MNHUM.ORG
First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History
Created and “packed” by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
This is one of eight Digital Suitcases developed by educators during the summer of 2013 through a partnership with
Saint Paul Public Schools’ Multicultural Resource Center and the Minnesota Humanities Center. Each Digital Suitcase
includes:
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Three lessons aligned with Minnesota social studies standards, benchmarks, and grade levels
A multiple perspectives/absent narratives focus (see below), strengthened by including input from community
members throughout the process
A list of supplemental resources, both digital and print, many of which will be available at the Saint Paul Public
Schools’ Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) (www.mrc.spps.org)
Funding for this project was generously provided by The Saint Paul Foundation, the F.R. Bigelow Foundation, The
Travelers Foundation, the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
About Absent Narratives
The Absent Narratives approach is about restoring relationships: to ourselves, to each other, to our communities, and
to the places we live and work. This approach asks people to speak only for themselves and not represent an entire
community. Therefore, differing opinions, ideas, and thoughts show up as uniquely as the individuals who bring them.
By embracing and including these untold experiences that make up each of us and our communities, we can close the
relationship gap of human understanding and empathy between us.
Absent Narratives is a relationship-based approach to creating equity within systems and communities. This approach
helps people understand that all actions, decisions, and beliefs exist in relationship to others and impact how we work
with and influence our peers and students. Absent Narratives help improve practices through the application of four
related themes:
Build and strengthen the student-teacher and school-community relationships.
Recognize the danger of a single story and the accumulation of absence.
Learn from the multiplicity of voices in the community.
Discover solutions within the community.
For more information about Absent Narratives and professional development opportunities, visit www.mnhum.org. To
access Absent Narratives resources that you can use in your classroom, visit www.mnhum.org/resources. To access
the MRC website, visit www.mrc.spps.org.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
2013 Digital Suitcase Project:
Oral History—First Grade
Overview: We have created three lessons on telling stories to one another about our
families. Throughout the lessons we have focused on similarities and differences. These
lessons support children’s development. We have provided examples of how to scaffold
the assignments to assist children where needed. The lessons provide children an
opportunity to communicate effectively. These lessons also enhance their social literacy
and build community in a different way. Children take turns communicating with each
other. They begin to appreciate different points of view and learn to work together.
Standard: Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of
historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened
in the past.
Benchmark:
1.4.1.2.1 - Ask basic historical questions about a past event in one’s family, school, or
local community.
1.4.1.1.1 – Create a timeline of events and asking people about these events.
Focus of Lesson 1: Students will practice telling stories to each other. They will identify
what needs to be in a story. They will listen to each other’s stories. They will create a
chart stating similarities and differences in families.
Focus of Lesson 2: Students will create storyboards (timelines) of their family’s story.
Focus of Lesson 3: Students will tell their oral history to one another.
Background for Teachers:
See the PBS Circle of Stories website (specific links below) for information on
storytelling traditions among different American Indian tribes. To encourage a positive
storytelling atmosphere in your classroom we suggest sharing stories in a circle and using
a “talking” object of agreed upon significance and importance to the students that when
held is a sign for others to give their undivided attention and respect.
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/voices/index.html
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/educators/lesson1.html
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/educators/lesson3.html
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Social Studies Lesson Plan 1
Focus of lesson one: Students will share a family custom or tradition in the story circle.
For homework, students will ask historical questions about a past event in their family, or
local community.
Suggested Time: 45 minutes
Materials Needed: overhead and transparency, or another presentation device such as an
easel or smart board.
Mini-lesson
* Key idea: Mini-lesson is a short
lesson that focuses on one main
teaching point.
* Teacher resources…
* What students bring to the
lesson
Connection
How this fits in with what we’ve
been doing…
Teach
Direct Instruction
* Set purpose
* Tell students what we want
them to focus on/earn/know
Model/Think aloud for students:
Something we’d like them to
try…
Activate prior knowledge or
Build background knowledge
Students are sitting in a group shape in front of the
teacher. Read orally “Bein’ With You This Way”
(look at book list for other suggestions)
Discuss how everyone in the story has things that
are the same and things that are different, and that is
what is interesting about people. Ask, “What did you
notice that is the same? What did you notice that was
different?”
Interview Questions for homework. See attached.
We’ve read “Bein’ With You This Way.” We have
learned about families and how they are similar and
how they are different. Today I’d like to talk to you
about telling stories. People have been telling stories
orally throughout history. Stories that are told orally
are told from one person to another. Many stories
have been passed down from one generation to
another.
