A is for Activist

Author: Innosanto Nagara 

Genre: Children's Non-Fiction Literature 

Grade: Pre-K - 4th Grade 

Summary:

The alphabet book A is for Activist is written for the next generation of Americans. It is intended to introduce students to a safe space of activism, social justice, civil rights, LGBT rights, and everything else activists believe in and fight for. The book discusses important issues such as community, equality, and justice. The book conveys an important message to both parents and children, encouraging them to take action and fight for what they believe in.  

Element 5: Raising Awareness 

This book encourages children to take action and fight for what they believe in. It helps students to be introduced to all movements that exist today starting from civil rights to equal rights and more. It helps children to become interested and ask more questions about what is happening today and why it is important to fight for them. It helps children question the meaning of justice and if they are activists. 

Activity

Using geometric shapes I would ask students to work on making a poster on a movement they want to fight for. I would assign students to include images and be creative using their shapes as well as write or prepare a statement why did they choose their movement and why is it important? What are some things they would like to know more and what are some steps they could take to make a change in our country?

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Same, Same but Different

Author: Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Genre: Children's Literature, Fiction 

Grade Level: Pre-K - 2nd 

Summary: 

Same, Same but Different is about to two boy who are in two different parts of the world. Elliot is an American boy who lives is the City and Kailash lives in India. The two boys become pen pals, they write letters to one another and send each other pictures about interesting facts about themselves. They both share what their world looks like, they both like to climb trees, they have a family, they love animals and share many similarities. The boys also share characteristics about their worlds and realize they have many similarities but they are different. 

Element Two: Respect For Others
This book teaches children that everyone is different, but we are all the same and have a lot in common. The book teaches students that people all over the world belong to different races and cultures. It teaches children that we must accept others for who they are, and also teaches students that we must respect other cultures and welcome them into our world. Learning from another culture allows children to respect and learn from that culture and race. All races and cultures are ultimately different, but we are all the same and have a lot in common.

Activity:

This book can be used in  social justice curriculum where we ask students to share where they are from and pair them with a partner that is from different race. The students would become pen pals where they share facts about their world. They must share where they are from and what are some of the things they love to do and find similarities in their letters. Having students share facts abut one another for a we can lead to group project where the students create a poster using images to share some of the similarities they found on their letters. This project will teach students that they come from different backgrounds and have a lot in common and will teach them to respect one another. 

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The Port Chicago 50

 

Author: Steve Sheinkin

Genre: Historical Nonfiction

Grade level/ Age level: Grades 5-9 / Age: 10-14

Summary:  

Port Chicago 50 is a nonfiction book about 50 African American sailors, most of whom were teenagers, fighting against prejudice, discrimination and injustice in the United States armed forces. After a massive explosion killed more than 300 sailors on the segregated Port Chicago Navy base, these sailors stood up against injustice and refused to return to unsafe working conditions, unless they were addressed. With great detail, direct quotes and photographs, this book retells the story of how 50 young sailors fought for their basic civil rights with the help of organizations such as the N.A.A.C.P. and their lawyer and future Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.

Element 4, Social Movements and Social Change:

Serving in the U.S. military as an African American in the 1940s meant you were treated as a second class citizen being segregated and oppressed, even though you were risking your life for your country. The story of the Port Chicago 50 teaches readers how to use social capital to fight for their basic civil rights. The refusal of these 50 black sailors to return to unsafe working conditions after a massive explosion, with the consequence of being arrested or worse, shows resistance capital. Their actions and those who joined with them, in a legal battle against the U.S. military, shows how ordinary individuals can band together and begin a movement to create social change. The heroism of their actions eventually led to the ending of segregation in the Navy, the first branch of the U.S. military, in 1946. 

Activity:

This book can be used in social studies curricula, to teach about the civil rights movement and how it has shaped the ways we fight for social change today. Students in grades 5 and 6 can do activities to compare and contrast different events of the civil rights movement to the events and actions in Port Chicago 50.  They can also write articles and/or social media posts, including the photos from the book , to address issues of injustice in the military, as if it were happening in the present. In these editorial articles or posts, they can take on the role of an N.A.A.C.P. lawyer/activist, a Navy officer, or an ordinary citizen. For ELA curriculum, students can develop persuasive arguments for another social issue of their choice, and apply what they have learned about social movements for change. 

