Kwanzaa

10 Children’s Books About Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a holiday that originated in 1966 to help African-Americans think of their African ancestry. It is based on the East African principles from the Swahili language. Traditionally, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26-January 1. It is where families feast, fast, and examine their selves. There are numerous holidays celebrated during Kwanzaa, and it is not meant to replace Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, New Year’s, or other holidays.

You can find guiding principles from the Swahili language.

  • Umoja-Unity
  • Kujichagulia-Self-Determination
  • Ujima-Collective Work and Responsibility
  • Ujamaa-Cooperative Economics
  • Nia-Purpose
  • Kuumba-Creativity
  • Imani-Faith

 

Below are 10 Children’s books inspired from this holiday.

NON-FICTION

1. A Kwanzaa Keepsake, by Jessica B Harris

This holistic book details what each night means, historical people, and food that can be prepared. This book can be enjoyed by the entire family to learn and practice new insights about Kwanzaa.

 2. Kwanzaa Crafts, by Carol Gnojewski

Crafts inspired from African principles. Encourage creativity and less screen time with game making, basket making, and economic discussions. There are many things that children and families can do to celebrate Kwanzaa.

 3. The Kwanzaa Coloring Book

A coloring book that makes the experience interactive on learning about Kwanzaa principles.

4. Kwanzaa by Lola J. Amstutz

A text that explains how Kwanzaa is celebrated.

 5. African-American Holidays by Faith Winchester

This book explains different holidays that contribute to the African American experience: MLK day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, and Kwanzaa.

 

FICTION

6. Kevin’s Kwanzaa, by Lisa Bullard

Story explains the activities and experiences that Kevin participates with his family and community. His grandpa teaches his family about candle lighting, word meanings, and the man who established Kwanzaa. Last they show the celebration of Kwanzaa where Kevin’s family and friends dance and celebrate together.

7. My First Kwanzaa, by Karen Katz

Written from the girl’s perspective about celebrating Kwanzaa. Also there is a pronunciation guide.

8. Messy Bessey’s Holidays, by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

Bessy and her mother bake holiday cookies for Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. She explains her joy for sharing these treats. There is even a description about each holiday and how they are different.

 

9. Seven Spools of Thread, A Kwanzaa Story, by Angela Shelf Medearis

Seven Ashanti brothers quarrel all of the time. Once their father died, the chief told them they had to work together so they could receive their father’s inheritance. They found a way to turn spools of thread into gold. At the end they taught their village how to thread, and learned the principles of Kwanzaa to help themselves and community.

10. Lil Rabbit’s Kwanza, by Donna Washington, Illustrated by Shane Evans

L’il Rabbit searches for a gift for his grandmother when she is sick during Kwanzaa, and surprises her with the best gift of all. Includes “The Nguzo Saba – The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa.”

 

Celebrate Deaf Communities: Booklist

Celebrate Deaf Communities: Booklist

The deaf community has a rich culture. However, their language and experiences are still not fully understood. They have in the past have been called Dummy, Dumb, Disabled, and so much more. Throughout the years, however, thousands of deaf activists have pushed for equal rights. They brought Closed-Captioning in television & media, interpreters for national conversations, brought data that American Sign Language (ASL) is a foreign language due its word structure, visual order, syntax, and meanings. Today it has been distinguished that there is even Black ASL

To celebrate the deaf community, we are highlighting books about deaf culture. Also, each year, December 3-December 10th, is celebrated as Clerc-Gallaudet Week. This week is to remember the partnership that Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet formed to establish a leading ASL school and university.

Below are fictional books about children’s and teens living with or living as a deaf individual. 

YOUNG READERS

Secret Signs Along the Underground Railroad, by Anita Riggio

A mother and her deaf son hide slaves on their farm. When a slave catcher is suspicious, he threatens them. Quickly, the deaf son plans to outwit the slave catcher so he can give a message to a woman in an Indigo shawl.

The William Hoy Story, by Nancy Churnin

William Hoy was a deaf baseball player who played for Chicago White Stockings (Chicago White Sox) from 1890-1901. Because William Hoy was deaf his family and society determined his future. However, Hoy was determined to play ball. At first, other players and officials discriminated against him. Later on, Hoy gave the Umpire signs so he knew when to bat or if there was a strike. Remarkably signs in baseball are currently used. With the noise of the players and audience it is easier to sign than speak. We can thank William Hoy for his determination, grit, and passion for baseball.

Moses Sees A Play, by Issac Millman

1 out of the 4 Moses themed books is about a deaf boy named Moses. In this story, Moses befriends a boy named Manuel. Moses teaches Manuel signs and learns how deaf actors perform.

 The Deaf Musicians, by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs

A musician loses his hearing and has to find another way to celebrate his musical gifts. He befriends other deaf musician during his ASL studies. Lee and his new deaf band members performed for audiences in the subway.

Helen’s Big World, The Life of Helen Keller, by Doreen Rappaport

Helen Keller had a mind that amazed the world. She was born hearing, but due to an illness lost her hearing & sight as a baby. This story shares her story and how her life-long teacher, Annie taught her how to read and write. Annie showed Helen the beauties of this world and the injustices.

The Sound of Silence, Growing up Hearing With Deaf Parents, by Myron Uhlberg

An intermediary is a person who translates for the other. Myron describes his experiences of being an intermediary for his deaf parents.

 

Dad Jackie, and Me, by Myron Uhlberg

It is the summer of 1947 where Jackie Robinson is playing with an all-white professional baseball league. Uhlberg’s father is ecstatic because his father experienced discrimination, oppression, and being underestimate his entire life just for being deaf. Uhlberg’s father saw Robinson as his hero. Though this story was fictitious, Uhlberg’s father was proud to see a Black man play with white players.