Do any of you like to tell stories to your parents,
your family, or your friends? I like to tell stories
too. We are going to tell stories to each other today.
I’m going to share my story first and then you’ll get
to share yours.
I’d like you to listen to my story. In my family we
celebrate Halloween every year. We like to dress up
in costumes and go out trick or treating. I always
dress up as a wizard. Every Halloween I make
squash soup and we sit at the table and eat our dinner
before we can eat any treats. After dinner, we light
up pumpkins on our front step so that the trick-ortreaters know that we will be home. The kids in our
family go out trick or treating with one adult and I
stay home and pass out the treats.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Students did you notice the way I told my story? Did
you notice the way I spoke? Write down student
noticings on a chart. Make sure students understand
that they should speak clearly and loudly enough so
that their partner can hear them. They should look at
their audience as they speak. They should speak in a
voice that is at a good pace, not too slow or too fast.
They should use expression.
Active Involvement
* Think-Pair-Share
* Turn and Talk
* Buddy Share
* Triads/Peer support
Link/Off you go
Send off with a purpose…
Literacy Work Time and
Conferring
* Guided oral reading
* Reciprocal teaching
* Book club
* Independent reading
* Independent/Small group
* Conferring
Now I want you to think of something that you
celebrate in your own families and how you honor
that celebration. We are going to share our stories
aloud with one another.
I’d like for you to close your eyes for a minute. I’d
like you to visualize a celebration that you celebrate
with your family. When you come up with a story
about your celebration I’d like for you to give me a
thumbs up.
After all thumbs are up…” Students in a moment I’d
like you to turn to your neighbor and share your
story with each other. First I would like you to
remember that every story has a beginning, a middle,
and an end. Let’s think back to my story (teacher
thinks aloud). In the beginning of my story my
family dresses up for Halloween. In the middle, we
sit down and have a healthy dinner. At the end we go
out trick or treating. Think about your story and
make sure you have all three parts as you talk with
your neighbor. Give me a thumbs up when you are
ready to begin.
Students share stories. Students who need
scaffolding remain at carpet area to get assistance
with teacher. Help children to think of their own
story. If they are having difficulty, think of a shared
school experience (i.e. recess story).When they are
on their way to telling the story the teacher may
assist others in the class.
Teacher rotates throughout the class making sure
that students have a beginning, middle, and end.
Optional -You might want to do a mid workshop
share, where one student shares their story to
illustrate the three parts and how their partner
listened.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Share
Sharing what happened…
* Link to focus
* Reinforce teaching point
* Demonstrate new learning
* Popcorn share
* Celebrate learning
Assessment
When everyone is done sharing…today we learned a
lot about each other. I’d like you to turn and talk to
your neighbor again and share about one thing that
you learned about your friend that is the same as
you, and one thing that you learned that is different.
When turn and talk is complete, select a few to write
on the board. Create a T chart, listing same and
different.
Today we learned a little bit more about how we are
the same and how we are different. We are going to
add to this chart throughout the next few days as we
listen to each other’s stories. That way we can honor
and celebrate our differences.
Your homework tonight will be to fill out a sheet on
your family. Explain sheet (see next page for sheet).
Did the students share stories with their partner?
Did they share their stories using the noticing chart
that was created in the lesson? They can evaluate
themselves using a thumbs up, thumbs sideways, or
thumbs down.
See Resource List for additional stories
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Dear Families,
We are studying oral history in school. Your child will be sharing a family story with
their class. These stories will need to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Please
choose one of the following interview questions that your child can retell in class. Thank
you!
Example:
A family routine: Every Wednesday night was dessert night. Bread pudding or jell-O
with whipped cream were my favorites. I loved Wednesday evening because our family
watched a TV show. At the end of the evening, as my parents tucked me into bed, I
always felt warm and safe because my whole family was together.
In my example:
Beginning – My family would eat dessert together.
Middle – Watching a TV show together.
End – My parents tucking me into bed.
Interview Questions – REMEMBER YOU ONLY NEED TO CHOOSE ONE!
How did you get your name?
