Using picture books in high school curriculum

Veteran teachers who use picture books in classroom have observed the following:
-Captures visual learners
-Create mental models and build new schema
-A read-aloud is still engaging to secondary students
-Includes reluctant readers in learning and conversion
-Can build community on tough topics
-Understand the essence of empathy
-Connect colors to feelings
-Identify and relate to diverse cultures

-Runaway, The Daring Escape of Ona Judge by Ray Anthony Shapard

-The Bell Rang by James E. Ransome

Runaway is a book that can be used as a hook to begin a lesson that will address the poetic device of repetition, African-American Vernacular English, colorism, American gentry, Hercules, founders of American government, enslavement as possession, enslaved people who ran away, fugitive enslavement, free states, and settlements.

We highly recommend the following two books when addressing U.S. History and enslavement for Social Studies and English/Language Arts classrooms.

The Bell Rang is a rhythmic story told in stanzas sharing a realistic portrayal of enslaved circumstances of escaping to freedom.

Mr. Ray Anthony Shepard will be a featured guest interview.

Join us this Saturday at 12pm as We Are Here Lit! features our interview with acclaimed Author, Historian, and Educator Ray Anthony Shepard.

An insightful journey, Mr. Shepard will share his literacy story, his path as an Educator to a noted Author sharing the importance critical literacy plays in telling African-American historical narratives.

You can watch or listen to the interview on all our platforms (Youtube, Anchor Podcast, Spotify, and the website weareherelit.org)