Banned Books (Bourassa)

Your Job

Day One

• • Sign up for banned books on the spreadsheet when directed to do so

    • A Block Sign Up

    • B Block Sign Up

  • Research each of your books using the resources in this pathfinder

  • Open the class Padlet wall

  • A Block Padlet

  • B Block Padlet

  • Make one note on the Padlet for each book including:

    • Title of the book and your name (first name and last initial)

  • 1-2 well-developed, original sentences summarizing what the book is about

    • 1-2 well-developed, original sentences summarizing on what grounds the book has been banned or challenged

    • Add the cover of the book (use one if a series)

      • Look it up on Goodreads.com

      • Right click on the cover and select Copy Link Location

      • Click the link icon on your Padlet post and copy it in

  • Cite your sources on the sign-in spreadsheet (or as directed)

Day Two

• • Your task is synthesis: visually organize the books according to the various reasons books are banned, looking for common themes, patterns, etc.

  • You have a choice of platforms and tools

  • Popplet

  • Google Drawings

    • Explain Everything (ask for an iPad)

    • Paper

    • Something else

  • Share out and reflection

Recommended Websites

What's the difference between banned and challenged books? Start here:

• About Banned & Challenged Books (ALA)

Banned book resources from the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom:

• 30 Years of Liberating Literature Timeline

• Banned/Challenged Classics

• Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books Lists

• 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books by Decade

• Most Frequently Challenged Authors pages of the 21st Century

• Extended List of Books Banned or Challenged

Bibliography of books books challenged, restricted, removed, or banned each year. This list is great for browsing:

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2014-2015

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2013-2014 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2012-2013 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2011-2012 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2010-2011 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2009-2010 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2008-2009 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2007-2008 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2006-2007 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2005-2006 (PDF)

• Books Challenged and/or Banned - 2004-2005 (PDF)

Tip: Want to SEARCH this kind of content? Try a domain search on Google, which limits results to specific websites or domains. For example, try this:

"perks of being a wallflower" banned site:ala.org

Putting the name of the book in quotation marks will get you that exact phrase and you'll only get results from www.ala.org. Then try the same thing with www.ila.org, since these lists are hosted by both organizations.

Recommended Databases

Reminder: Download database passwords here or get them from library staff.

• • Books and Authors (Gale)

  • Search by title for brief summaries, awards, and reviews. Great source for more popular works, too. Tip: Pay attention to the source of the reviews.

  • Artemis Literary Sources (Gale)

  • Literary criticism, reviews and news, and more. Tip: Search by Name of Work under Advanced Search to get fewer, more precise results.

  • General OneFile (Gale)

  • This periodical database is a good place to look for newspapers and magazine articles on possible challenges to your book as well as additional reviews. Tip: Put quotation marks around your title to search for that exact phrase.

Recommended Books

Check our library catalog for banned books, as well as works on the author and other related works. This one is a little dated but solid:

• • Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books (2015)

• Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries (2002)

Search Tips

Use quotation marks to find complete phrases, especially proper names and titles.

"hunger games" or "of mice and men"

Combine keywords to get articles that match each of your important concepts.

vonnegut AND banned

mark twain AND challenge*

Note: In most of our databases, the asterisk means to include challenge, challenges, challenged, etc. This is called truncation.

Use a domain search to find your book title on specific websites.

"tango makes three" site:http://www.ila.org/BannedBooks/

"gossip girl" site:ala.org

Check your spelling. If you don't find anything on your topic, sloppy spelling may be to blame!

Citing Sources & Academic Integrity

Why cite sources? In addition to avoiding the severe consequences of plagiarism, you cite sources to increase your own credibility, and because you are participating in an ongoing scholarly conversation. It is important for your readers to be able to follow your sources, so they can enter into the dialogue as well.

For this assignment, use your subscription EasyBib account through your Spyponders email address, which will give you access to paid features.

Go to EasyBib.com, click Register and the red Google icon to log on with your Spyponders account. You will always use this button to log on.

You will know you have access to the paid subscription features when you see the PRO and FOR INSTITUTIONS blue badges at the top of your screen. If you are missing these badges, ask the librarian for our coupon code!

Other resources for citation:

• Arlington High School Research Handbook

  • Created by Arlington High School teachers for Arlington High School students, this guide explains the research process and what will be expected of you.

Did You Know?

Did you know Arlington Public Schools has policies for handling book challenges? Now you do!

• Procedures for Handling Challenges

• Reconsideration of Instructional Resources

• Materials Selection Policy