A family tradition
A song or saying you learned from home or school and why it is important to your
family’s history
Story about the place you were born
Where your family is from (city, state, or country) and how/why they traveled to the US
Someone or something that is really important to you and why
A story about a family member
A place that is really special to you and why
Family habits or routines
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Social Studies Lesson Plan 2
Focus of lesson two: Students asked basic historical questions about a past event in their
family, or local community. They will create a storyboard to retell their story to their
classmates. They will be documenting history through creating a timeline on their
storyboard about their event.
Suggested Time: One hour
Materials Needed: paper, pencils, crayons, prepared storyboard to demonstrate your
story to students.
Mini-lesson
* Key idea: Mini-lesson is a short
lesson that focuses on one main
teaching point.
* Teacher resources…
* What students bring to the
lesson
Connection
How this fits in with what we’ve
been doing…
Teach
Direct Instruction
* Set purpose
* Tell students what we want
them to focus on/earn/know
Model/Think aloud for students:
Something we’d like them to
try…
Activate prior knowledge or
Build background knowledge
Previous days charts.
Yesterday we told each other stories about a custom
or tradition that we celebrate in our families.
Everyone went home last night and interviewed their
families to find a story to recreate today.
Last night I did the same homework as everyone
else. I interviewed members of my family to find a
story to recreate for you. By doing this, I
documented my family’s history. I am going to show
you the storyboard I created about my family and
then you will be able to do the same with your
stories. In this way we are creating time lines of our
history (Large white paper is tri-folded for
demonstration).
Teachers: Using your own story, use the following
as a guide.
In this first box I’ve drawn a picture of a country
called Ireland. This is my great grandma’s family
who lived on a farm in Ireland. You can see that all
of the plants are dead and shriveled up. Ireland’s
potatoes had a disease called blight, and they weren’t
able to grow potatoes. It became known as “The
Potato Famine.” This occurred in the years between
1845 and 1852.
In the middle box, I’ve drawn my great grandma’s
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
family on a steamship. They traveled to America.
You can see that my great grandma was sixteen
years old. Her family was very poor, and didn’t have
much with them. It was hard traveling on the big
ships to come to America. People had to live under
the main deck, and didn’t get much sunlight. They
had many hardships on their travel. They traveled to
the US in 1858.
In the third box is my great grandma living here in
the Twin Cities area. They lived in Inver Grove
Heights. She married an engineer and they had three
children. One of them was my grandpa who also
became an engineer.
Did you notice how my story has three parts?
Remember when we were telling our stories
yesterday and we made sure that the stories had a
beginning, middle, and an end? That’s what we will
do today with our new stories!
Active Involvement
* Think-Pair-Share
* Turn and Talk
* Buddy Share
* Triads/Peer support
Link/Off you go
Send off with a purpose…
Literacy Work Time and
Conferring
* Guided oral reading
* Reciprocal teaching
* Book club
* Independent reading
* Independent/Small group
* Conferring
I’d like you to turn and talk to your partner about
what you learned about your family last night. I’d
like you to think about the beginning of your story
for your first box, the middle of your story for your
second box, and the end of your story for your third
box. As students share their stories, teacher listens
in and assists where needed.
Now you are going to go and illustrate your story
boxes. You can draw and write what happened in
your family’s story. Remember to draw like an artist,
using the whole area so that everyone can see what
happened in your story.
Students who need more guidance can remain at the
carpet area with you to get further instructions,
while the rest of the children go off to work.
Interventions:
For students who need support or who did not
complete their homework, work in a small group
creating a story together. The story can be about a
shared school experience, classroom celebration,
school celebration, or a community celebration or
event (Rondo Days, Hmong New Year, Ramadan,
County Fair, etc.)
When the group has created a story to illustrate on a
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Share
Sharing what happened…
* Link to focus
* Reinforce teaching point
* Demonstrate new learning
* Popcorn share
* Celebrate learning
Assessment
storyboard, let them complete their work
independently and rotate throughout the rest of the
classroom.
Mid-workshop share: Choose one or two of the
student’s pieces to share how they chose beginning,
middle or end.
As students finish up, they should practice telling
their stories orally for the next day’s work.
Did the students complete their storyboards? Did
they use a beginning, middle, and an end in their
retelling of the story?
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Social Studies Lesson Plan 3
Focus of lesson three: Students have documented history by creating a storyboard which
shows a timeline of events in their family history.
