Introduction

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Chapter 1: Defining Critcal Literacy

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First we must answer the question, what is critical literacy? Randy and Katherine Bomer define the term as "the habits of listening and considering different sides; the ability to collaborate, deliberate, and differ; respect for others as civic equals; a commitment to avoid and resist repression and discrimination; the development of concerned agendas; a deep understanding of the traditions and concepts that create and sustain democracy; and fluency in communicative and democratic processes." Also, Dominic Scott defines critical literacy as "the ability to talk and relate powerfully in ways that help shape one's own destiny."

Now, I don't know about you, but to me, both definitions seem heavy on big words and light on real meaning. A definition of critical literacy that is easier to understand is looking at the world from a social perspective and reacting critically to the many social issues that are so prevalent in and among the world's diverse societies.

There are several critical literacy concepts, many of which are well-known and often talked about and others which are not heard of as often. Following is a list of these critical literacy concepts.

• Groups, such as male/female, rich/poor, or gay/straight (pause)
• Power meaning the group with more power will get its perspective accepted as the "right" way.
• Naturalization, defined as taking things for granted
• Fairness and Justice
• Voice and Silence
• Multiple Perspectives and asking yourself if all sides of a story are allowed to be told
• Representation or showing what people are like
• Gender/Race/Class
• Money and Labor, meaning those who have the money are not always the ones doing the labor.
• Intimate Relationships and Families - Ask yourself, what is the stereotypical family?
• Relationships to Nature which differ among cultural groups
• Violence and Peace, and finally,
• Individualism and Collectivism also known as acting alone or together

Chapter 2: Why is Critical Literacy Important?

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Now that we know the definition of critical literacy and some of its concepts , you may be asking yourself "why should I care about critical literacy as an educator?"

One reason is that critical literacy can be used with any age of student. Kindergartners and first graders are just as able to talk about race, for example, as seniors in high school. There will be a few differences in the depth of conversation and vocabulary, of course, but younger students, as well as older students, will have their opinion about any topic.

Next, critical literacy bridges the gap between the world the student is familiar with and the world that is presented in the text, which may be historically different or geographically different, for example.

Also, and most idealistically of all reasons, having students well versed in critical literacy can help to create better informed adults of the next generation. This in turn will help reduce or even eliminate the multitude of serious social issues.

There are a number of other reasons why critical literacy is important, but I hope these have helped sway you into believing its importance in the classroom. Next, I will demonstrate to you how to build a critical conversation about a text.

Chapter 3: An Example Critical Conversation

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Again, this critical conversation is based on the young adult novel Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson. The two questions posed in this conversation are taken from Randy and Katherine Bomer's textbook about critical literacy in the classroom.

The first question is what are some of the critical issues in Hattie Big Sky? Why do these issues stand out? Use details from the text to explain.
One critical issue is prejudice. Because of World War I, some Germans and German Americans were targets of violent acts or racial comments. Friends of these targeted people also received the same treatment. In Hattie Big Sky, Karl's barn is burned and he is also not welcome in town. When Hattie befriends him, she is talked about and put on the outside by some of the townspeople.
Another issue is that of gender. Hattie, a 16-year-old young woman, is attempting to make it on her own as a homesteader. She does not have a husband, and throughout the text does much of the "man's work" alone or sometimes with a little help from Karl, Chase, or Rooster Jim.
Power is also a critical issue in Hattie Big Sky. The Martins are the rich family of the area around Hattie's homestead claim. Traft and his family wield a lot of power because they have more money than others living in the area.

(Pause for a bit before asking next question)

How does this text make you think about justice in the world?
This text shows me that a lot of the injustice in the world has to do with race and culture. The people in power are usually those of the majority race or culture and they oppress those who are different from themselves.

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Having students answer these and many other questions will get them talking about issues that are generally avoided in the classroom, yet which are very prevalent in the media and the world in which the students are immersed.

Chapter 4: Critical Literacy Activities

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There are a multitude of ways to get students talking about critical issues other than simply asking them the critical quesions. Here I will provide you with four activities that can also incite a critical conversation in the classroom. These activities also use Hattie Big Sky as a source of information and organization.

The first activity is a WOW Graph. Students choose ten to fifteen of what they deem are the most important events of the whole book or section of the book. After choosing these events, the students will rate them on a graph based on how exciting the events were in terms of the plot. Some example ratings include boring, riveting, very exciting, or wow! Some of the events that the students choose lend themselves nicely to a critical conversation.
In Hattie Big Sky, a dramatic event is the burning of Karl and Perilee's barn. Students could talk about this event and discuss how it is or is not an act of racism.

Another activity is known as Living Statue. For this activity, students choose a character from the book and act out the character's main traits. Other students then walk by the statue and talk to or ask questions of the character. Any student acting as Traft Martin, the so-called "bad guy" in Hattie Big Sky, would be sure to get an earful from the rest of the class as they chide him for his hateful acts or as they question him about his less-than-desirable behavior.

The Talk Show activity is similar to the Living Statue activity in that some students are selected to portray the main characters of the book. Another student is selected to be the talk show host. Before the talk show takes place, the class can write questions for the host to ask. This activity is a great way for students to live the book. And ideally, the host should ask questions that bring up some of the critical issues in the text.

An additional activity geared toward students in upper level grades is creating a podcast enacting a critical conversation. Students can answer critical questions, hold discussions about the text, or even hold a talk show interviewing characters from the book.

Conclusion

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