Resources for Educators
Tethered to Other Stars addresses issues of right and wrong in a world of unjust laws, allyship, social justice activism, family relationships, bullying, immigration and more. It also has STEM elements with a particular focus on astronomy.
Mallory In Full Color addresses questions of identity and labels, specifically as it relates to sexuality and gender. Acceptance and inclusion regarding gender roles in reading and books, library programming and personal relationships come up. Social-Emotional themes of people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, honesty and creativity are all included in Mallory’s story.
I have linked to resources that can be used as background for teaching these themes or incorporated into classroom lessons. (For grades 5-8) However, please be aware that we live in a rapidly changing society, with policies continually being pushed forward that may affect education across the United States. Resources linked below may no longer contain the most up-to-date information. Use common sense and judgement to assess the current situation as you present information to your students.
Just for fun!
Which Rooville character are you? Take the quiz!
Media
Tethered to Other Stars Book Trailer Watch the book trailer on YouTube!
Seeds of Freedom- Song about Oscar Romero composed by Joe DeFilippo and performed by the R.J. Phillips Band. Soundcloud.
A Shelter for Edith - (Password: sanctuary) A 25 minute documentary by Noonday Films (Elisa Stone Leahy and her husband, Matthew Leahy) about Edith Espinal who lived in sanctuary in a Columbus, Ohio church for over 3 years to avoid a deportation order from ICE. This is the story that inspired Tethered to Other Stars.
Sanctuary for Edith: Immigration and Solidarity, TEDx, Joel Miller - A talk given by the pastor of Columbus Mennonite Church, about the years Edith spent living in sanctuary at his church and the fight for immigration justice.
Nearpod- Free videos on gender identity and expression for classroom use
ASAPScience- Video on the Science of Being Transgender
Social Studies
Central America
Exploring the Histories of El Salvador and Guatemala through Literature by Justin Sybenga; Teaching Central America, a project of Teaching for Change.
Archbishop Oscar Romero's Assassination Zinn Education Project
Immigration
What's In A Label? Why Words Matter in Immigration Policy Debate interview with Amy Gottlieb, American Friends Service Committee
Article About Edith Espinal and the Sanctuary Movement by Stephanie Russell-Kraft, the New Republic
800,000 Reasons To Teach About Daca (2017) by Grace Cornell Gonzalez, Rethinking Schools
DACA Is In the Supreme Court. How About Your Classroom? (2019) by Cory Collins, Learning for Justice.
What is DACA and Who Are the DREAMers (2022) Anti-Defamation League
DACA Court Update June 2023
NPR Article About Oscar Romero
LGBTQ History
Links for Teaching LGBTQ History created for Californian classrooms
Lesson Plans from ONE Institute
Activism
For All Para Todos- Teaching Immigration Activism in the K-12 Classroom The University of New Mexico, Latin American and Iberian Institute.
Teach Human Rights- Youth Activism American Federation of Teachers
Comics
Center for Cartoon Studies- Making Comics in the Classroom (includes lesson plans!)
Science
Julian Trubin- Resources for teaching parallax- experiments, lesson plans, science fair projects, etc. for K-12
Dr. Wendy Freedman- read about the real-life astronomer
Overview of teaching parallax- the Edvocate
Disorientation Maze- a science activity from Science World (Vancouver, BC) using mirrors to show different perspectives
Modeling the Orbits of Planets- Science activity from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
Further Information for Teachers:
Author Visit Justification Letter: A sample letter written by an Ohio ELA teacher in response to concerns raised by administration regarding inviting an author of an immigration-focused book to their school
Who Can Stay Here? Documentation and citizenship in children’s literature by Grace Cornell; Rethinking Schools.
How to Talk About Immigration in Your Classroom American Friends Service Committee
Reimagining Migration Resources and tools for teaching about immigration and serving immigrant families
Guide to Supporting Immigrant Students and Families Colorín Colorado
MultiCultural Classroom Implementing anti-bias and anti-racist teaching strategies
Learning for Justice Professional development for teachers from Southern Poverty Law Center
How to Teach Kids About Microaggressions Nationwide Children’s Hospital, On Our Sleeves
Best Practices on how to serve LGBTQIA+ students
GLSEN resources for creating an inclusive and affirming curriculum
How Comic Books Can Change the Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher's Perspective