Suggested Time: One Hour
Materials Needed: Students completed storyboards from lesson two. Prior to teaching
this lesson, discuss the use of a special talking object (see resource list) during morning
meeting. You may want to discuss storytelling traditions presented in the PBS Circle of
Stories website (see Resource section). It may be a doll, a stuffed animal, or a musical
instrument; whatever you choose for your room is fine. You will be using this strategy
when sharing your stories during this lesson. The purpose of this is to make sure that the
person who is holding the object receives undivided attention.
Mini-lesson
* Key idea: Mini-lesson is a short
lesson that focuses on one main
teaching point.
* Teacher resources…
* What students bring to the
lesson
Connection
How this fits in with what we’ve
been doing…
Students completed storyboards.
Predetermined groupings of children.
Previous days charts.
Teach
Direct Instruction
* Set purpose
* Tell students what we want
them to focus on/earn/know
Model/Think aloud for students:
Something we’d like them to
try…
Activate prior knowledge or
Build background knowledge
When we share during morning meeting we give our
friends an opportunity to ask questions and to give
us compliments when they are done speaking.
We have been working on our storyboards that
depict historical events in our families’ histories.
Today we are going to tell our stories to each other.
Students will be working in small groups – four to
five students per group (these can be prearranged by
the teacher, please make sure that students who need
extra support are scattered throughout the groups to
receive the scaffolding they require).
Today we will get to do the same thing but we are
also going to look for connections to each other’s
stories. As I think about my story think aloud using
your story, or use the following as an example, I
remember that my great grandmother came to the
United States on a boat. How many of you have
relatives who traveled to the United States on a boat
to live here? Wow, that’s a lot of people who have a
connection to my story. When we have a connection,
we can join our fingers together show students two
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
circles connected on your hand to show our friend
that we have similar stories. Everyone try this. Great
job! As we listen to each other’s stories today, at the
end of the story you can ask questions, but during
the story you can show your connections.
I noticed that when I asked you how many of you
had connections to my story, some of you didn’t
raise your hands. Is that ok? SURE! It’s great that
we’re different! That’s how we learn about each
other. If you didn’t have a connection to my story,
don’t feel bad. Remember our book, Bein With You
This Way? We learned that it is ok to be different
and it is ok to be the same.
Active Involvement
* Think-Pair-Share
* Turn and Talk
* Buddy Share
* Triads/Peer support
In a few minutes I am going to divide you into
groups. In each of your groups you are going to form
a circle to tell your stories. Each group will have a
special classroom object for each person to use when
sharing their story.
Remember our rules for how to be respectful of one
another when we are listening to each other’s stories.
I’d like for you to turn and talk with your neighbor
about ways you can show respect when you are
listening to a story. Teacher listens in on turn and
talk. When students are through sharing, we’ll
evaluate our listening skills and mark results on the
listening chart.
Link/Off you go
Send off with a purpose…
Teacher divides students into their groups. Number
off in your group numbers 1 through 4 or 5.
Beginning with number 1, tell your stories.
Today as we tell our stories, it is your job to be good
listeners to the person telling the story. Show the
person when you have a connection to their story by
using your fingers.
When the person is done sharing their story, you will
have an opportunity to share compliments and ask
question. After compliments and questions are
completed, the person who has the talking object
will pass it to their left, and then it is that person’s
turn to share their story.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Literacy Work Time and
Conferring
* Guided oral reading
* Reciprocal teaching
* Book club
* Independent reading
* Independent/Small group
* Conferring
Students tell their stories to each other.
Teacher rotates through the groups to offer support.
Share
Sharing what happened…
* Link to focus
* Reinforce teaching point
* Demonstrate new learning
* Popcorn share
* Celebrate learning
Students, today we have been sharing stories about
our families. Teacher has a t-chart prepared with
“similar” and “different” from previous day. Let’s
chart out what we’ve learned about each other that is
similar and different. Chart out student responses.
Let’s include some facts as we look at the chart.
Students what have we learned? i.e. all people have
customs and traditions, each family celebrates things
in a different way.
One of the things we’ve learned is that everyone has
stories to share and we can learn from one another.
Sharing each other’s stories is an important way to
learn about each other and our community. We have
learned that sharing stories is fun. We have also
created timelines of our families’ history. Continue
to collect stories about your family and your
community to share with one another.
Assessment
Did the students share their stories with one
another? Did they students listen to their partner
respectfully? Did the students realize that there are
multiple perspectives within cultures and
communities? Did the students show connections to
each other?