TEEN READERS

 

You Don’t Know Everything Jilly P, by Alex Gino

New big sister Jillian has a new baby sister. When her parents discover that their baby Emma is deaf, they are upset. The doctors take action on creating hearing aids and even recommending a Cochlear Implant. However, when Jillian pushes back and asks if they will be learning sign language, they dismiss it. Her parents want to give Emma the chance to live amongst Hearing individuals. Jillian pushes back on her parents wishes though. To cope, she befriends a deaf teen named Derek. Derek explains what she is doing right and wrong when it comes to deaf culture. Eventually Jilly discovers that she has much more to learn than doing to “save” Emma. Derek is a friend who gives knowledge raw that makes Jilly think and step back.  

El Deafo, by Cece Bell

An autobiographical graphic novel where Cece became Deaf at the age of 4 after becoming sick with Meningitis. In the 1970s deafness was still a growing research field. So Cece had to wear hearing aids accompanied by a box to hear sounds. At the start, she was taught to read lips and not sign language. When it was time for Kindergarten all of the children noticed her hearing box that she carried around her neck. She felt uncomfortable and alone many times. When she became more comfortable with her hearing aid, Bell named herself “El Deafo.” She also personified herself as “El Deafo” to visualize how to handle so called friends and classmates who treated her unfairly. By the time she reached Middle School Bell became a strong girl who was embracing her deafness. You can learn more about Bell’s story here.

Feathers, by Jacqueline Woodson

Novel set in 1971 where Frannie deals with race, living on the “other side” of the highway, faith, and her older brother Sean’s deafness. Frannie’s brother wants to connect with hearing people so he can be in a different world. Frannie also grapples with the new boy called “Jesus Boy.” He looks white and is the only “white” student in their school, but he affirms he is not white. Woodson tells a story of an adolescent girl who learns about the ways of the world.

Impossible Music, by Sean Williams

Simon is a teen who became deaf due to having a stroke. When he could hear, he relished music and was even thinking about studying music at the university. With his deafness, Simon pushes back. He does not want to learn sign language, dislikes his deaf education, and even wishes his hearing came back. The author goes back and forth when Simon recently became deaf and in the present tense on being deaf. Through it all, Simon is determined to make a sound, and he creates an experience that can be seen by deaf people and hearing.

 Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

Mary lives in a deaf community where hearing and deaf people sign. Their island is connected to the Wampanoag people who live next to them. This book is in the time period where black people were considered the lowest class, then Irishmen, and then the English freedmen. What is important is that Mary’s community did not see deafness as a disability but as a way of culture and communication. The story shifts when a man named Andrew Noble visits her community. He researches why the community in Martha’s Vineyard thrives compared to others. 

 

Wonderstruck, A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick

Rose is deaf living in the 1920s where deaf people were taught to lip read and not encouraged to sign. Ben lives in the 1970s. He is struck by lightning and ends up becoming deaf. In both of their discoveries, Rose and Ben run out of their communities to discover who they are. Ben’s story is told through text and Rose’s story is told through visuals. This story connects their stories at the end where each character discovers who they are.

Democratizing Artificial Intelligence with POC

Democratizing Artificial Intelligence with POC

We’ve all been there: we’re in the car or doing chores at home when we think of a song we want to listen to on our smartphone. So, we say “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google”, to put in the request and keep doing what we’re doing. But Siri and Google don’t pick up on what we said the first time. Or the second time. And by the third time, we’re just reaching for the phone to search for the song manually. Maybe it’s the name of the song, or the way we’re pronouncing it, but in this situation, speech recognition software supported by artificial intelligence (AI) misunderstanding us is comical at best, frustrating at worst.

But what if AI’s misunderstanding was the difference between life and death, or success and failure?

That’s an everyday reality for many non-white, non-Male, and non-American tech users across the world. Research shows that AI consistently shows bias in favor of white, English-speaking men, in comparison to other demographics. This imbalanced bias particularly impacts women of color, with Black women facing the most negative experiences with AI technology.

According to the 2018 study, Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification”, gender classifiers developed by Microsoft, IBM, and Chinese startup Face++ were compared against one another in their ability to accurately recognize whether an image shown portrayed a man or a women, and whether that man or woman was white or Black. As explained in the article, Facial recognition software easily IDs white men, but error rates soar for black women”, across all three technologies, the software error rate for identifications was extremely low for men, with identifications of white men having the lowest error rates, and higher for women, with error rates for Black women being 29 percentage points higher than the average error rate for white men.

The failure of AI for women and communities of color doesn’t just fall in the realm of facial recognition technology, but also, as referenced earlier, in voice recognition technology. In 2018, researchers partnered with The Washington Post to study the inequities in voice recognition technology for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The results of this study were published on The Washington Post’s website, in an article titled “The Accent Gap”, and showed stark differences in technology’s ability to understand and respond to accents from over 100 people from 20 cities.

While some of the data showed smaller error rates, such as Southern American accents being 3% less likely to be understood by the technology than Western American accents, the largest error rates came for non-native English speakers. Across the board, for non-native English speakers, inaccuracies occurred 30% more often than for those who grew up speaking American English. For example, individuals who speak Spanish as their first language were misunderstood 6% more often than individuals who grew up speaking English on the West Coast, where many tech companies are based.

The reasoning for this is straightforward, according to data scientist Dr. Rachael Tatman.

“These systems are going to work best for white, highly educated, upper-middle-class Americans, probably from the West Coast, because that’s the group that’s had access to the technology from the very beginning.”