Teacher Resources:

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Steamboat School

by Deborah Hopkinson and Illustrated by Ron Husband

Reading Level: K - 2, Age 5-8

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 40

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2016

ISBN: 9781423121961

Summary: 

In this inspiring picture book, based on the true story of Reverend John Berry  Meachum, a story of determination, courage and resourcefulness is told. James, the protagonist, and Rev. Meachums’s students are faced with a threat to their education, when the state of Missouri passes a law prohibiting the education of African Americans in the 1840s. Carefully and courageously, Meachum organizes a school in the basement of a home in the community to protect his students right to an education, until authorities find out.  To circumvent this unjust law, Meachum decides to build the innovative Steamboat School, which can float in the Mississippi River and operate outside of Missouri State boundaries.  

Element 3: Exploring Issues of Social Injustice

This book explores issues of social injustice from our country's past history that are relevant today. Although education is a basic human right, many federal and state laws affect our children’s access to an education. Resistance to this injustice is shown in the examples of the students and their teacher, who stood up to fight for their right to an education and thought of ways to undermine this racist law.  Students who read this book will learn that they should not allow oppression to prevent them from their right to an education or any other right. They will also learn about how they can use creativity, ingenuity and community capital to find solutions to social injustice.

Activity: 

Since this book is recommended for grades K-2, a possible activity would be to have them create their own school to help students gain access to education.  Each student will bring an empty shoe box to school where they will use their own creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity to design their own school. It could be a mobile school, a Steamboat school, or other type of school. Students will also create paper dolls to represent the main characters in the story and write on each character what they did to fight for their education. 

Additional Teacher Resources:

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Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! (Grades 3+)

Author: Joy Michael Ellison

Illustrator: Teshika Silver

Grade Level: 3 and up

Summary: 

This wonderful book tells the story of Sylvia and Marsha, two transgender girls of color who are not accepted by their families or the police. Both women shared a friendship so strong that they were like sisters and their goal was to help more transgender people like themselves! Sylvia saw how badly the transgender people in her community were treated and it reminded her of when she wore a dress as young kid and her grandmother frowned upon her and yelled, “You’re a boy!” Syliva remembered how wearing the dress made her feel free and she, along with Marsha decided that transgender people should not suffer for being themselves! “Here comes Alice in the blue dress” is the waring transgender girls had for each other and it was code for the arrival of the police who had the power to arrest transgender girls for wearing dresses. Syliva and Marsha wanted to bring positive change to their lives and the lives of their sisters so on June 28, 1969 the police were bothering them once again and a revolution broke out at Stonewall! That did not stop the police. Marsha and Syvlia decided that they were going to take things a step further by giving their transgender sisters their frienship and opened a home for those living on the streets. They all took care of each other and also fought for their rights together!

Element 3: Exploring Issues of Social Injustice:

This books explores issues of social injustice because as it moves away from celebrating diversity we delve into historical fiction to learn about Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson; two very important transgender icons whose involement on the Stonewall Rebellion made great contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. Students also learn about how shame and oppression affected girls like Marsha and Slyvia, so much that they had to come up with code phrases to help each other out.

Activity: 

Have students reflect on the importance of feeling free and comfortable in one’s own skin because no one has the right to tell individuals who they should and should not be. Then, students will create signs that support individuality and inspiring kindness towards one another.

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Sylvia and Marsha Start A Revolution! – Joy Michael Ellison

Teacher and Parent Resources: 

Gender Resources for Parents and Teachers – Joy Michael Ellison

No No Square Written by Jai'Colby'E Kirvin

Written by Jai'Colby'E Kirvin, Illustrated by Jai'Colby'E Kirvin

 

Summary:

*“No No Square” is a children's book written by Jai'Colby'E Kirvin. This book was written by an African American author who brings awareness to rape in African American boys and girls. This book educates children to say “no” when people try to touch them inappropriately. This book teaches children what to say and do when strangers, family members, or other kids try to sexually assault them at an early age. This book allows children to set boundaries rather it be with other children or adults. The two characters in this book are Maya and Kobe, they both have encounters with monsters. They were taught how to properly set boundaries and not allow anyone to touch them inappropriately.

