Webquest Lesson Plan
Name: XXXXXXX
Part I: Define critical literacy:
“Critical literacy is the practice of challenging texts through an analysis of the roles that power,
culture, class, and gender play in the message. “
Source:
http://www.randomhouse.com/highschool/RHI_magazine/active_citizens/freyfisher2.html
Part II: What are the four dimensions of critical literacy? Under each dimension, list the
bullet point that was most relevant for you from the article.
1. Disrupting the commonplace
 “Including popular culture and media as a regular part of the curriculum for purposes of
pleasure and for analyzing how people are positioned and constructed by television,
video games, comics, toys, etc. (March, 2000; Shannon, 1995; Vasquez, 2000).”
2. Interrogating multiple viewpoints
 “Paying attention to and seeking out the voices of those who have been silenced or
marginalized (Harste et al., 2000)”
3. Focusing on sociopolitical issues
 “Redefining literacy as a form of cultural citizenship and politics that increases
opportunities for subordinate groups to participate in society and as an ongoing act of
consciousness and resistance (Giroux, 1993)”
4. Taking action and promoting social justice
 “Challenging and redefining cultural borders, encouraging students to be border
crossers in order to understand others, and creating borderlands with diverse cultural
resources (Giroux, 1993)”
Part II: What are six activities/tasks that support critical literacy with children?
1. Reading supplementary texts
2. Reading multiple texts
3. Reading from a resistant perspective
4. Producing countertexts
5. Conducting student-choice research projects
6. Taking social action
Part III: Create a critical literacy lesson plan outline on a relevant social or political topic.

Topic: racism/prejudice

Age Level:

Objectives/Goals: What are three concepts or ideas that you would like children to be
able to understand or discuss? The objectives should be worded using the phrase, “The
students will be able to (list, explain, discuss, define, describe, identify, support, justify,
evaluate, illustrate, examine, compare, name, give examples)
____X______ Elementary
__________ Junior High
__________ High School
1. The students will be able to define racism and prejudice.
2. The students will be able to identify and describe different types of racism/prejudice seen in
history and realistic fiction books.
3. The students will be able to describe and justify a plan to help stop racism/prejudice.
 Materials/Resources:
 Find at least three age appropriate books on your topic. List the book, the age/grade
level, and the brief summary of the book. Provide a link to the book on Amazon or
other website.
Books on your topic:
Book
Title
The Skin
You Live
In
Author
Michael
Tyler
Age/Gra
Summary
de Level
PreWith the ease and simplicity of a
K/Kinder nursery rhyme, this lively story
delivers an important message of
social acceptance to young readers.
Themes associated with child
development and social harmony,
such as friendship, acceptance, selfesteem, and diversity are promoted in
simple and straightforward prose.
Vivid illustrations of children's
Link to Book
http://www.amazon
.com/The-Skin-YouLiveIn/dp/0975958003/r
ef=cm_lmf_tit_2
The Story
of Ruby
Bridges
Robert
Coles
2nd-3rd
Heart
and Soul:
The Story
of
America
and
African
American
s
Kadir
Nelson
1st-5th
activities for all cultures, such as
swimming in the ocean, hugging,
catching butterflies, and eating
birthday cake are also provided. This
delightful picturebook offers a
wonderful venue through which
parents and teachers can discuss
important social concepts with their
children.
The year is 1960, and six-year-old
Ruby Bridges and her family have
recently moved from Mississippi to
New Orleans in search of a better life.
When a judge orders Ruby to attend
first grade at William Frantz
Elementary, an all-white school, Ruby
must face angry mobs of parents who
refuse to send their children to school
with her. Told with Robert Coles'
powerful narrative and dramatically
illustrated by George Ford, Ruby's
story of courage, faith, and hope is
now available in this special 50th
anniversary edition with an updated
afterword!
The story of America and African
Americans is a story of hope and
inspiration and unwavering courage.
This is the story of the men, women,
and children who toiled in the hot sun
picking cotton for their masters; it's
about the America ripped in two by
Jim Crow laws; it's about the brothers
and sisters of all colors who rallied
against those who would dare bar a
child from an education. It's a story of
discrimination and broken promises,
determination, and triumphs.
http://www.amazon
.com/The-StoryRuby-BridgesAnniversary/dp/043
9472261
http://www.amazon
.com/Heart-SoulAmerica-AfricanAmericans/dp/0061
730793/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&q
id=1414017752&sr=
11&keywords=heart+
and+soul+the+story
+of+america+and+af
rican+americans

Find at least three other age appropriate resources that could supplement your topic
and provide multiple viewpoints (poems, songs, movies, photos, websites, etc.) List
the resource, a link, and a brief description/summary of the resource.
Other resources on your topic:
Type of
Resource
(Movie,
Poem,
Website,
etc.)
The Story
of Ruby
Bridges
DVD
Link to Resource
Brief Description or Summary
http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stor
es/servlet/ProductDisplayView?
productId=158908&langId=1&storied=10751&catalogId=10004
The year is 1960, and six-year-old Ruby
Bridges and her family have recently
moved from Mississippi to New Orleans in
search of a better life. When a judge
orders Ruby to attend first grade at
William Frantz Elementary, an all-white
school, Ruby must face angry mobs of
parents who refuse to send their children
to school with her. Told with Robert Coles'
powerful narrative and dramatically
illustrated by George Ford
This award-winning documentary about
the Mississippi Civil Rights heroines has
been shown worldwide and has inspired
those who have seen it to register to vote
and become active in the continuing
struggle for equal rights.
Poem about racism
Standing
on My
Sister’s
Shoulders
http://sisters-shoulders.org/
Racism
by Carniz
Fatema
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/racism21/

What activities/tasks would you use to incorporate critical literacy and encourage a
critical stance with the children you work with? Check all that you would use.
___X___ reading supplementary texts
___X___ reading multiple texts
______ reading from a resistant perspective
______ producing countertexts
______ conducting student-choice research projects
____X__ taking social action
______ literature circles
___X___ read alouds
______ thinking maps/graphic organizers
______ modeling critical questions
___X___ incorporating media and other technology

List at least ONE way to promote social action among the children with your topic (start a
club, make posters, write letters, volunteer, counter text, website, collect items, start a
campaign/program, etc.)
1. Start and Equality Club welcome to everyone that celebrates a different culture every time it
meets. They research and learn about many different cultures and learn how to accept each
other.