Dr. Tatman’s study, “Gender and Dialect Bias in Youtube’s Automatic Captions”, shows that not only are diverse dialects negatively impacted by voice recognition technology, but that women are also shortchanged by AI’s ability to understand and respond to voice. According to the study, women posting content on YouTube are 13% more likely to be misunderstood by the site’s automatic closed captioning when compared to men. This is particularly damaging, considering that Youtube’s automatic closed captioning is in place to ensure equity for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

So, how do these errors and technological failures affect under-resourced members of our community? In more ways than you might think.

For differently-abled folks who rely on recent advances in technology to make their day to day lives easier, if the technology they’re using doesn’t understand their voice, make correct translations of voice to text, or won’t recognize their face, they could be left in a difficult situation.

As more and more companies and organizations rely on facial recognition technology, including the police force, to identify employees, clients, and potential suspects, hearing that people of color and women can be erroneously misidentified should bring you a feeling of concern.

Unlike many forms of technology, artificial intelligence has the ability to learn by exposure and interactions with humans. Siri, for example, learns how to better serve its users over time by building knowledge off of common voice commands or methods of use. And that’s the goal of Mozilla Common Voice. Through their website, Mozilla Common Voice offers the opportunity for anyone, from any background, to contribute voice recordings of common words, such as numbers, in an effort to diversify the recordings being used to teach AI to understand the human voice. The goal of Mozilla Common Voice is to “help make voice recognition open and accessible to everyone”.

In order to lessen, and eventually eliminate biases in AI, it is imperative to ensure that not only are these technologies made available to all individuals, but that individuals from Black and Brown communities are in the room during the creation and implementation of these technologies. By allowing for wider exposure, and a team of more diverse engineers, scientists, and software developers, AI can, like a child learning how to respect others, learn to better serve women, people of color, and other members of underrepresented  communities. It is these actions that can help to democratize artificial intelligence and make it accessible (and equitable) for all.

 

 

 

Toni Morrison Wrote Children’s Stories

Toni Morrison Wrote Children’s Stories

Toni Morrison built a legacy on writing about women and Black people in her novels. Morrison challenged the Black experience and brought up topics that made mainstream media question and create a large discourse. With her efforts, Morrison earned the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1993. She also co-authored children’s stories with her son Slade Morrison. Morrison lived from 1931-2019.

Below are a few narratives written for children. 

Who’s Got Game? Three Fables 

A book of three stories inspired by Aesop’s Fables for Children. Morrison’s spin on using stylistic vernaculars and free verse language making this old fable more contemporary for youth. This story utilizes rhymes such as “Got to split, Foxy. The summer’s been fun. There’s a lot of work to be done.”

The colorful language and use of vocabulary shifts the moral of the story.

The Ant or Grasshopper

Ant and Grasshopper enjoy the high times of playing music. But when winter comes, Ant prepares and Grasshopper gets stuck in the snow. Morrison gives personality and timbre to each character where they cannot agree on who is right and who is wrong. 

Original Story Here http://read.gov/aesop/052.html

The Lion or Mouse 

The Lion is all talk, but once a thorn got caught in his foot he needed help. No one but a little mouse did. Morrison flips the story around where the mouse is given a voice. He believes he is a Lion and everyone laughs at him. You will see an ending that is unexpected.

Original Story Here : http://read.gov/aesop/007.html

Poppy or the Snake

In this story, a grandfather tells his grandson on how he befriended the snake. Then in the end the snake and Poppy’s relationship changes. Morrison personifies the snake as a character with rhythm and jazz. Poppy likes to stay to himself. Morrisons shift the narrative where revenge occurs over a petty attitude from the snake saying, “Why did you break your promise?” “Hey man, I’m a snake.”

Original Story Here: https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/645/the-man-and-the-serpent/

Penny Butter Fudge

A grandmother treats her grandchildren like gold. Instead of following mom’s schedule, grandma takes them on potato sack races, dancing, storybook, and then makes a recipe called Peeny Butter Fudge. This book reminds you of the times that children spend with their grandparents and the family recipes being passed down. 

The Tortoise or the Hare

A different version on the story of the “Tortoise and the Hare.” Jimi Hare wants to win the race off of his speed. Jamey Tortoise wanted to compete because of his intelligence. Jamey Tortoise strategizes how he will win the race. Jimi Hare stretches and exercises before the race. 

 

Author Spotlight: Crystal Allen

Author Spotlight: Crystal Allen

Crystal Allen and Mya Tibbs

Crystal Allen gives life to a nine-year-old character named Mya. She is bold, fun, and free-spirited. Mya wears cowgirl boots, uses her braids to help her remember the date, and loves her friends. This nine-year-old girl’s personality was inspired by Ramona Quimby. The idea came from Crystal’s team, and they asked her “to write a story about Mya because they could not find another author to bring her to life.” Crystal took the charge and wrote “Spirit Week Showdown” in 2016. This is the first book in this series where Mya must overcome difficulties in order to get her best friend back. In 2017 she published her second story in this series, “The Wall of Fame Game.” In 2018, “Maya in the Middle premiered. 

“In book one, SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN, Mya is boot-scootin’ excited for the best five days of the whole school year – Spirit Week! She and her best friend, Naomi, even make a pinkie promise to be partners and win the big prize, VIP tickets to the Fall Festival! But when the partner picking goes wrong, Mya gets paired with Mean Connie Tate—the biggest bully in school. And she can’t get out of it. Now Naomi is mad, and Mya has to figure out not only how to win the VIP tickets, but also how to win back her friend—and of course she learns that maybe, just maybe, the rumors about Connie are wrong.”

All of Crystal’s characters originated from her own creative mind. She said that the biggest challenge in creating was that Mya was not thought about on her own, “I did not see her. This character came from someone else’s head and she had to bring her to life.” Despite the challenge, Crystal loves Ramona Quimby. “An African American Ramona could be a lot of fun to create.”

