Slice of Life: Taking the Dr. Seuss Debate to the Students #SOL21
Last week I wrote a blog post about Dr. Seuss that sparked strong emotions and debate. This debate went on for days in the comments thread. Facts, resources, evidence, and opinions were shared, considered, and rejected. Now, I clearly agreed or disagreed with many people in this thread, but before I replied to anyone, I spent time reading, considering, and fact checking. A few comments, one example below, pushed me to reflect as a writer, to reread my post, and to reconsider my words.
At first, I was confused by these comments about my lead. My lead was a snapshot of my mom. How was I attacking? Then I realized they were referencing the blurb I put on social media to introduce my blog post, not the lead of the post itself.
So much to think about here. Do I think about the wording of my social media lead? Was I intentional in my wording of the social media lead? Did I purposefully make it different from the lead of my blog post? It made me realize I don’t think as much about the social media lead as the lead of my blog post itself and I have never taught or shared this aspect of writing on-line with students. Many students are already blogging or vlogging in elementary school. Over the past year, they have also started writing “leads” for what they are posting on Padlet, Jamboard, and Flipgrid. Do they think about the words they use to introduce the work they are posting? Do they view it as a lead? Do they think about their audience and purpose?
Sara K. Ahmed taught me the importance of recognizing, “that the world is handing us a curriculum” every day and it is my job to teach it. So, I went for it! Many of the teachers I am collaborating with are teaching an opinion unit of study. This past week, the debate about Dr. Seuss has been a real issue happening in our world. So I decided to use my experience with my blog to discuss opinion leads with students. I shared my blog post and my social media lead with them. I ask them if they would be my readers and give me their thoughts about three different leads I crafted in response to the feedback I received. We revisited some craft moves we learned about opinion leads.
An opinion lead may:
· Start with a big, bold, opinion
· Ask a question
· Say something surprising
· Explain why the topic matters
· Say your position loud and clear
· Start with a mini-story
· Start with what people need to know
I asked them to read my post, my three leads and let me know which they prefer and why.
Here are the three leads I shared with them for the social media blurb:
1) Dr. Seuss was racist. We need to change. Our students deserve better.
2) NEA changed the format of Read Across America, here are some great resources that align with it and are more relevant to our current times.
3) Did you know that researchers have revealed that many of Dr. Seuss’ books have images that negatively stereotype BIPOC and people from other marginalized groups? These books are still being read in many classroom libraries and homes.
I sent them off in their book club groups to read, discuss, consider and advise. Here’s some representational quotes from the feedback I received from eight classes this week:
Lead # 1:
“If you’re not afraid to take on the debate this is the lead. It is big and bold. It explains why the topic matters. It is loud and clear.”
“Your big idea is that the books need to be used differently and not required. We think that idea needs a big beginning. If you want people to change you need to hook them right away. This lead does that.”
“Who are you attacking? Racists? Anyone who feels attacked by this lead, deserves it. People should want to know more. People should want to make sure they are not promoting racist texts to students.”
“You give your reason right out front. It is not about what you think, it is about what is. You did not attack anyone, you stated the facts.”
“This one made us want to know more. We love Dr. Seuss. This lead made it seem like we had to find out more.”
“Yes, it was bold, but we think that was your purpose in writing this. You probably did upset people. If you didn’t want that you should change it. If you want them to know you don’t accept reading racist texts to students without helping them understand the issue, then this is the best lead.”
Lead # 2:
“This kind of explains why the topic matters, but not in a convincing way.”
“We don’t understand what this means. It is not big, bold or surprising. It doesn’t hook us.”
“It doesn’t tell why it matters. This one needs more explanation.”
“We didn’t know what this would be about. If this lead is supposed to get people to read your post – it won’t work.”
“It is not strong. This is our least favorite. It doesn’t really say anything.”
“This doesn’t make your post sound important - -we’re not hooked.”
“This should be the hook to your hook. It is not clear or surprising.”
Lead # 3
“It is not as bold as #1, but it does ask a question and explain why the topic matters.”
“It is surprising, and you ask a question. It does catch our attention and make us want to read the post.”
“It is a question, but it is really long. We might lose interest and stop reading.”
“#3 seems like a gentler way to say #1. It is not bold or big, but it is stronger than #2.”
“This one starts with a question to hook. It also explains why it matters.”
“#3 is not as strong as #1, but it does surprise and explain why it matters.”
Each class shared the feedback and their preferences with me. There was not one group that preferred lead #2. Most classes debated between #1 and #3. They believed both set the piece up well but left the reader with a different feeling. Some felt #1 was more factual and direct. Some groups thought #3 might make people feel badly if they didn’t know Dr. Seuss’ books were racist. Six classes picked #1, #3 and #2 in order of choice. Two classes picked #3, #1, and #2 in order of choice.
We always tell students that every writer needs a reader to help them revise their writing, but ultimately the decision to revise is in the hands of the writer. I decided not to revise the lead I put on social media. In retrospect, it was my intention to put the word racist in the first sentence. It was my intention to write Dr. Suess was racist rather, Dr. Suess a was racist. I wanted it to move beyond the individual to the works that are in the hands of children. It was my intention to be short, direct, and bold by writing we must change. It was my intention to center the students in my lead. It was also my intention to contrast the tone of my lead on social media and the lead of the blog post itself. I know I can always lift the quality of my writing, but this time I decided to stick with my original (at least for today).
I appreciate educators who welcome me into their classrooms and partner with me in teaching their students how to read and write critically. The strategies, craft moves and revision process we used were right from their writing curricular tool. We did not have to “add” this lesson or put this lesson somewhere else in the day. We just chose to use the world as the issue to debate rather than the prompt provided in the unit of study. This allowed us to teach the writing and reading skills in the standards while helping the students navigate a current, relevant topic. It provided a platform to inform these students of the history, the images, and the research that shows why these images are racist. Students learned critical reading strategies that they can apply to any text they read in the future. Students were highly engaged, curious, and candid in their conversations. I appreciate those words from Sara K. Ahmed. We don’t have time in an elementary schedule to add anything and we shouldn’t. We need to bring the work of social comprehension and justice into the work we do every day.
(This post was drafted using speech to text and an ergonomic keyboard that makes typing possible with two broken arms.)
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