 

Element 5: Raising Awareness

*This book coincides with element five “raising awareness.” In the African American community, rape is one of the common social justice issues present. Rape not only affects girls, but it affects boys as well. Many boys never report rape or even tell their stories, therefore mental health issues / trauma can be seen in black men. This book raises awareness about these issues, educates young readers, and gives good steps to prevent bad things from happening. This book always brings awareness to the word “no.” It teaches children to say no when they’re feeling uncomfortable or when someone is trying to assault them.

 

Activity:

*This activity can be taught for kids in Pre-K to twelfth grade. My goal for the activity is to teach students about consent. The word sex is removed when teaching consent to elementary students, the end goal is to help prevent sexual harassment and assault by teaching students about personal boundaries. When it comes to children, I know that rape is a sensitive topic. I would first go over what consent means, and the importance of asking permission. The students will be educated o. what consent sounds like. For example, :sure,”  “yes,” “okay.” What consent does not sound like. For example, “stop,” “no,” “move.” When consent is needed.  For example, kissing, touching, hugging. What to say when consent wasn’t given. For example, “no,” “I don’t feel comfortable,” “ask me again later.” Students can be non-extreme questions; the goal is for them to understand consent and use it in. different scenarios when they feel uncomfortable.

 

Links to purchase “No No Square book.”

* https://store.bookbaby.com/bookshop/book/index.aspx?bookURL=No-No-Square

* https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-no-square-jaicolbye-kirvin/1140344458

* https://www.target.com/p/no-no-square-by-jai-colby-e-kirvin-paperback/-/A-85091266

 

Change Sings: A Children's Anthem

 

Author: Amanda Gorman

Illustrator: Loren Long

Publisher: Viking

Grade level: K to 3

Social Justice Element # 6: Social Action

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Summary

Change Sings is an illustrated poem that shows the efforts of a black young girl and her group of friends to address the challenges facing their community. At first the unnamed protagonist is singing alone and playing her guitar but as the book unfolds, she encounters new people, makes friends, and works with them to improve their community. She encounters a boy with a yarmulke, and they began to clean their local playground. Next, they approach a woman with a child and share some food. Their next encounter is with an elderly woman, and they leave groceries on her doorstep as they play instruments together. Their next interaction is with a frowning, slightly older boy with an intimidating dog but they win him over and he joins their efforts to build a wheelchair ramp for one of their neighbors. The group goes on to revitalize an abandoned local market and finally the story culminates in a celebration in front of a mural that features the children with the quote “We are the change!”

Social Justice Element

This book represents Social Justice Element #6: Social Action. It shows children taking personal action to address issues in their community. They are shown forming connections and combining their efforts to meet the needs they see. For example, they start with cleaning the playground and eventually work to bring a fresh food grocer to their neighborhood. Those actions speak to environmental justice and food justice which are pressing issues in so many communities. With their activities, they support individuals and the entire community. It is a great introduction to the power of organizing and coalition building. 

Potential Activity

I would use the book as a starting point for examining what my students would like to see changed in their area and what steps they could take to start making a difference.

• Begin with a discussion about what students love and what they want to change about their neighborhood.
  
  
• Guide the students in researching what other communities and children are doing to address the identified issues. 
  
  
• Have students think-pair-share about who they know and who might be able to help them make positive change in their area.
  
  
• Using a template have students generate a proposal to address an issue they identified.
  
  
• Partner with an appropriate CBO or activist to give feedback to the students and plan how to implement the proposal.

Teacher Resources

The Recess Queen

 

 

 

Author: Alexis O'Neill

Illustrator: Laura Huliska-Beith

Grade Level: Pre K-3

 

Element 2: Respect For Others

 

Summary:

The Recess Queen is about a bully, Mean Jean, that gets dethroned by the new girl at school, Katie Sue, who decides to understand the bully and befriend her. The kids in the playground can only play when Mean Jean says that they can play. They can kick, swing or bounce only after she has gone. No one has ever dared to stand up to Mean Jean until Katie Sue approaches her and invites her to play with her. Now that Mean Jean has a friend, the playground becomes a fun and safe place for the rest of the students.