The way that Crystal builds her characters is that they come to her mind at random times. For Crystal, her character’s actions, and personalities filter through her thoughts before she is able to write about them. “One of my characters was walking in my brain and I knew that it was him because his laughs and phrases just came to my mind. For other stories, my characters show up and come to me and give me time to figure that out. With Mya, I did not have that relationship and I did not see her because she had not come to me in the normal way.”

CRYSTAL’S WRITING

How did Crystal become a writer?

Crystal’s is an author because she comes from a family line of storytellers. When she was growing up she was surrounded by stories. For example, she remembers when her mother told her stories about her own childhood. “Mom was an amazing storyteller such as drinking coffee from her grandfather’s cup. She could mesmerize a group of people about when she was sitting on her grandfather’s lap and waiting for it to spill on the floor. That was my creative gene. Everybody in my family has sat around and talked about stories.” She also draws from the stories of her brothers or her sons to create her characters. Where their jokes and pranks influenced the young men in her first book. You will also find stories from her childhood of when she grew up in Indiana.

So how did Crystal end up creating Mya into the spunky character that she is?

She thought of her relationship that she had with Fern from Charlotte’s Webb. That was one of her favorite stories because “it almost mimicked my life.” When she thought about her own reader-relationship experience then she was able to create Mya.

“Mya Tibbs and Connie Tate are reflections of my life in elementary school.  Mya’s strong, funny, personality reminds me of my ‘know everything’ self.  But, I was also the new kid and the only student in my class who lived on a farm.  Because of that, I was teased by my classmates. When I fought back, I was labeled a bully. I needed a friend. Our librarian gave me a copy of Charlotte’s Web, and I found exactly what I needed.  Fern was just like me.  She lived on a farm, didn’t have many friends, and I was so proud of her for saving Wilbur.  I would have done that, too! Fern and I have been friends forever.”

Crystal knew that Mya was a special and unique character.

“I wanted to create someone special for today’s young girl – that’s when Mya Tibbs showed up in my mind, fully dressed in western wear, walking and talking like a cowgirl, and ready for work. Halfway through finishing my first draft, I realized Mya was becoming a modern day Fern!”

Just like Crystal built her relationship with Fern, she hopes that her readers will develop the same relationship for cute Mya. Every child needs a friend.

Visit http://www.crystalallenbooks.com/ to learn more about Crystal Allen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories by Jacqueline Woodson

Stories by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson is an award-winning author who has written stories for young people, teens, and adults for over 20 years. Woodson writes so that “children will see experiences, they will gain empathy and their world will become bigger.” Woodson’s books can be cherished by so many young hearts. We chose stories that display young women’s: courage, resilience, and handling differences in their society.

The Day You Begin-Woodson

Highlights the experiences of children where they do not see themselves on the outside, but through those experiences they learn.

This is the Rope
A Story from the Great Migration

A story about a family’s connection on migrating from the South to the North. A rope that had significance to the little girl’s grandmother living in South Carolina, to the rope being used to tie luggage on a car, and then used to hang a sign on a family reunion. This story highlights how something as small as a rope is passed down to different generations as a family “heirloom.”

 

Show Way-Woodson
Woodson shares a family story. Patches from quilts reminded the slaves in her family who were sold about home. “Show ways” were quilts which once served as maps for freedom-seeking slaves. Today Woodson writes stories to youth about their own paths for resilience and family.

Brown Girl Dreaming

Woodson writes in free verse about how her life transformed. Her family is from South Carolina, but like many other Black people they moved to the North. Woodson’s experiences with spirituality, Civil Rights Movement, her friends and family, and connection to writing. A young reader will enjoy the humanity and sincerity that Woodson shares in her book about the changes in her life during her adolescence.

Coming On Home Soon

A story about a little girl who has to live with her grandmother because her mother was hired to work in Chicago. This story occurs when a war occurred and the men were fighting so they hired women to work. A story of how the little girl and grandmother miss her mother.

The Other Side
Two little girls are separated from one another because of a fence that separates their land. Even though they are neighbors, their parents do not allow them to play together. Eventually the girls learn about one another and state for the fence to come down.

From the Achievement Gap to the Opportunity Gap: How can communities support students from all backgrounds?

From the Achievement Gap to the Opportunity Gap: How can communities support students from all backgrounds?

For the past 50 years, the conversation around equity in education has surrounded a central topic: the academic achievement gap. But what is the academic achievement gap? 

Born of the movement for standardized testing, the academic achievement gap is, as it is most commonly referred and simply put, the difference in scoring between students of color (Black, Latinx, Indigenous) and their white counterparts, with students of color historically receiving lower test scores than white students at a similar age or grade in school.

One of the most common examples of standardized tests and the academic achievement gap comes from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), or sometimes called The Nation’s Report Card. The NAEP is a standardized test administered by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) on a recurring basis since 1969, selecting a sample of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders across the nation for exams in areas such as math, reading, writing, and science. According to the most recent research by the Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA), on the 300 point scale measured by the NAEP in math and reading, white eighth graders scored an average of 23 points higher than their Black peers and 21 points higher than Latinx peers in reading. In math, white eighth graders scored an average of 28 points higher than Black peers and 21 points higher than Latinx peers.

However, the academic achievement gap as it is presently viewed, while seemingly cut and dry, does not account for two influential factors: improvement in scores over generations and the difference in learning styles, ability, or cultural differences for students from under resourced backgrounds.

When looking at the difference in scores on the NAEP 8th grade reading exam, what isn’t emphasized is the difference in scores between 8th graders over a 30 year span. The same research from the Stanford CEPA shows that in the years between NAEP exams taken in 1975 and 2015, Black students in 2015 scored an average of 18 points higher than their historical counterparts in reading and 32 points higher in math. Similarly, Latinx students scored an average of 15 points higher in reading and 30 points higher in math than their 1975 counterparts. Meanwhile, white students scored an average of 4 points higher in reading and 18 points higher in math exams in 2015 than in 1975. This difference in scoring shows that while the “achievement gap” exists, it is closing in as the years progress. 

