Cultural Text Set
Beyond Magenta
Anchor Text:
Beyond Magenta is a collection of stories from the voices of teens who have transitioned. The authentic storytelling is in some cases accompanied by photographs of the process. This non-fiction set allows for short reading sessions; the book as a whole paints a broad picture of these youth experiences.
Essential Question:
The purpose of this cultural text set is to introduce LGBTQ voices and experiences in the Media Center answering the essential question, "How do stories like or unlike our own guide us towards an empathetic-driven existence?" The Media Center aims to support and champion our students by representing as many experiences as possible. The non-fiction addition will build empathy by exposing the real-life people telling the stories.
Audience:
11th grade English-- all levels. Due to triggering issues of abuse and trauma, this will be best for students in 10th or 11th grade, who can empathize with the voices in the book. The class target is the IB History Class that studies the Stonewall Riots as part of the Internal Assessment (IA).
Justification:
Giving students an opportunity to see the human faces behind the memoirs allows them to experience the power of storytelling.
Format:
Book of short story memoirs, photo essays, poetry
Potential Use:
Teacher led with peer check-in.
Teacher can provide note
Complexity:
Medium | High
Connections to Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
School library Standards for students:
4.1 Read widely and use various media for information, and lifelong learning
AASL Standard I.a.1Inquire: Build new knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying problems, and developing strategies for solving problems. A: Think: Learners display curiosity and initiative by (1)Formulate questions about a curricular topic.
AASL II.D.2Include: Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community.Grow: Learners demonstrate empathy and equity in knowledge building within the global learning community by: (2) Demonstrating interest in other perspectives during learning activities.
Justification:
Sometimes a children's book can present a theme making it seem harmless, usual, and "not a big deal."
"So what, the kid wants to be a mermaid," kids will think. Thus begins the bridge between what students see as "ok" as kids and how those same issues present later in life, still all ok! By adding the elementary level text, students are taken back to the pleasures of storytime and storytelling, and they may feel inspired to embrace this genre of storytelling.
Format:
Text interview with author
Potential Use:
Teacher led (or let a kid interview the teacher, with the teacher role-playing the author).
Complexity:
Medium
Listen
Justification:
This video of Jazz reading her story, with spanish subtitles, gives students an opportunity to see the human face behind a story or novel allows them to experience the power of storytelling. We have the book, "Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen" which I would also include here and suggest. I chose this video of her reading the children's book as a precursor to reading the YA level memoir.
Format:
Video storytime
Potential Use:
Teacher led with peer check-in.
Complexity:
Low
Justification:
Students need to be aware of the effects vocabulary can have when telling a story that is senstitive. Understanding related terms will empower students to feel capable of digesting the issues that arise.
Format:
Handout
Potential Use:
Teacher led with peer activity
Complexity:
Medium
Justification:
As a Stonewall Honor book, and in honor of the 50th anniversary of the event this year, a look at the Stonewall Riots will give insight to the history of this movement.
Format:
Article
Potential Use:
Student led
Complexity:
Medium
Justification:
The power of poetry connects words to emotions as this topic yields plenty of new ones.
Format:
Video
Potential Use:
Student led
Complexity:
Medium
Justification:
Students today are well-versed at "reading" a photo feed, and this will feel much like that. Various photo accompany the storytelling of today's LGBTQ community that spans generations.
Format:
Various photos, text supplements
Potential Use:
Student led as a jigsaw.
Complexity:
Medium
Justification:
This mature content is for the students who genuinely feel ready to explore how storytelling serves to propel the transgender community further towards acceptance a destigmatization.
Format:
Web stories, podcasts
Potential Use:
Peer led with teacher check-in.
Complexity:
high
Investigate:
*** I swear my TV can hear me talk because today I sat down to see that the film "Boys Don't Cry" was on. While the film is 20 years old, I would perhaps include exerpts from it or event lead students to the court case surrounding the murder of Teena Brandon. I'm including this because it was the first piece I thought of when beginning this assignment, but I remembered how disturbing it was. Therefore, it is recommended as excerpt only.
Justification:
Giving students the task of reading a the format of judicial ruling is quite challenging. The switch from the personal memoirs to a court document will challenge students to see how the language of the law represents such injustices that students previously experience through storytelling.
Format:
Court case | Legal document
Potential Use:
Teacher lead with peer activity.
Complexity:
High
