Learning and Teaching Literature with the Arts for Social Justice

The text invites pre-service teachers to explore arts-informed practices that showcase the transformative potential of literature in the classroom, inspiring students to love literature and foster literary and artful encounters that provoke their thinking and sense-making. It includes engaging pedagogical features and additional resources for instruction.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Introduction:
This text invites pre-service teachers to explore arts-informed practices that showcase the transformative potential of literature in the classroom. Through the lens of stories-we-live-by, the authors recognize literature as an agent of interference, capable of disrupting the habitual patterns through which we interpret the world in order to reawaken the capacity of students and teachers alike to change. Chapters are designed to inspire students' love of literature by fostering literary and artful encounters that provoke their thinking and sense-making. Each chapter includes engaging pedagogical features that spark thinking and analysis of literature and invite readers to further engagement. The appendices include directions for instruction as well as additional resources.

Chapter 1:
In this chapter, the authors introduce the concept of stories-we-live-by, which refers to the stories that shape our lives and influence our beliefs, values, and attitudes. They argue that literature is a powerful tool for disrupting these stories and creating new ones that promote empathy, understanding, and social justice. The authors provide examples of literary works that have had a significant impact on society, such as The Hunger Games, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Color Purple.

Chapter 2:
In this chapter, the authors explore the role of art in promoting literary engagement and understanding. They discuss the use of visual learning analyses, visual-verbal journals, drama, soundscapes, poetry, and other artistic forms to engage students and promote critical thinking and analysis of literature. The authors provide examples of how these practices have been used in the classroom to promote student engagement and understanding of complex literary works.

Chapter 3:
In this chapter, the authors discuss the importance of fostering a love of literature in students. They argue that by encouraging students to engage with literature in a variety of ways, such as through reading, writing, discussion, and performance, they can develop a lifelong love of learning and a sense of belonging. The authors provide examples of how teachers can foster a love of literature in their students, such as through book clubs
discussions, writing prompts
prompts, and performance
prompts.

Chapter 4:
In this chapter, the authors discuss the role of social justice in promoting literary engagement and understanding. They argue that literature can be a powerful tool for promoting social justice and challenging dominant narratives and power structures. The authors provide examples of how teachers can use literature to promote social justice in their classrooms, such as through literature circles.

Chapter 5:
In this chapter, the authors discuss the importance of self-awareness in promoting literary engagement and understanding. They argue that by encouraging students to reflect on their own experiences and identities, they can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. The authors provide examples of how teachers can use literature to promote self-awareness in their students, such as through literature.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this text provides pre-service teachers with a wealth of ideas and practices for promoting literary engagement and understanding in their classrooms. By exploring arts-informed practices that showcase the transformative potential of literature, the authors hope to inspire students to develop a lifelong love of learning and a sense of belonging. Through the use of visual learning analyses, visual-verbal journals, drama, soundscapes, poetry, and other artistic forms, teachers can foster a love of literature in their students and promote critical thinking and analysis of literature. Additionally, by promoting social justice and self-awareness, teachers can help students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. This text is an essential resource for courses on childrens and adolescent literature and English methods, and pre-service teachers will come away with plenty of text recommendations and arts- and social justice-informed practices to use with their future students.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032045740