Why is this significant?

This “closing” of the “achievement gap” highlights that over the years, as a greater focus and case for anti-racist education has entered the mainstream, students are given access to greater opportunities, more culturally competent curricula, and changes in policy that emphasize equity over equality. As stated by Ibram X. Kendi in his 2016 article “Why the Academic Achievement Gap is a Racist Idea”, “Americans have been led to believe that intelligence is like body weight, and the different intellectual levels of different people can be measured on a single, standardized weight scale. Our faith in standardized tests causes us to believe that the racial gap in test scores means something is wrong with the Black test takers–and not the tests”. 

When considering the definition of the word achievement, many would agree that it’s meaning is: success garnered through effort, courage, or skill. However, under that definition, can it be said that students of color are not putting forth enough effort, maintaining enough courage, or building enough skills to compete with their white peers? 

Shavar Jeffries, head of the group Democrats for Education Reform, emphasized this view of the achievement gap in Kevin Mahnken’s 2020 article, “The achievement gap has driven education reform for decades. Now some are calling it a racist idea”.

 

“If we name this an ‘achievement gap,’ particularly in a country that has a racist history, it reinforces a context where people are already predisposed to think that certain folks of color can’t achieve the same way as others. You can call it marketing if you want, but I think how we frame things matters.”

By emphasizing equity in education, rather than equality, the idea of the academic achievement gap has slowly begun to dissipate, as educators and administrators recognize that in order for students from under resourced backgrounds to score at or above the level of their white peers, these students need advocacy from their community outside of the classroom. While scores show that the “achievement gap” has closed significantly in the past 30 years, there is still much work needed to be done for students of color. This means that, as a community of advocates for students, we must focus not on the achievement gap, but on the opportunity gap and the aspects of our society that influence the gap in access for students of color and those from under resourced communities. 

The use of the phrase “opportunity gap” has been adopted on a nationwide scale by a number of organizations and leaders across the realm of education. The 2018 blog article, “Why We Say ‘Opportunity Gap’ Instead of ‘Achievement Gap’”, posted by Teach for America defines the “opportunity gap” as: “the arbitrary circumstances in which people are born—such as their race, ethnicity, ZIP code, and socioeconomic status—(which) determine their opportunities in life, rather than all people having the chance to achieve to the best of their potential”. 

As a society, by introducing the idea of the opportunity gap into our everyday knowledge and conversations around education and access, we shift the blame for educational inequities from being the fault of the child struggling with academics, to the fault of the systemic influences that serve as barriers to their success. And, as a society, together we can find ways to eliminate these systemic barriers, through mentorship and community engagement, financial support of educational organizations, or policy changes in local elections, to ensure that all students, regardless of their background and upbringing, can bridge the “opportunity gap” and achieve long-term academic success.

 

Booklist: Indigenous Lives

Booklist: Indigenous Lives

As we celebrate the Thanksgiving, we can also celebrate Indigenous people who lived in America before America was colonized. With November being Native American’s People’s Month, we wanted to share books with you that celebrates their lives and culture.

Below is a list of books focusing on intergenerational and connections to the environment.

 

INTERGENERATIONAL 

1. When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith
A story with text and images that shows how different people, generations, and friends can live. “I feel loved when my Elders are kind to me.” Kindness is a word that many people can relearn and this story shares many experiences about kindness. 

2. When We Were Alone by David Alexander Robertson
A story about a grandmother telling her granddaughter on how colonization changed her young life. Her native tongue was not accepted, she could no longer wear beautiful clothes, and her hair was cut short. But through these challenges, her grandmother still reminded her granddaughter that she found ways to keep her culture alive. Grandmother shares that she shared her native tongue, elongated their hair with plants, and thought of home when they were alone.

3. Saltypie, by Tim Tingle
A Choctaw Journey from Darkenss into Light
A young boy learns about the triumphs and struggles of his grandmother because she was an Indian woman. She tells him that trouble means saltypie, and sometimes you have to shrug it off. 

4. First Laugh Welcome, Baby by Rose Ann Tahe and Nancy Bo Flood
A Navajo family antipicpates the moment when the baby has their first laugh. Grandpa and grandpa take the baby to the Navajo nation. Throughout the story, you learn about cultural movements of mother, sister-nadi, and family When the baby laughs for the first time, clans celebrate. 

5. Bowwow PowWow, by Brenda J. Child
A young girl named Windy Girl learns about her family’s reasons to dance from her Uncle’s stories. Her uncle’s story expresses the relationship between her people and dogs. This is also a bilingual text to learn the language of the Ojibwe people.

6. A Day with Yayah, by Nicola I. Campbell
Yaya, their grandmother taught her granddaughter Nikki about the brilliance of the Earth as well as the language. She teaches her grandchildren how cucumbers can treat rashes by explaining that every plant is different. 

 7. When the Shadbush Blooms, by Carla Messinger with Susan Katz
Images display how Lenni Lenape people lived in the past and how modern-day Lenni Lape people live. Family gardens, clans enjoy sporting events, and gathering sap. What is unique to the Leape people follow the seasons of the Sun, Moon, and natural world. This book intertwines the culture and the ideals of their lives. 

CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE

8. Go Show the World, by Wab Kinew
A story celebrating historical and modern-day Indigenous people. Even though this book is about different people such as: Jim Thorpe, Dr. Susan Laflesche Picotte, Te-Wau-Zee, and so many more shine so that they could “show the world what people who matter can do.” 

