Jenn Rose

Professor Terpstra and Professor Westbrook

Education 302
10 September, 2018

Professional Literature Summary

Using Children’s Books as a Social Studies Curriculum Strategy is a journal article that
suggests the use of children’s books as a means to address social and cultural issues and ideas
to younger children. The article lays out reasons why this is a wise curricular choice as well as
how it should be implemented. She addresses topics of social justice and fairness and then goes
on to explain how intentional the process of choosing books needs to be. The author argues
that the curricular benefits of using children’s books in a social studies context is that they
“offer windows into worlds that may reflect children’s experiences and insights about people
and places around the globe (Meléndez, 2015, p.49). She explains that because of a child’s
maturity level at this age, children’s books are best suited for helping them develop personal
connections with important social studies topics.
The author’s intended audience are likely preschool-3rd grade social studies teachers.
How to go about teaching sensitive subjects with young children is a tough question that I
hadn’t given much thought to yet. Going into the field of elementary education requires facing
questions like this, and this article did a very good job at clearly addressing the issue and
providing tangible steps on how it can be implemented. Obviously shoving a social studies
textbook in the face of a 2nd grader is not the wisest curricular choice. One important thing that
I learned from Education 340 is that children connect with literature, and if I can apply that to
every single subject field in my classroom, I think I will see results in children’s understanding
level and emotional response. In response to Meléndez’s approach to choosing the literature, I
would have never thought it would be such an intentional process. I am not much of a detail
oriented person, but that will have to change in this case. This literary decision affects the
values that I will be instilling in my students and their own self-identity.
 I found a great content article by Cheryse Hooste. It is a lesson planned designed for first
graders and teaches about families. The lesson is titled “Different Types of Families.” The entire
unit of study is guided by the book “All Kinds of Families” by Norma Simon. A summary of the
book written by Hooste goes, “this is a great book that talks about and has pictures of what a
family is, different kinds of families around the world, families without a dad or a mom,
traditional families, families of people who may not be biologically related, but who live with
you, feelings families that many families have, old, young or extended families. It includes the
many different family types that your own students may have” (Hooste). Along with this book,
students will also be asked to illustrate their own family and discuss what is important to them
about them. Then in response to their classmates’ illustrations and the book that they read they
should be able to identify ways in which their family is different from others.
The purpose of this lesson plan is to provide a clear vision and plan for a first grade
teacher, teaching on the topic of family. Hooste, just like Meléndez, is an advocate for using
literature in the classroom to support class discussion. This lesson plan has definitely cleared up
my understanding of the expectations for this grade of learners. I appreciate the simplicity and
repetition in this lesson plan. The same material is reinforced over and over again by means of a
book, a discussion, and an activity. I especially think that a book as a reference point for
discussion and learning is very wise pedagogical tool. Looking at this lesson plan alongside the
summary of the book, I can see how useful it would be in engaging students and deepening
their understanding. Instead of just laying out facts and information to a student, a book allows
for interactive learning through discussion and questions.
 References
Meléndez, L. (2015). Preschool Through Grade 3: Using Children's Books as a Social Studies
Curriculum Strategy. YC Young Children, 70(3), 48-53.

Hooste, C. (n.d.). Lesson Plan - Opening Doors To Social Studies With ... Retrieved from
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnesliterature/bowdenmb/bowdenm
b._____html