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Print Resources
Bein' with You this Way by W. Nikola-Lisa
In a rap-style prose poem, a racially-mixed group of children, enjoying a sunny day at the
playground, discovers the virtues of racial diversity and, at the same time, the basic
identity of all human beings.
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
After being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young
Russian American girl and her African American brothers determine to buy their
Gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until
they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr.
Gathered near a campfire under a canopy of stars, a Navaho Indian boy hears the tale of
his birth from his grandfather. Born on a windy night, the child was weak and frail. In the
early morning, Grandfather brought him out to meet the morning. Two blue horses
galloped by, stopped and looked at him; the baby raised his arms to them. Grandfather
said, "This boy child will not die. The great blue horses have given him the strength to
live." Named Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses, the child later needs that well of strength to
deal with the fact that he is blind. Rand's atmospheric, vivid paintings evoke the tale's
sensibility as they move it along. The beauty and vastness of the Western sky and the
intimacy of two loving figures by a campfire are portrayed with equal fluidity. A rich tale
of intergenerational love and respect, this is bittersweet and unsentimental. It is a moving
collaborative effort that reverberates long after the book is closed. Ages 5-8.
Tell Me a Story Mama by Angela Johnson
This is a nice story about a mother and daughter and their special ... However, the little
girl knows them so well that she ends up telling her Mama ...
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
Grandpa entertains his three grandchildren with a magic trick, a song, and a tap dance,
while he relives his days in Vaudeville.
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say | Scholastic.com
A Japanese-American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America, which he later
undertakes himself, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.
My Grandmother’s Cookie Jar by Montzalee Miller
Grandma passes on the stories of her Indian people to her grandchild as they eat cookies
together from the cookie jar shaped like an Indian head.
Nathaniel Talking by Eloise Greenfield
Beautifully composed in a variety of styles--rap, blues, and free verse--these 18 poems
offers a black child's insights into his own heart and mind, and into the lives of family
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
and friends. Nine-year-old Nathaniel reflects on what it's like to be curious, smart, and
full of ideas. 1990 Coretta Scott King Award.
Goin' Someplace Special by Eloise Greenfield
A young girl named 'Tricia Ann asks her grandmother if she can go off on her own to a
special place
Night on Neighborhood Street by Eloise Greenfield
A collection of poems exploring the sounds, sights, and emotions enlivening a black
neighborhood during the course of one evening.
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
Grandma consoles her frightened granddaughter by telling her that the dark clouds of the
impending storm are nothing more than the ingredients for a Thunder Cake.
Gluskabe and the Four Wishes retold by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Christine Nyburg
Shrader (Cobblehill, 1995).
In this tale of the Wabanaki nations, four men each ask for a different wish from
Gluskabe, the Great Spirit's helper, but only one learns that great gifts come to those who
listen and take heed.
Beyond the Ridge by Paul Goble (Bradbury, 1989). With beauty and simplicity, Goble
captures the spiritual journey of a Plains Indian grandmother.
Katie Henio: Navajo Sheepherder by Peggy Thomson, photographs by Paul Conklin
(Cobblehill, 1995).
In this nonfiction book, you'll follow Katie as she moves between her traditional Navajo
world and the modern world of her great-grandchildren.
Fox Song by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Paul Morin (Philomel, 1993).
In this story, young Jamie learns that death is a natural part of life when she realizes that
her grandmother, even in death, is still near her.
Indian Winter by Russell Freeman, illustrated by Karl Bodmer (Holiday House, 1992).
In 1833, German Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian and Karl Bodmer, a Swiss
painter, journeyed up the Missouri River and spent the winter among the Mandan
Indians. Russell Freeman draws upon the prince's diary and Bodmer's detailed paintings
to create an incredible account of their adventure.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto, illustrated by Ed Martinez (Putnam, 1993).
Mexican-American Maria tries her mother's wedding ring on while she is making tamales
for Christmas dinner. When the ring is missing, Maria is sure it is in one of the tamales,
and she and her cousins try to eat their way out of trouble.
All for the Better: The Story of El Barrio by Nicholasa Mohr (Steck-Vaughn, 1993).
Renowned Puerto Rican writer Mohr tells the true story of a young girl, Evelina Lopez
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Antonetty (1984-1992), who made a difference in her community.
Green Corn Tamales/Tamales De Elote by Gina M. Rodríguez, illustrated by Gary
Shepard (Hispanic Book Distributors, Tucson, AZ, 1994).
Come join the tamale-making at a Latino family reunion at grandmother's house-the
warmth of this family leaps off the page.