 

9. My Heroes My People, African Americans and Native Americans in the West, by Morgan Monceaux and Ruth Katch
Story written in 1999 brings about the interconnected relationship of oppressed people and how they overcame circumstance. Jim Beckwourth was a slave but later became involved in fur trading. John Horse was a mixed-blood Black and Seminole who fought against their removal. 

 

INTERCONNECTION TO ANIMALS & ENVIRONMENT

10. Awasis and the World-Famous Bannock
A fictional story about a little girl accepting gifts from animals so that she could make her world-famous bannock. An indigenous story about the Cree people. 

11. In My Anaana’s Amautik, by Nadia Sammurtok
Inuit writer shares how a small child feels when carried in their mother’s amautik (a-MOW-tick) pouch where a baby can be carried. 

12. In the Sky at Nighttime, by Laura Deal
An illustrative story about an Indigenous’ families experience on what they see in the night sky. They see the raven, Northern lights, snowfall, and the moon’s glow.

Why I Celebrated With a Kiowa Tribe

Why I Celebrated With a Kiowa Tribe

Tents, chairs, flags, ancestral clothes, and a dedicated circle of Kiowa men and women gathered to honor their ancestral tribe. One by one the dancers methodically moved into the circle to the rhythm of the drums. Left-right-left-right dancers stomped continuously as they joined other members invited into the large Kiowa ensemble. “Womp, womp, womp” the men drummed that kept each dancer dancing. Steadily as the Kiowa drummers hit their drums Kiowa men, teens, and boys stomped their feet unanimously to the rhythm left-right-left-right. Their heads moving from side to side and their arms raised to shake the feathery-fan as the beat went on. “Womp womp,” drums pounded as sweat ran down the dancers’ faces. “Womp Womp,” drums pounded but they danced on to tell the story of the gourd dance. “Doo-doo-duu-doo” the high-pitched bugle sounded. “Yaaa” as the dancers yelled after the bugle played. “Doo-doo-duu-doo” the bugle played again, and the dancers unanimously yelled louder as the bugle sounded. Feathered fans blew in the wind and shook rhythmically reminding all of us of the story of the Kiowa tribe.

July 4, 2015, I witnessed this miraculous celebration of the Kiowa tribe. They gathered in Oklahoma where we traveled through dirt roads and empty towns to get to the camp grounds. The Kiowa tribe has danced for thousands of years. Dancing retells stories from the tribe’s quests, freedom, and triumph. Traditionally Kiowa and other tribes dance in July because the sun shines higher and longer. With the sun out longer tribes have more daylight hours to dance. In pure reverence I visited the Kiowa in order to understand my individual freedom. The Fourth of July is celebrated when Americans were free from the British law. However for me instead of cooking or viewing fireworks, I chose to see another example of freedom. This freedom was displayed as a tribal circle. This freedom was the use of words that I never knew and will never know. I saw men and women who danced despite the burning sun. The dancers looked forward when the drums banged, and the bugle blared to celebrate who they were as people. The various clans wore woven blankets over their buttoned shirts and pants. We did not see the decorated feathers.

Indigenous tribes in our nation are a part of our history. Nelson Mandela explained that freedom “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Indigenous tribes had a time of freedom and their dance enhances a glimpse into how free they truly were. They developed ideas, customs, and a culture that empowered a group of people.

In the evening, we ate. When we ate, they shared stories about the Kiowa family. Through oral storytelling, their dance and song all made sense. They rang the bugle to signify when it was time to charge in battle, and they danced representing the warriors marching on the battleground. I was told that they gathered to tell their story of the ancestors through song and dance. During the dance, any person entering the circle had to be covered in traditional clothes. Anyone, like me, who was not Kiowa was allowed to observe and could not participate in the dance. Since this dance also represented soldiers entering the battlefield, Kiowa women dance if invited.

During times of celebration such as the Fourth of July, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we should tell the story of our ancestors. We should be willing to tell our children so that these courageous and truthful narratives can be passed on. When I watched them dance, I could see they were storytelling by their shifts in their angles and when the drums and bugle lowered and heightened their timbre.

I lacked a connection to their dance because I lacked knowledge of their language, dialect, food, and clothes. Every color, necklace, and feather were foreign to me. I felt out of place, because I wore summer clothes, my hair was short and curly, I did not know a soul on those campgrounds, and most of all I could not speak their language. Despite my discomfort, I stayed. I stayed to gather a glimpse of an example of America’s real freedom and a glimpse of America’s history. Kiowa’s were free once before and roamed the land with knowledge and wealth. Kiowa’s cherish and value their family so their history can be remembered.

History books do not fully tell the aspect of oppressed individuals. My lineage is African, and the connections that I felt later on reflected my African ancestors with the rhythms of the drums. Their ability to dance in unison was a true symbol of freedom and signs of how I felt our nation could come together. There were other people who were not of Kiowan lineage attending to view as well. At one point in time, the Kiowas and other Indigenous people were free creating their own laws, culture, and cultivation of our land. This experience was more than celebrating the holiday; it was to gather an experience and a story that my history will never tell me.

As we gather together in our other celebrations, remember to be thankful people in your life.
Visiting the Kiowa tribe gave me a better understanding of their culture and traditions that have been established for thousands of years. Here I saw proud children and families who understood and connect with their individual story. Each story that they danced and sang was a symbol of their past and their history. Through this gathering their Kiowa tribe came alive. You can discover more about the Kiowa tribe at https://www.facebook.com/KiowaKidsWeeklyNews/

National S.T.E.A.M Day

National S.T.E.A.M Day

 

National STEAM Day was November 8th. We are providing books and STEAM activities that your Pre-K, Elementary, or Middle Grade reader can do for 21+ days.

