Supporting Diversity and Inclusion with Story: Authentic Folktales and Discussion Guides - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1440867070 ISBN 13: 9781440867071

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited, 2020

Synopsis

Today's increasingly interconnected and globalized world demands that students be taught to appreciate human diversity and recognize universally held values and beliefs. Authentic, culturally based folktales can lay the foundation for this cultural understanding.

Professional storytellers like editors Sherry Norfolk and Lyn Ford are deeply committed to bringing people together through story. In this book, they have identified a group of culturally diverse storytellers whose carefully researched tales authentically reflect the cultures from which they come. The book includes well-crafted, culturally authentic folktales contributed by storytellers of varying cultures and ethnicities. Commentaries from the contributors follow each tale, reflecting on the story and its significance to the culture it represents. Sets of questions for teachers and librarians also accompany each story to facilitate discussion.

Teachers, librarians, and information specialists find that stories engage students' attention and empathy. The commentaries provide insights into the significance of cultural norms, customs, and beliefs represented in the story, and the discussion questions and guides help them drill down with students to achieve deeper understanding. Resource lists of additional relevant materials at the end of each section promote continued learning.

About this title

About the Author

Lyn Ford is an internationally recognized storyteller and a teaching artist for the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and the Kennedy Center's Ohio State-Based Collaborative Initiative.

Sherry Norfolk, an award-winning storyteller, author, and teaching artist, performs and presents nationally and internationally.

Reviews

This excellent folktale collection for librarians, teachers, and storytellers is based on Ford and Norfolk's conviction that "folktales have the power to break down barriers." Young people gain strength and self-regard in seeing their own culture reflected in stories, insight in hearing the folktales of other cultures, and empathy in learning about the shared values and interests one finds in stories from diverse cultures. The entries were contributed by some of the finest storytellers living in the United States and reflect the cultures and regions with which these tellers identify-Native American, Asian, Pacific Ocean, Appalachian, Latin American, and the myriad experiences of the African diaspora. Each teller offers information on the story's cultural context and suggestions for discussion. It often seems questionable to generalize about a culture from a particular story; one can so easily find one's own stereotypes. Because the contributors to this collection are #OwnVoices storytellers, however, one here finds valuable insight into the ways the stories reflect their cultures' values. Some of the stories are well known; others less so. Because these versions have been honed by superb storytellers, they work beautifully when told or read aloud. The editors recommend the work for those working with late elementary through high school students, although a number of the stories are suitable for younger people as well. VERDICT A helpful resource for those already sharing folktales with young people, and an enticing collection for those who need convincing of the value of these stories.-Rita Auerbach, New Yorkα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1440867070
• ISBN 13: 9781440867071
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 146
• Editor: Ford Lyn, Norfolk Sherry