Dear Classroom Teacher,
I know sometimes it is hard to teach to your students how everyone is different and why it is okay to be different without stepping on any toes but today I have made you a reading ladder with ten books that can be very beneficial for your classroom to use when touching on the subject of racial diversity. I remember when I was in elementary school and I was always so curious of why some of my classmates had brown skin. At such a young age it is hard to know what boundaries are and why some questions are just not asked in a school setting. But one day my third grade teacher made it very clear to me how their are different cultures, races, and religions in our world and that was okay. She read my class a book called “Its Okay To Be Different” which I have put on the reading ladder for you.
Teaching your students about racial diversity is so important today because bullying has become a major problem in our school systems today. I am very against bullying and as a future teacher my goal is to stop it all over. Students don’t understand how their actions can affect a child leading to suicide and dropping out of school. One of the picture books I chose is called “Same, Same But Different” and this one is my favorite. It shows students how just because were different were all the same at heart. Everyone should be treated equal no matter their appearance. The theme of my ladder is Racial Diversity but that doesn’t mean it only relies on that. You could go into different cultures, different deformities, and even diffrerent sexualities.
A great book that I think will stand out to students on my reading ladder is the graphic novel called “March: Book One”. This book is about our history and how we have over come racism and segregation. It brings up Martin Luther King Jr and his movements to end segregation in school systems. From this students can realize how grateful we are for past heroes and that we should take pride in our freedom and country. The illustrations in this book are engaging and speak a message to any and all readers.
The reading ladder I created can help you in your classroom today and educate your children to become better people of the country. As teachers we must try our best to open their eyes and give them knowledge of equality which all ten of my books will demonstrate.