Enjoy these stories that feature real world activities and diverse scientists in STEAM. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Pre-K (Ages 1-3)

 

100 Easy STEAM Activities, by Andrea Scalzo Yi

This Book has dozens of activities for young thinkers. Below is a list of 5 activities from 100 STEAM that you could do with a 1-3 year old.

Activities 

  • Indoor Maze :Take streamers and hang them on the wall. Allow your young one to walk in and around.
  • Bubbles Rising: Use Alka-Seltzer and food coloring. Drop the tablet in the water to see the bubbles rise. Make it even more fun, see what other items can float such as popcorn, gummy worms, or raisins.
  • Glue & Food Coloring: Mix together and use as finger paint.
  • Lava Lamp: Fill a bottle with liquids such as water, food coloring, Alka-Selter, even oils. View how these solutions act differently.
  • Mirror Art: Set up different mirrors and watch how they reflect depending on their view. 

 

For speaking & reading building: Make a list of 5-10 vocabulary words per week on a large piece of paper, strips of paper, or other places so that these words are visible at your home. When performing daily activities: eating, cooking, cleaning, or playing, make sure you point them out and speak about these words each day.

 

How Many? by Christopher Danielson

Mathematical concepts discussing real-world objects. For example the author has open-ended questions. One page the reader counts whole grape fruits, the next page they are halved, and the next page, there is a spread of additional items to make grapefruit juice. Author displays the beauty in our world and how math is all around us.
Activity: When you have daily items such as clothing, diapers, bottles, or even food. Count the objects and make them halves or quarters to see them in a new mathematical way. 


I Am the Rain-by John Paterson 

A poem of where the reader can discover rain in different environment.
Activity: Water activities-Sink/Float, Bottle Squeeze, Bubbles


Dreaming Up by Christy Hale

Illustrates examples of children building with blocks, dirt, boxes, and more. The following pages display buildings designed by architects. You will discover real images of buildings such as Sclera Pavilion, Paper Tube School, Box House, and More.
Activity: When driving or walking talk about the objects that you see in your community. If your child likes specific buildings in the book, then print or show similar images that you find online.  

 

ElementaryKindegarten-2nd Grade

Mario and the Hole in the Sky, by Elizabeth Rusch
How A Chemist Saved Our Planet

A curious boy named Mario loved the wonders in chemistry. At a young age, he acquired a chemistry set and studied chemistry as his life’s work. As an adult, he wondered how safe the new chemicals were. His research determined that chlorofluorocarbons or CFS were damaging our Earth. For a decade he spoke about how these emissions were damaging our Earth, and finally changes were made. Today, Molina still works on solutions so that our World will become healthier.
Activity: Learn more about Mario. Do something in your daily life that can better the Earth. 


Experiments with Magnets, by Christine Taylor-Butler
A nonfiction book that describes what scientists do and what a child can do with magnets.

Activity: Use this book and perform magnet experiments. First you will need magnets and objects that attract and do not attract. Don’t forget to discuss the scientific

Jada Jones Rock Star, by Kelly Starling Lyons

A fiction book about a little girl who loves rocks. Jada is having trouble making new friends but still keeps her excitement on discovering new rocks.
Activity: Find a rock and make an art project from it. 


Where’s Rodney? By Carmen Bogan

Rodney is a boy who loves nature. When his teacher wants him to sit. He wants to stand. But when Rodney goes on an outdoor field trip.
Activity: Visit a conservation park in your community. List or name 20 things that you can see during this visit.  


Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming

Papa is an inventor. He has numerous ideas for building a machine that works underwater. Enjoy the different ideas and iterations that this imaginative father designed so that he could swim with the fish.

Activity: Find an object that you use on a daily basis: spoon, chair, watch, computer, and etc. Just find one object. If possible purchase that object at a thrift store, break it apart and figure out how to make it better.

 

Elementary: Third-Fourth Grade

Whoosh! by Chris Barton

 The Story of Lonnie Bush, inventor of the Super Soaker

Activity: Download Here

 

The Girl With the Mind for Math, by Julia Finley Mosca  

A Hidden Figure who worked twice as her male counterparts. Raye Montague was a mathematician. During the time that she lived, Black women were assumed to take roles as laborers. Montague proved them wrong and designed specifications for a navy ship.
Activity: Engineering: Build a model ship from household items: construction paper, toothpicks, bobby pins, tape, and glue. See what you can use to make it float.

 

Wangari Maathai, by Franck Prevot

Planted 30 Million Trees in 30 years to change the environment in her country.

Activity: Environmental Think of ways on how you can beautify your neighborhood? Make signs to pick up trash, organize pick up trash day with neighbors, talk to city about recycling programs and incentives.

 

The Best of Times, by Greg Tang
Tang writes a series of math books for Elementary readers. In this book, you can find math riddles to practice multiplication. 


TickTock Banneker’s Clock, by Shana Keller

Benjamin Banneker was an inventor when Black men were legally enslaved.
Activity: Research Benjamin Banneker. Illustrate something about about Banneker using mixed media. 

Dream Builder, by Kelly Starling Lyons
The Story of Architect Philip Freelo

Philip Freelon is a dynamic architect who is unafraid to design bold architecture. His father, Allan Randall Freelon was an artist and taught Philip how to hear and see the beauty around him. Once Freelon graduated from North Carolina State University’s School of Architecture, he wanted Black architects to be included as designers. He designed the “Durham Station Transportation Center,” The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and more.
Activity: Learn more about a building that Freelon designed.

 

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Will Allen wanted to grow food in a community. He mobilized people to donate their food scraps, clean, and nurture worms.
Activity: Compost month and recycle for at least 1 month. Do you have less trash or more trash?