How It Represents SJE2:

It represents SJE2 because it focuses on the power of kindness, respect. compassion, love and friendship. It takes on the approach of understanding why people bully; sometimes the reason is because they are insecure and lonely. When we are kind and respect those we cross paths with, we can change their lives for the better. Being kind to one person can help improve the quality of life in our communities.

How I Would Use It:

This book is most effective in a kindergarten classroom where children are learning how to play together. I would use this book to discuss how every character evolved in the story and how was this able to happen. The students can start explaining through illustrations and once they have a clear picture in front of then, they can begin to write down what is taking place. After sharing their work, the class can have a group discussion and share their opinion on the book and the characters. The point of the lesson would be to engage students in deep discussions.

 

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Teacher Resources

Additional Teacher Resources 

DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR! (Grades 3+)

Author/Illustrator: Sharee Miller Grade Levels: 3 and up

Summary: 

Aria boasts about how much she loves her hair. She loves it in all sorts of different ways but, because her hair is so amazing everyone wants to touch it. Aria appreciates everyone’s love for her hair but it becomes a little too much for her when their curiosity drives them to touch it without permission. Aria has a hard time finding the power to say no and instead learns to avoid people and hide her hair. She goes as far as hiding in the sea, the jungle, the tallest castle tower and even up into space! But no matter where she went, she kept running into the same problem. The only times when no one was minding her hair was when she was all by herself, but after a while, Aria felt too loney. It wasn’t until Aria finally decided that enough is enough and used her mighty voice to tell everyone to stop touching hair!! She wanted them to know that she appreciated the love and curiosity for her hair but drew a line and said that they can look but not touch without her permission. Her hair was finally free to touch the sun like a flower! And sometimes if a person asked nicely, Aria had no problem with letting them touch her fabulous hair. 

Element 5 - Raising Awareness:

This book dives into raising awareness by teaching students that even if they are complimenting something about a person, they must still ask for permission to touch or ask questions. In Aria’s case, her hair was unique and greatly admired. However, neither one of those is a good enough reason to invade her personal space by doing things like touching her hair, asking questions about how she got her hair to be so “fluffy,” or asking how she got it to be “so big.”Aria is under no obligation to answer questions about her hair because it is not her responsibility to educate others about her hair culture. It is important for kids to understand that and how actions like these make their peers feel. Aria's need to isolate herself is a perfect example of how intentions we may perceive as harmless can actually be hurtful for an individual.

Activity: 

Host a show and tell activity for the kids where they will bring in something from their culture that they consider to be special. Students will show each other their respective items and the floor will be open to questions but the child who is showcasing their item will be able to decide which questions they feel comfortable answering. Also, students will have to ask the presenter for permission to do things like hold the item, getting a closer look at it, etc. The purpose of this activity is to raise awareness towards being respectful of boundaries set by peers. Respecting boundaries can come in the form of being mindful of the types of questions we ask peers, that we ask our peers if certain things are ok with them and to accept our peers’ decisions.

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DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR — Sharee Miller 

Guided Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist Reading for Grades 3 and Up :

Don't Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller

I Am Enough

 

 

 

Author: Grace Byers

Illustrator: Keturah A. Bobo

Grade Level: Pre K-3

 

Element 1: Self-Love and Knowledge

 

Summary:

I Am Enough is about an African American girl that looks for how she resembles all the beautiful things that surround her. She celebrates herself while seeing herself in the world, including people that look different. The book only has girls, which are all diverse. The girls in the book are of different skin tones, some are able-bodied while others have disabilities and also have different religious beliefs. They participate in diverse activities as well. The activities are either cooperative or solitary and include swinging, martial arts and many more.

How It Represents SJE1:

It represents SJE1 because it focuses on Justice, Diversity, Identity and Action. This book introduces the importance of uniqueness and unity in a different way. Using metaphors, it shows that there isn't a cookie cutter to make the 'perfect person'. It encourages one to be whomever they would like to be, it doesn't matter the race, color, sexual orientation, etc. It promotes acceptance of oneself, others, and the fact that everyone is unique. It clearly shows the main characters self-worth and sense of belonging.