Hairs/Pelitos by Sandra Cisñeros (Apple Soup/Knopf, 1994).
This picture book conveys the diversity within Latino cultures through the simple story of
a young girl talking about the different kinds of hair her family members have.
The Desert Is My Mother/El Desierto Es Mi Madre by Pat Mora, illustrated by Daniel
Lechon (Piñata Books, 1995).
With English and Spanish text, Mora captures the wondrous beauty of Mother Earth
through vivid pictures and descriptions of the desert.
Friends from the Other Side/Amigos Del Otro Lado by Gloria Anzaldúa (Children's
Book Press, 1993).
Combat immigrant-bashing with this story of a young, undocumented Mexican worker
who struggles against hardship and misunderstanding to endure.
Three Kings Day by Beatriz Zapater (Modern Curriculum Press, 1992).
Come meet two young Puerto Rican children living in the United States as they prepare
for the celebration of Three Kings Day on January 6.
¡Viva México!: The Story of Benito Juárez and Cinco de Mayo by Argentina Palacios
(Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Inspire kids to have faith against all odds with the story of
Zapotec Indian Benito Juárez, who became president of Mexico. The author provides
information on Cinco de Mayo, a major holiday celebrated by Mexicans and Mexicanmericans.
From Miss Ida's Porch by Sandra Belton, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Four Winds,
1993). Miss Ida's porch is a place where mothers and fathers and uncles and
grandmothers and neighbors gather to share stories. Cooper's paintings give dimension to
this story about the power of memories.
A Caribbean Dozen: Poems from Caribbean Poets, edited by John Agard and Grace
Nichols, illustrated by Cathie Felstead (Candlewick Press, 1994).
A diverse and joyous collection of poems by a dozen Caribbean poets.
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Lothrop, 1994).
Cooper's drawings enhance the joyful poems of Danitra and her best friend, Zuri. Your
students will love these city gal-pals as they jump rope and swap dreams.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
The Sunday Outing by Gloria Jean Pinkney, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Dial, 1994).
Ernestine's dream of visiting her relatives is realized when she takes a train trip to visit
North Carolina.
Alvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Hyperion, 1993).
This insightful biography about dancer/choreographer Ailey provides children with a
model of an important 20th-century African-American.
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters by Patricia C. McKissack and
Fredrick L. McKissack, illustrated by John Thompson (Scholastic, 1994).
This book provides historical accounts of Christmas on a plantation, using alternating
narratives from the "big house" and the slave quarters.
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco (Putnam, 1994).
An unforgettable story of friendship between a black and a white soldier during the Civil
War.
Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
(Scholastic, 1995).
The song that many consider to be the African-American anthem fills the pages of this
book while Gilchrist's paintings make the lyrics soar.
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco (Bantam, 1992).
This heartwarming story chronicles the friendship between a lonely Jewish widow and a
young African-American boy.
Sheltering Rebecca by Mary Baylis-White (Lodestar, 1991).
In this Holocaust story, a girl is sent away from Germany by her family and must deal
with the absence of her parents, as well as her Jewish identity.
Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Michael Deraney (Lothrop, 1983).
A Jewish immigrant from Russia is accepted in her third-grade class when, for a class
Thanksgiving project, her mother makes a clothespin pilgrim doll that looks Russian.
This is a good book to teach that not all pilgrims came to America in the 1600s.
One Afternoon by Yumi Heo (Orchard Books, 1994).
This book by a Korean-American author/illustrator communicates love through the
simple story of a boy and his mother doing errands. Father's Rubber Shoes is Heo's latest.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
The Journey: Japanese Americans, Racism, and Renewal by Sheila Hamanaka (Orchard
Books, 1990).
Hamanaka shares a mural she painted depicting the racism her relatives and other
Japanese-Americans endured while imprisoned in U. S. concentration camps during
World War II.
Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka, illustrated by Kees de
Kiefte (Little Brown, 1992).
In this humorous story of a Chinese family in Seattle, tone-deaf Yingtao wants to give up
his violin lessons, so he must convince his parents that he is not a virtuoso-in-the-making,
like his siblings.
Hiroshima by Laurence Yep (Scholastic, 1995). The author expresses the tragedy of
Hiroshima through the story of two sisters, only one of whom survives. Yep's understated
tone makes this novella gripping.
