EDTE 776 Educating the African American Student
Curriculum Analysis and Redesign
Kim Person
Title: Starfall - http://www.starfall.com/n/N-info/aboutus.htm
Authors/Creators: Stephen Schutz and Susan Schutz
Copyright Date: 2002
Grade Level: Preschool – 2nd grade, Special Education, English Language
Learners
Starfall is a website that uses systematic phonics and phonemic awareness to
teach reading. I examined the alphabet and vowel sections, and a series of
fiction and nonfiction stories. I chose the picture analysis for the letters and
vowels unit, and the anthology analysis for the sequence of stories. Margaret
Hillert is the author for all stories.
Picture Analysis
The boys and girls used to teach the alphabet and vowels sections are
unnamed. Most of the children were white but there are several African
Americans too. Nonetheless, when African Americans were shown they were at
the forefront. Yet, in the vowel segments the teachers were white and the
students were of color. All depictions were culturally authentic, especially the
hairstyles. Wigs were shown with braids and afros and one little girl had braids
under her hat. The social classes of the children are unknown. There were no
stereotypes noted.
Anthology
The first three stories in this anthology feature an African American family
consisting of a boy and his imaginary dragon friend, mother and father. The
little boy was the main character in all three stories. The family lived in the city in
an apartment building. The building was well kept and the area was clean.
They were dressed neatly. The furniture appeared to be in good shape and
they had a car. Because of these factors, I would say that they were middle
class.
The first story was Happy Mother’s Day. The boy was the main character but the
parents and the dragon played supplementary parts. Celebrating Mother’s
Day is common to most or all cultures. There were no stereotypes found.
In Dragon Goes to the Farm, the family traveled to the country to visit the
grandparents on the farm. People of all cultures can live in the city or on a farm.
The parents and the grandparents were supplementary in their roles. The farm
was not depicted as run down and no stereotypes were noted.
The next story was It’s Earth Day where the father and son helped clean up a
park near their building. People of color and whites were in the background
and assisted with clean up too. Many cultures recognize the importance of
taking care of our Earth.
Come Play with Me is a story about a little girl who lived in rural Mexico on a
sheep farm with her mother, father and other family members. She was the
main character. The child played and pretended like other children and helped
the family work on the farm. The story showed the family living in shabby housing
with rudimentary furnishings. They appeared to be poor, and although people
of all races and cultures can be in the lower socio-economic status, a common
perception of Hispanics are that they have large families that live together and
work hard on farms but still remain poor.
This could easily be seen as a
stereotype.
An Asian little girl was the main character in the story Rainbow, Rainbow. She
lived in the city, possibly in China, with her mother. No other family members are
shown. I would say that this family was also middle class due to their dress,
furnishings and building. The theme was about rainbows and we know that all
people admire the beauty and wonder of a rainbow. A Chinese dragon was
shown also to demonstrate a rainbow of colors. There appeared to be a white
female in the foreground on one page. No stereotypes seen.
Aborigine children and another female were playing along the beach, looking
for sea animals and food, and cleaning up litter in the story At the Beach. The
children were the main characters but other apparent family members were in
the foreground and supplementary also. Many Aborigines today live in the city
but they also live in the outback and still hold to traditional customs such as their
dress. One belief is that they hold natural resources sacred; therefore showing
them on the beach is not a stereotype.
A boy of color, possibly Hispanic, was the main character in the story Things That
Can Go. The child named things in the environment that could go. The setting
was the city, suburbs and rural areas. The first picture showed a house with
overgrown grass in the yard and graffiti on the wall and this could be
considered stereotypical. However, most of the housing and buildings seemed
to be standard and cars in good condition were shown. The mother was in the
foreground in one picture.
Title: Little Golden Picture Dictionary
Author: unknown
Illustrator: Marie DeJohn
Publisher: Western Publishing Company, Inc.
Copyright Date: 1981
Grade Level: Primary
Little Golden Picture Dictionary is part of a well know series of children’s books
entitled Little Golden Books. In the dictionary, each letter in the alphabet is
represented with seven to eight words that have matching pictures and simple
sentences. I choose the picture and language analyses.
Picture Analysis
I counted at least 20 people of color and 49 white people. The race of some
people could not be defined. There were 53 males and 42 females denoted.
Only 45% of the people of color were named, whereas 92% of the white
characters were named. The king and queen as well as the dolls were white.
The roles of dentist, teacher and doctor were white.
The pictures were
culturally authentic and there was a good portrayal of either sex in traditional
roles (the dad is vacuuming and a female is a doctor). The social class of the
individuals could not always be determined, but one can presume that the
teacher was middle class, while the dentist or doctor was upper middle to upper
class, for example.
Language Analysis
The dictionary used nonsexist language throughout. There were no describing
words used and no stereotypes exhibited. Perhaps 4 characters spoke
languages other than English. This could be seen as an asset simply because
there was at least some representation. On the other hand, it could also be
seen as a detriment because children of other cultures need to see more
people that look and sound like them. No differences in how people with other
languages were depicted could be found.
Reflection
Starfall did a fairly good job of being culturally relevant, but the Little Golden
Picture Dictionary left a lot to be desired. In both texts, the use of white teachers
reflects the historical fact that the majority of teachers were and still are white,
and usually female. The representations are symbolic of who is in control and
who is to be controlled in the dominant culture’s educational system.
I did appreciate the fact that in all the Starfall stories there was an interest in
learning by the child, and an element of teaching and nurturing from the parent
or family member. I have learned that a positive parent-child relationship and
family are important contexts in building educational resiliency in students.
Furthurmore, this proved to be a counter narrative to the belief that minority
children typically come from families that are poor, uncaring, devalue
education, and come to school “empty,” needing to be filled with the
knowledge from the accepted system. As a result, educators either don’t
realize that these students arrive at school with their own knowledge that can
be built upon, or they see that knowledge as insignificant. Moreover, just
because a child may come from a difficult situation or a different culture, it
doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the capacity to learn.
Contrary to what some educators believe, we have learned that the content,
curriculum and standards of the current system are not neutral or culture free.
The system reflects the culture of the mainstream instead. This was most obvious
in the Dictionary. While there were some people of color, there were more
whites, and the author either consciously or unconsciously named 92% of the
whites. We know that our names are a part of our identity. What does this say
to our African American students when they look at materials and see few, if
any, people that look like them, with no names yet the white characters are well
represented and named? An African American child could look at this book
and conceivably think that all kings, queens, dolls and professionals are white. If
that were to happen, then the child would be operating from the “single story”
perspective concerning his place in the world. History tells us that most whites
believed that African Americans were intellectually inferior and incapable of
being scholars, yet very capable of being “dull plodders,” so they fed them a
steady diet of compliance. This belief is a hallmark of oppression.
To combat this, the student’s culture should be explored and used in the
curriculum and instruction. Culturally relevant teaching makes a connection
between the students and their everyday lives, and rises above the adverse
effects of the current education structure and allows African American students
to excel but still be African American. They would know that there are people in
their culture who were intelligent, smart and achieved great things too. They
would know that they are equipped to learn and that it is permissible to question
what they are learning. They would understand that what they know through
their culture is just as important as what a white student knows through their
culture. In other words, you can be excellent and be African American too!
Redesign
I chose the Little Golden Picture Dictionary for this part. This lesson is from the
perspective of students with learning disabilities.