How I Would Use It:

Since I will be teaching PreK-12 Mathematics I would use this book as an icebreaker to get to know my students and to build an anti-racist classroom. I would read the book with the students and then have them share about themselves and their family. I would use this book to help them know, like and feel comfortable openly discussing about themselves and their family. They will not only learn self-love but will also become familiar with the social justice elements.

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Teacher Resources!

Additional Teacher Resources!

ABC I Love Me

Written by Miriam Muhammad

Summary:

*”ABC I Love Me” is a children's book written by Miriam Muhammad. This book was written by an African American author who promotes self-love and knowledge to all African American children. This alphabet book highlights an African American boy and girl to represent each word. The alphabets in this book promote and empower the young readers. The words that are being used are common stereotype characteristics of African Americans. The stereotyped words are turned from negative into positive. For example, the letter A is for afro, the sentence used is “I love my curly afro.” Oftentimes young African American children may think that their hair is bad, not beautiful, or not good. This book lets children not only embrace their hair, but to also keep and love it. Another example, the letter S is for skin, the sentence used is “I adore my skin.” This allows African American young readers to love and embrace the skin that they are in. Oftentimes black skin may be seen as bad, in this book, it individualized and promoted the character’s skin. This book encourages young readers to accept their unique identity, genetic traits while promoting positive confidence.

Element 1: Self-love and Knowledge

*This book coincides with element five “self-love and knowledge.” In the African American community, many African American children aren’t comfortable in the skin that they are in. There are many factors that contribute to it such as lack of representation in cartoon characters, television figures, and toys that children play with. Things verbally said to children also play a huge factor. Some people may make jokes or say things that are inappropriate, this can cause young children to lose their self-love.  This book promotes this element by promoting self-love in all African American children no matter how they look or are viewed.

 

Activity:

*This activity can be taught for kids in Pre-K to twelfth grade. My goal for the activity is to teach students about self-esteem and self-love. Before I start any activity, I will define self-love and provide examples. Examples would be provided to ensure they understand the term.

For Pre-K to 1st grade:

*Students will create a “The What I Love About You Poster.” Students will put their names in the middle of the poster. Around their name, students will put empowering words around it. In this activity, students can turn negative words into positive things. Students can have positive words and pictures around their name.

 

For 2nd grade to 12th grade:

*Students can write a letter to themselves. In this letter, they can write in third person expressing and describing words for themselves. The letter should include details about the students’ personality, character traits, skin color, hair, ambition and goals. The students can either write a letter to the younger version of themselves or to the future version of themselves.

 

Article similar/ relatable to this book.

* https://matermea.com/how-i-taught-my-son-to-love-his-skin/

Links to purchase “ABC I Love Me”

*https://www.amazon.com/ABC-Love-Me-Miriam-Muhammad/dp/0692149775/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CCZR3Y7WB11X&keywords=abc+i+love+me&qid=1638933192&s=books&sprefix=abc+i+love%2Cstripbooks%2C152&sr=1-1 

*https://www.ebay.com/itm/284243879427?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28 

* https://www.boogiesbooks.com/collections/children/products/abc-i-love-me

ren/products/abc-i-love-me

All Are Welcome

 

Author: Alexandra Penfold

Illustrator: Suzanne Kaufman

Grade Level: Preschool- Third Grade

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Resources for Teachers:

 All Are Welcome Literature Guide

All Are Welcome Classroom Activities

Summary:

All Are Welcome celebrates diversity and the safe community school is. The story goes through all the activities children do in school such as play, make art, lunch time, nap, reading books, and celebrating holidays. No matter how anyone does any of these activities everyone is welcome to be themselves. The children in this book represent many different cultures where they all play along side each other. The book embraces strength in diversity and community no matter anyone's background. It shows children with hijabs, yarmulkes, and impairments which are often not represented in any literature, let alone one book. All Are Welcome shows children that no matter where they are from, what they celebrate, how they look, what they eat, they all have a safe place to be themselves and are welcomed at school.

Element Two: Respect For Others

All Are Welcome shows children from all different backgrounds in which their culture is accepted and shared in school. Having respect for others means we must learn from each other's culture and identity that helps deconstruct stereotypes built around that culture or identity. When students learn from their friends diversity they realize they have similar values and are able to show empathy and kindness for others. This book shows marginalized groups sharing their culture in school and everyone being accepting of it. It also says how having diversity in school makes the community stronger and more resilient. Students learn to have respect for diversity and each other.

