annaeap's review
4.0
This informational book provides an overview of the rights guaranteed to us as citizens in the U.S. Constitution. The illustrations are similar to the style of political cartoons and colorfully and clearly depict people throughout U.S. history in various scenarios (such as protesting and voting). The text on each page is broken up with smaller boxes that include more specific information, such as information about a particular individual situated within the broader theme. The book makes a strong effort in being representative—for example, Shamir acknowledges the hypocrisy of Thomas Jefferson penning the Declaration of Independence while himself owning slaves. It tackles hard questions, such as, “Slavery is the opposite of freedom. How did it exist here in America?” The book can serve as an important precursor for students to understand the historical context of freedoms and rights in the U.S.
Using the book for teaching/learning:
-Enforce the idea of an amendable Constitution to our classroom; revisit our classroom rules/norms every month or so (whatever pace seems appropriate for the particular group) to see whether a guideline or rule needs to be added or amended.
-The author includes a timeline at the back of the book. Use that timeline and the information from the book to make your own timeline of events, fleshed out with more details (and incorporate events from other books in this unit).
-We could make a giant timeline as a whole class, adding events to it as we read through various texts.
Considerations for use with dual-language learners (DLLs): This book is text-heavy for emerging DLLs, so I would be sure to provide visual aids such as timelines to help with the U.S. history. The book provides representation and acknowledgment of the immigrant experience; there is a section “How do people become American citizens and get freedoms and rights like the right to vote?”. As another example, the section on religious freedom shows people from different religions with many different kinds of head coverings. Some topics should be approached sensitively with undocumented students; for example, the book has a box encouraging children to register to vote when they turn 18, adding, “If you were born in another country, will you try to become a U.S. citizen?” For some families, citizenship can be fraught.
Using the book for teaching/learning:
-Enforce the idea of an amendable Constitution to our classroom; revisit our classroom rules/norms every month or so (whatever pace seems appropriate for the particular group) to see whether a guideline or rule needs to be added or amended.
-The author includes a timeline at the back of the book. Use that timeline and the information from the book to make your own timeline of events, fleshed out with more details (and incorporate events from other books in this unit).
-We could make a giant timeline as a whole class, adding events to it as we read through various texts.
Considerations for use with dual-language learners (DLLs): This book is text-heavy for emerging DLLs, so I would be sure to provide visual aids such as timelines to help with the U.S. history. The book provides representation and acknowledgment of the immigrant experience; there is a section “How do people become American citizens and get freedoms and rights like the right to vote?”. As another example, the section on religious freedom shows people from different religions with many different kinds of head coverings. Some topics should be approached sensitively with undocumented students; for example, the book has a box encouraging children to register to vote when they turn 18, adding, “If you were born in another country, will you try to become a U.S. citizen?” For some families, citizenship can be fraught.
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
5.0
What’s the Big Deal About Freedom is a timely take on American history in a fun, conversational tone that makes it readable and relatable to kids. This chapter book focuses on the formation of the United States as a free country, while also teaching and taking ownership of unsavory topics like racism, slavery, and inequality. Embracing diversity and the melting pot model, this is a great book for kids who want to learn about the past in order to better understand the present.
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