I would begin by asking the students if they knew why we used
dictionaries, and why we sometimes use picture dictionaries.

After receiving answers, I would use an overhead projector to review the
pages in the dictionary, while asking probing questions about the dolls,
jobs, kings and queens, and names for example. I would reiterate that
African Americans can be dentists and doctors, kings and queens, and
that dolls can be black, and that African Americans can have unique
names with special meanings.

I would explain to them that you can make different dictionaries with
different words and pictures. I would tell them that since we are always
learning about Africa, as it is our theme, we are going to make a picture
dictionary about Africa.

I would review a track (collection of websites organized in one area) on
Africa and demonstrate and give directions.

The students would work collaboratively in small groups on the computers
to research areas about African king/queens, names, dolls/toys, grown up
jobs, animals, children’s books, family life, food, music/instruments, etc.
Students who are stronger academically will be grouped with those that
require a little more assistance. They will also note at least 3 facts about
each area.

The students would then come together in a large group with the teacher
and share what they’ve learned about their particular areas.

The teacher with the help of the students would compile a dictionary and
give each student a copy. The students would then choose one entry
from one letter and write 1-2 paragraphs. Some may do an oral report or
draw pictures about their entry.
These are examples of entries in the dictionary:
I
Imani is drinking a soda. Imani means “faith.”
Q
The Queen of Sheba is beautiful. You can read about her in the Bible.
T
I like to play with toys. I see a jeep, dolls and something that makes music.
My redesign aligns with the tenants of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in the
following ways:
Teacher believes that all students can succeed (all students were included in the
project and were expected to contribute).
Teacher helps students make connections between their community, national and
global identities (recognizing and incorporating African culture in instruction).
Teacher sees teaching as pulling knowledge out (asking probing questions for critical
thinking; research on Africa; getting facts).
Teacher encourages a community of learners/encourages students to work
collaboratively, teach each other and be responsible for each other (cooperative
learning in small groups; assisting each other as needed; helping teacher compile
dictionary).
Knowledge is continuously recreated, recycled, and shared by teachers and students;
not static (creating dictionary; sharing information with teacher and other students).
Knowledge is viewed critically (giving students the opportunity to think and respond to
the norm; helping them to see that it is ok to question what they are being exposed to;
providing a counter narrative).
Teacher is passionate about content (Africa chosen as theme).
Teacher helps student develop necessary skills (through research, computer use,
critical thinking and writing).
Teacher sees excellence as a complex standard that may involve some postulates but
takes student diversity and individual differences into account (grouping of students;
allowing for multiple ways of expression in the writing assignment).
Culturally relevant teaching helps students see that great things can come from
African Americans. Culture matters.