An activity centered around this book would be to research one's one bread. In the book there was an important part in the lunch room where everyone shares the bread from their culture and everyone is fed. I would make students research a traditional bread made or eaten regularly in their culture. Find significance and the importance of that bread. Students would share their findings with a picture and description of the bread alongside it. This allows students to learn something new about themselves while also teaching something new about their culture to others. Food is key for bringing people of all races and backgrounds together and this would be amazing to see students have pride in theirs.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

 

      Author: Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conckling

Illustrator: Laura Freeman

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

     Grade Level: K - 2

     Social Justice Element #1: Self-love and Knowledge

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Summary

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race is a children’s version of the extremely popular New York Times bestseller that was released in 2016. As I read the book, two sentences in particular caught my eye in the first few pages. “She was good at math. Really good.” Although I was a voracious reader as a child and read untold numbers of books to children that I love, I don't believe I've ever seen those words in print. Ever. This book continually provides those powerful moments as it peels back the layers of history to bring an amazing story to light. This book captures in a child-friendly format the challenges that Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden encountered as they made their tremendous contributions to aeronautics and space exploration including the Apollo and Mercury space missions. The story is told from the women’s perspective and details how their personal circumstances and the social context of their time influenced their journeys. It starts by focusing on Dorothy Vaughn and her desire to serve her country by working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the precursor to NASA. As the story unfolds, the author shows how the path that each of them took was rooted in a love for math and an unshakable confidence in their ability to make significant contributions in a STEM field. The story is told chronologically so that one can clearly see how the women supported each other and blazed the trail for those who were following after. The injustices they faced are spelled out in clear terms as are the ways in which they persisted and resisted. The book contains an illustrated timeline so that children can see where the women are located in history. A brief biography of each woman is also included and highlights their formidable contributions. At the end of the book, there is a glossary that defines key terms found in the book. Overall, the book highlights historical facts and perspectives that are usually excluded from a highly celebrated portion of U.S. history.
 

Social Justice Element

This book represents Social Justice Element #1: Self Love and Knowledge. It gives students an opportunity to learn about history that is often overlooked and suppressed in favor of a narrative that aligns with the prevailing discourse. Children will see positive images of Black women playing critical roles in history and being pioneers in a STEM field – an area where there is a distinct lack of role models for Black children and girls especially. The story told in this book can build a sense of pride and provide students with historical examples of black excellence. It can help to answer the question, “Where am I or people who look like me in American history?” The book provides so many reasons to be proud to be Black in this text. The stories in this book are examples of how Black women have been making contributions throughout American history although they may not have been recognized or included in most texts about the events. It also is a great introduction to intersectionality. Several times in the book, it is emphasized that the women faced certain challenges because they were black and women. That makes this one of the few children’s books to address intersectionality. Additionally, children will be introduced to being critical consumers of what they read or watch. After reading this book, children can reasonably ask what other stories and contributions are out there that just did not make it into my library books or my history textbook.

Potential Activity

Students could read this book and compare it with another children’s book about the Space Race.

• Start with discussing what children know about space exploration and any current events involving space.
  
  
• Have the children read both books and capture in anchor charts and/or graphic organizers the differences they see in who’s contributions were included. 
  
  
• Follow up with questions about what they learned and how they felt about themselves after reading each story.
  
  

This book can also be used as a text that serves as the basis for a lesson the teaches across the curriculum and links ELA, social studies, and science.

Teacher Resources:

• Classroom Activities: Hidden Figures
  
  
• Hidden Figures Classroom Resources
  
  
  

Additional Comments

This book is gorgeously illustrated and formatted in a way that will help students gain some valuable insights into US history. Although there is a very popular film based on the lives of these women, this book is still a worthwhile read for children. It brings into focus some aspects of the story that may have been relegated to the background in favor of other aspects of the story that play better on film. The book length also lends itself better to children’s attention spans. Also, the resources such as the timeline and the glossary make it much easier to integrate into several subject areas including history, social studies, and science.