Two Books for Black History Month

 

The Kentucky Faith and Public History Education project published the first four high-interest, easy-reader chapter books in its Famous Kentucky Christians Club (FKCC for short) Series in August 2020, making them available for sale on Amazon. They are examples of historical fiction written at a second through fourth grade reading level that are appropriate for elementary and middle school students. Our plan is to release the books in sets of four where one is about a white man, one about a black man, one about a white woman and one about a black woman – with Hispanic and other minority men and women included as we discover their stories. Each book treats the Christian religion factually, using secular, objective, and non-devotional language without minimizing the extent to which the famous Kentuckian valued, prioritized and represented that faith.

Each enjoyable plot that follows the same pattern. There is a state competition for fourth grade students. Each book is about the four kids chosen to submit a team project about the life of a famous Kentucky Christian. Each book follows the team's experience from the time they learn whom they must research until they present their project at the competition. Each team also must navigate a typical classroom problem that reflects a challenge the famous Kentuckian also faced: bullying, getting their feelings hurt, having holey shoes in a snowstorm, being picked last, and being a new kid at school, etc.

The books model the inquiry process at the core of the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies, allotting one chapter for each facet of this process. In chapter one, entitled “Ask Important Questions”, the reader watches as the team learns the name of their famous person. Then the team brainstorms and figures out what they think they already know about the person; what they agree they must learn; and how they plan to divide and do the research to answer their own questions. Chapter two is always called “Hunt For Facts”. The reader follows each team member as they do independent research. Sometimes they use the internet; sometimes they rely on an adult for expertise, sometimes they visit a museum or library and sometimes they read books. Chapter three is always called “Use Proof”. In this chapter the team reconvenes to share what they learned and to figure out how to combine the information in their presentation. Chapter four is always called “Show and Tell”. This takes the reader to the competition where the team members interact with the judges. Each book ends in suspense with the team hoping that their presentation will be the best and that the judges will declare them the first-place winning team. 

There are two historical images in each book. One is a picture of the famous Kentuckian. The other is an archival image from the Library of Congress that expands what is available to be learned and adds an authentic historical element to what can be explored in a classroom discussion. Finally, each book contains a simple glossary and a bibliography.

Are you looking for new material to include in your classroom this Black History Month? New Boots – The Story of Elisha Green (FKCC Book Number 2) and Hurt Feelings – Effie Waller Smith’s Story (FKCC Book Number 4) may be of interest. 

Elisha Green, a pastor and civil rights activist from the nineteenth century, from Paris, Kentucky, has been called the “Rosa Parks of Kentucky”. Effie Waller Smith was a poet and teacher from Pikeville, Kentucky.

©2021 By Lesley Barker