Negotiating Critical Literacies With Young Children

By Vivian Maria Vasquez

Chapter 5Save the Beluga

Page 113

Read “Setting the Scene” Pg. 113

“Student engagement is the product of motivation and active learning. It is a product rather than a sum because it will not

occur if either element is missing.” ― Elizabeth F. Barkley, Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty

Discuss - How old do you need to be for Critical Literacy?

• Baby Beluga by Raffi

In your group read the newspaper article.Create a list of words to describe how the whales were portrayed in the articles. Compare the set of words from the song to the

words from the article to see how whales were presented in each text.

Write your own Beluga Whales Song!

• On chart paper write your own version of the song to come up with a more accurate representation of whales in the St. Lawrence referring to your own list of words

• Think about the message you want to convey

Rehearse singing your songand share!

What did the teacher do?Chart Representing Issues on our Audit Trail

Issue(s) Context CurricularEngagements

Action(s) Other IssuesGenerated

Save the belugas and animal rights

Since having engaged in inquiry regarding rain forests, other environmental issues became of interest to the children. One day during class meeting one of the children reported a story she heard on the evening news regarding the plight of the beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River. She learned that pollution was causing the whales to die off.

∙Problemizing the text “Baby Beluga” and thinking about how it could be otherwise.

∙Recreating/rewriting stories that offer another perspective. ∙Rewrote the “Baby Beluga” Song by Raffi.

∙Save the belugas store: Money made was sent to World Wildlife Fund of Canada.

∙Animal rights.∙Endangered species ∙Responsibility and citizenry.