 

Queen of Physics, by Teresa Robeson
How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom
 

Wu Chien Shiung was a Chinese born woman. Her parents built a school because girls did not receive the same education as boys did. Her name means “courageous hero.” In everything that Shiung did was courageous: attending school far from her parents, protesting before WWII started, and made a physics discovery on Beta Decay.
Activity: Read about 5 more prominent historical and modern day women in physics. Create a video slideshow about each woman. 

 

Fun With Multiplication, by Lorenzo McLellan

A fun storyboard with mathematical multiplication problems. This is a practice book where readers can practice matching pictures, guessing from patterns, and more.

Activity: Make your own math multiplication problems, illustrate your problems.

 

Buzzing With Questions, by Janice N Harrington
The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner
Charles Henry Turner studied animal’s behavior. He found joy in examining ants, moths, and even bees. One experiment determined that bees see color. Turner’s work was recognized throughout the science community. He did face racial discrimination, but did not let the problems of the world keep his work ignored. Turner taught the community, and worked tirelessly to teach others to “go and find out.”
Activity: Conduct an experiment using the Scientific Method. If you have a pet, involve them. If you have family, ask to study a specific behavior in your Scientific Method. 

 

The Vast Wonder of the World, by Melina Mangal
Biologist Ernest Everett Just
Ernest Everett Just was born in 1883 when the Civil Rights of Black individuals were not considered. Ernest Just had an inquisitive mind and found the importance of studying creatures such as: sea urchins, sand dollars, and star fish in their natural environment. Ernest Just received high honors from the NAACP and also worked at Howard University. His work on cell discovery and fertilization was new and controversial. Just left us with these remarkable words, “Life is exquisitely a time-thing, like music.”
Activity: Learn more about Ernest Everett Just’s where he studied Biology.

 

Starstruck, by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer
The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Tyson

A biographical book about Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He was not only passionate about science but enjoyed other things such as wrestling and dance. Today Tyson shares his love for the stars to the world. Learn about his marvelous story.
Activity: Create images using glowing in the dark crayons of your ideal night sky. Have your friends join and see if you can view another way of viewing the stars. Learn about the Constellations.

 

Middle Grade: Fifth Grade-Sixth Grade

 

Urban Biologist, by Kari CornellAbout Biologist Danielle Lee

Danielle Lee is a Biologist. She earned her PhD and shares her love for science in her blog Urban Science. Lee has always been curious about the outdoors and animal behavior. Today, she researches African giant pouched rats. She observes these rats to determine how they can sniff out mines. Lee has spent a part of her life sharing science to young people, and she has a passion for science and seeing that other youth soar in science as well.
Activity: Discover Danielle Lee’s website. Discover the different categories of Biology and decide which categories that you would like to learn more about. 

 

 

Computers, by Christine Taylor Butler

 

Have you ever wondered who computed the first computers? Why were computers started in the first place? This book provides those facts and even more. The word computer derived from the people who had to make computational actions and instances.
Activity: Computers need electricity and circuits to work. Perform a circuit art craft here.

 

 

How Fashion Designers Use Math, by John C. Bertoletti

 

Making the perfect jacket, blouse, pants, or masks takes the right measurements and precision. Individuals who design and develop clothing have to use math to ensure consumers are pleased. This book shares the different stages on when math from purchasing of the fabric, shapes, measurements, and fitting.
Activity: If interested, watch a video on how to sew an object. List the different sizes and measurements needed to construct the item. 

 

Who Did it First? 50 Scientists, Artists, and Mathematicians Who Revolutionized the World, by Julie Leung

 

A collection of scientists, innovators, and artists from the past and present. Some individuals are unknown and have made a tremendous contribution to our society. 

 

Activity: Learn about about specific innovators that you like. 

 

A Math Journey Through the Human Body, by Anne Rooney

 

A nonfiction text displaying how math is a part of our daily lives. You can think of math on your height, skin, skeletal system, and digestive system. Math is everywhere, it just takes time to think about it. 

 

Activity: When visiting the grocery store, write mathematical equations (fractions or multiplication) about the food in your grocery bag. 

 

Unsung Heroes of Technology, by Todd Kortemeir

 

James West improved the microphone on cell phones and has over 40 patents. Katherine Johnson calculated paths for space rockets. Grace Hopper invented a code so that computers could “talk” to each other. This book Unsung Heroes of Technology highlights 12 incredible people who gave the world better access to technology. When we think about tech, we think about the CEOs or CTOs. However, draftsmen, engineers, mathematicians, and many more people brought these innovations to our hands. These individuals did not succeed without struggle, and their stories should be heard.
Activity: You can find more about each Unsung Heroes Here

 

It’s A Numbers Game! Basketball, by James Buckley Jr.

 

Discover how physics, time , measurement, and many other math principles are involved in basketball. Basketball is a sport, but there is much involved in making it what it is.
Activity: Download this Math Stats Activity Here

 

Changing the Equation, by Tonya Bolden

 

50+ US Black Women in STEM

 

A holistic book of Black women who trail-blazed when the world did not view them as rightful humans to participate. For instance, Rebecca Davis Lee Crumpler earned a MD in March 1864. This was a time when laws were being written to end slavery. Many other women in Genetics, Aerospace Engineering, Geology, and so many more.
Activity: Discover a woman scientist who is living, and write her a letter or Email (with an adult) to learn more about her field.

 

Ava Lovelace Cracks the Code, Rebel Girls Series

 

Ava is from the 19th century. In her time period, girls were not encouraged to study science and math. However, she was educated in math. She was introduced to the “Difference Machine.” This machine allowed humans to compute things faster. Lovelace is considered to be the first computer programmer because she was able to write out every detail and actions of the machine. The series “Rebel Girls” brings Ava Lovelace’s voice and personality to readers.

 

Activity: Create a flowchart that displays how it works from beginning to end. You can use the computer, television, your favorite toy, or anything else.