Ooka the Wise: Tales of Old Japan by I. G. Edmonds, illustrated by Sanae Yamazaki
(Linnet Books, 1994).
The scales of justice are always in balance as Judge Ooka seeks fairness in a variety of
challenging and complex situations.
Hoang Breaks the Lucky Teapot by Rosemary Breckler, illustrated by Adrian Frankel
(Houghton Mifflin, 1992). Hoang is distraught when he breaks the teapot that his
grandmother gave to him when he left Vietnam for America. The pot held May Mun, the
good fortune to protect the family from evil spirits.
SAHIR GOES TO THE DENTIST/MAALINTII SAAHIR DHAKHTARKA ILKAHA
QABTAY
Petty, Chris & Jama, Adam
Children's multilingual picture book. When Sahir loses a tooth Dad arranges a visit to the
dentist.
.
Pablo's Tree by Pat Mora
Pablo is excited when he visits his grandfather on the day after his fifth birthday because
his grandfather has decorated a special tree every year.
A Birthday Basket For Tia by Pat Mora
Little Cecilia and her cat Chica plan for a surprise party to celebrate her great-aunt's 90th
birthday. While Mama cooks beans and cuts up mangoes.
Mama and Papa Have A Store by Amelia Lau Carling
From the clip, clop of the milkman’s mule in early morning to the clic, clac of her
father’s abacus at night, a young girl tells about a day in her family’s store and home in
Guatemala City.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Ka's Garden by Kab Lub Vaj
A Hmong/ English bilingual children's book about the traditional values of creating a
garden. This particular garden is the first planted by a young girl named Pa Houa, in
Laos. Pa Houa asks her mother, or Niam, "Why do we garden?" Her Niam explains that
gardening is part of their culture, bringing them closer to the earth, and a part of their way
of life. Then Pa Houa asks, "What...
Grandfather's Story Cloth by Yawg Daim Paj Ntaub Dab Neeg
Chersheng's grandfather is beginning to forget things: little things like turning off the
water faucet and big things like Chersheng's name.
Grandma’s Saturday Soup by Sally Fraser
Mimi misses her grandma. Everyday something reminds her of grandma's special
Saturday soup and the tales her grandma tells. DUAL LANGUGE SOMALI/ENGLISH.
UK. MANTRA LINGUA.
Digital Resources
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/voices/index.html
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/educators/lesson1.html
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/educators/lesson3.html
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/LinIndi.htm
Other Resources
Multicultural Review is a quarterly journal that reviews new books and instructional
resources, plus publishes feature articles in multicultural studies. Yearly subscription:
$59, school, $29.95, individual. (Greenwood Publishing Group; [203] 226-3571).
Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children by Beverly Slapin
and Doris Seale. A must for anyone selecting Native American literature.
The text includes excellent book reviews and information about Native American
resource organizations. (New Society Publishers, 1992. [800] 333-9093. $24.95
paperback, plus $3 shipping).
American Indian Reference Books for Children and Young Adults by Barbara J. Kuipers.
This book includes a well-developed, two-page checklist that you can use to evaluate
fiction and nonfiction literature about any ethnic group. $27.50. (Libraries Unlimited,
Inc., 1991. [800] 237-6124).
African American Images publishes and distributes more than 300 Africentric titles and
products. For a free catalog, write to African American Images, 1909 W. 95th St.,
Chicago, IL 60643; (800) 552-1991.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew
Multiethnic Children's Literature by Gonzalo Ramirez, Jr., and Jan Lee Ramerez is a
comprehensive guide to books accurately depicting contemporary minority groups in the
United States. $27.30 (Delmar Publishers, 1994; [800] 347-7707).
Hispanic Books Children's Catalog is offered by Hispanic Books Distributors and
Publishers; (602) 882-9484.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum offers free guidelines, bibliography, and
videography for teaching about the Holocaust. Write to the museum's Resource Center
for Educators, 100 Wallenberg Pl. SW, Washington, DC 20024-2150; (202) 488-6137.
Japanese American Curriculum Project (J.A.C.P.) offers a catalogue of Asian and AsianAmerican books. To order, call (415) 343-9408.
Cooperative Children's Book Center compiles an excellent annual roundup of the best
multicultural books. To order, send a $6 check payable to: Treasurer, Friends of the
CCBC, Inc., Box 5288, Madison, WI 53705.
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First Grade Digital Suitcase: Oral History – created by Sheila Arrington and Terry Meryhew