New York City School Library System
Exploratorium – May 14, 2013
Office of Library Services
NYC Department of Education
Title: Opening Global Horizons for Students through Collaboration with the Jane
Addams Peace Association
Audience level: All
Presenter:
Alla Umanskaya
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Walt Whitman MS 246
72 Veronica Place
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Library Web site: www.ms246library.org
E-mail:_aumanskaya@schools.nyc.gov
Description, Goals, Intended Outcomes:
The Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards are presented annually by the Women’s International
League for Peace and Freedom and the Jane Addams Peace Association (JAPA). The awards are
given to the authors of children’s books published in the preceding year. In addition to a high
literary and artistic quality, the awarded books “effectively promote the cause of peace, social
justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races.” Walt Whitman Middle School
Library has established a partnership with the Jane Addams Peace Association. Our students are
invited to participate in the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Ceremony. The Ceremony takes
place on the United Nations campus where the Jane Addams Peace Association’s headquarters is
located. Prior to this event, our students are engaged in studying awarded books and learning about
Jane Addams’ legacy as well as about the United Nations and its missions. This presentation shares
how one event outside of school can form productive partnerships and teach students to identify
historical and contemporary global issues that are raised in the awarded books. The presentation is
aimed at promoting awarded and nominated books as valuable sources in developing social
awareness and forming opinions in our students. The purpose of the program itself is to instill in
our students a belief that literature and other art forms can influence the world we live in, and make
it better.
Process to Develop and Implement this Project:
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The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards winners are announced in April.
Librarian purchases and promotes awarded books.
Students learn and discuss each criterion of the Jane Addams Book Award. Vocabulary and
terminology learning. Kids are engaged in creating visual symbols for each criterion. The results will
be seen on a tri-fold display.
There is a designated area in the library for the Jane Addams Children's Books and a doll "Jane
Addams.”
A buzz about an upcoming Book Award Ceremony in the United Nations goes around the school and
generates student interest and curiosity.
The school librarian launches a long-term program to prepare students who choose to participate in
the ceremony. We study awarded books along with biographies of the writers and illustrators.
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Reaching Common Core State Standards, we explore themes and topics in depth using the non-fiction
collection as well as resources from databases. For instance, last year two books on Japanese
Americans and internment camps (The Mangrove Tree and Sylvia and Aki) were given the Jane
Addams awards. The librarian enhanced the library collection on this topic and used the
MyLibraryNYC pilot program to have adequate resources for student learning,
We attend the Annual Award Ceremony at the United Nations. Our students are treated as VIP
guests. They are given a free book, meet writers and illustrators, and have their books autographed.
After the Ceremony, the learning takes a new turn. We invite the authors we met in JAPA or we
arrange Skype sessions with them.
As reflections and assessments, students produce creative projects such as Public Service
Announcements, letters, and book trailers. The presenter shares students’ creative work with the
audience along with assessments that correlate with the Common Core Standards. JAPA's website
with our students' photo is shown as well.
Budget: The project doesn’t require special funding. However, I place some monetary allocation
aside to purchase books in April-May after the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards are announced.
Timeline: It is a year-round program. A new spiral starts in April when awards are announced and
books arrive in the library. The Award Ceremony in October culminates the reading and learning.
Being inspired by meeting with authors and illustrators as well as by warm acceptance, students
work on reflections and reader response activities.
Evidence of Outcomes:
The books selected by the Jane Addams committee have become a first source for my students to
be introduced to the history of the Vietnam War, Japanese Americans’ relocation during World War
II, scientific treasures of mangrove trees, the civil war in Sudan and many other topics.
Pre-assessment showed that none of my students had a clear picture about United Nations and its
mission. The students had only heard about this organization, but did not know details. The fact that
students were able to make connections between the United Nations’ mission and children’s books
recognized by the Jane Addams Peace Association is the evidence of learning and understanding.
Going on a trip to the United Nations and participating in the Jane Addams Award Ceremony is a
strong motivation for students to be well-prepared and be selected. Therefore, more than fifty
students read books prior to the Award Ceremony. They also learn Jane Addams’ biography and
explore the United Nations’ presence online. They develop a habit to visit the United Nations’
website periodically and inform others on events that happen there. Actually meeting Dr. Gordon
Sato, who was a hero of one of the awarded books (“The Mangrove Tree” by Susan Roth and Cindy
Trumbore), has inspired my students to find information on Manzanar camp where he spent his
childhood and write touching letters to this scientist who is a pioneer of our days in conquering
world hunger. Even though some awarded books are attributed by their publishers as works of
fiction, all of them are based on real historical events and strong research. Listening to the authors’
comments has helped our students understand what was fictional and what was realistic in the
awarded books.
Lessons Learned:
Through studying the winning books and communicating with their authors and heroes, and later
exploring themes reflected in the awarded books, our kids had a wider exposure to the world in
local and global contexts. Our students’ active participation in the Jane Addams Children’s Book
Award Ceremony generated their interest in global and social issues. The common statement that a
written and a spoken word have power to change the world has become alive to my students!
Possible Adaptations:
The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Ceremony is free and available to everyone. However, it is
understandable that the schedule (2:30 pm) won’t permit many schools to bring students to the
event. The awarded books deserve to be introduced and taught to our students. The Awards are
given in two categories: for younger children and for older readers. Taking into consideration a
range of themes and a kaleidoscope of countries reflected in the books, I would offer this project to
students of all ages.
Common Core State Standard(s) addressed: Speaking and Listening; Integrating Knowledge and
Ideas.
SL. 6.2: Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
SL. 6:4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by
using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized
reference materials, as appropriate..
SL. 7.5: Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and
findings and emphasize salient points.
WR. 7.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
WR. 7.5: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
Information Fluency Continuum (IFC) Skill(s) addressed:
 Students create and share reading experiences and respond in a variety of ways and formats.
 Students read independently.
 Students respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.
 Students use technology and digital media strategically and capably.
 Students develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting,
or trying a new approach.
 Students use technology, including the Internet, to produce writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.
 Students follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define
individual roles as needed.
Skill(s) taught:
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Communication skills ( interviewing writers, illustrators and members of the Jane Addams Book
Award Committee)
Higher-level critical thinking skills (finding connections between awarded books and the United
Nations mission)
Presentation skills (public service announcement on Dr. Sato’s mission)
Writing skills (writing letters to Dr. Sato and authors)
Technology skills (video book talks, video click with public service announcement)
Writer’s purpose
Points of view
Resources Used:
 The books awarded by the Jane Addams Peace Association in 2012 and 2013.
 The Jane Addams Peace Association’s website (www.japa.org) that features our students.