Critical literacy, current events
and the common core
Dr. C. Pescatore
Mrs. M. Korducavich
Traditional view of education
(Paulo Freire)
• Textbooks > facts
• “Knowledge” is absolute
• Teachers: deposit knowledge using drill,
repetition, notetaking and formulaic writing
• Students: passive
• Lecture, not discussion or dialogue
• Domesticating education
Critical Literacy
• Goes beyond functional literacy …
create active members of a democracy
• “Knowledge” > constructed, historical,
cultural
• Evaluate text for power relations, bias,
agenda … the ideas in text are not
absolute, but a reality is being created
• Reveal injustices and inequalities
• Consider social action
Empowering education
Encourages students to question text
Encourages dialogue more than lecture
Co-creates understandings with students
No privileged point of view … all points of
view appreciated and relevant
• Moving beyond reading and writing
• Goal: active citizens of a democracy
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Critical consciousness
• Awakening of an individual to the idea
that knowledge is not absolute, that
inequities exist in society, and that we
should work for social justice
Six Shifts in ELA Literacy
Balancing informational and literary texts
Building knowledge in the disciplines
Staircase of complexity
Text-based answers and rich, rigorous
conversations (rigor)
• Writing from sources
• Academic vocabulary
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Analyzing Nonfiction Articles
• Whose viewpoint is expressed?
• What does the author or text want us to
believe? How can you tell?
• Whose voices are missing or silenced?
• How might alternatives be represented?
• What action might you take as a result?
(McLaughlin & DeVoogd)
“Back Where He Belongs”
(Boy Scout utensil article)
• Diction noticed to determine writer’s tone
 “overly zealous” “overreacted”
 “ inflicting damage”
“painful”
 “handcuffing”
 “hauled off to jail” “minor skirmishes”
 “disproportionate punishments”
 “relieved”
• Repetition of “minor”
• The writer is upset that this happened
• Examples given are food fights and
shoving
But worse things than these occur …
And weapons endanger all
• Need to hear from superintendants,
principals, parents, Zachary, other
students
Develop research skills
• Begin with an article in the news
 examine title
 look closely at diction chosen
 list the examples given
 ask about the bias
Assign the task of finding further articles
on the topic. Then, write from sources.
Genetics and the Black Death
• Activity coordinates with English, social
studies, science
• Satisfies the shifts:
nonfiction
rigor
academic vocabulary
builds knowledge in content area
research further info and write from
sources
What is the common understanding
of the Black Death?
• Social studies text page handout
• Traditionally there is one explanation
for the cause of the Black Death
The Activity …..
• Use article in news Sept. 6, 2012:
“Girl with bubonic plague saved by quickthinking doctor” (ABC News)
• Use article from Dec. 2011:
“Genetic clues to what really caused black
death” (NBC)
the point: what do these articles indicate
about our common understandings?
What really caused the Black
Death?
Send students to do research (in pairs) to
see what they can determine
Pictures are primary sources and can be
clues (pics of all the swollen glands)
Reports can be presented on power points
rather than a paper ……. Include
references
What did we discover?
Can we be definitive about a Black Death
cause?
• This is an example of how our
understandings are historically based
and can lead to bias.
Why does this matter?
• The Genetic Times
 to understand flu
 third world disease
Advantages
• When kids can find evidence that refutes
what is in a textbook, it is empowering.
• Students are very interested in news
items.
• Sometimes they are moved to action.
• All the research can be done in front of
a computer.