[Note: For a chronological and comprehensive list of links to AICL's coverage of the shut-down of the Mexican American Studies Department at Tucson Unified School District, go here. To go right to information about the National Mexican American Studies Teach-in, go here.]
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At 8:00 AM, Mountain Standard Time, teachers who taught in the Mexican American Studies Department held a press conference where they read aloud the statement below. It is signed by national educational associations such as the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the International Reading Association (IRA):
STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION TO BOOK CENSORSHIP
IN THE TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
January 30, 2012
The undersigned organizations are committed toprotecting free speech and intellectual freedom. We write to express our deepconcern about the removal of books used in the Mexican-American Studies Programin the Tucson Unified School District. This occurred in response to adetermination by Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthalthat the program “contained content promoting resentment toward a race or classof people” and that “materials repeatedly reference white people as being‘oppressors….’ in violation of state law.” The books have been boxed up and putin storage; their fate and that of the program remain in limbo.
The First Amendment is grounded on the fundamentalrule that government officials, including public school administrators, may notsuppress “an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive ordisagreeable.” School officials have a great deal of authority and discretionto determine the curriculum, the subject of courses, and even methods ofinstruction. They are restrained only by the constitutional obligation to basetheir decisions on sound educational grounds, and not on ideology or politicalor other personal beliefs. Thus, school officials are free to debate the meritsof any educational program, but that debate does not justify the wholesaleremoval of books, especially when the avowed purpose is to suppress unwelcomeinformation and viewpoints.
School officials have insisted that the bookshaven’t been banned because they are still available in school libraries. It isirrelevant that the books are available in the library – or at the localbookstore. School off
Social Education, the official journal of the
National Council for Social Studies, recently published a lesson plan on Starbucks. The lesson plan is great, as it analyzes American culture and consumerism through an analysis of Starbucks. It also inspired me to think of an interdisciplinary project that social studies and science teachers could co-teach on Ethos water.
Ethos water is owned by Starbucks and sold in their stores. Branding itself as a responsible company, Ethos claims its mission is to help bring clean drinking water to children throughout the world. A 20-ounce bottle of Ethos water costs $1.80. Out of the $1.80 paid for each bottle of Ethos water, Starbucks will donate $.05 toward their mission. According to the article in
Social Education, “they are charging customers 15 to 20 percent more than other companies . . . in other words, they charge customers to feel good about themselves.” Interviewing, an important skill for budding social scientists, could be used to determine why people are buying an overpriced bottle of water. Is it because of the “clean water” mission? Is it out of convenience? Is it for another reason altogether?
As an entry point into this project, science and social studies teachers can use the debate over whether or not Ethos does more harm than good. Students could research which regions of the world are in need of clean drinking water, and the
political and environmental issues that create that need. Students could also investigate the environmental impact of drinking bottled water, as well as issues regarding tap water versus bottled water. For instance, if students determine that tap water is safer than bottled water, they could argue for drinking tap water and donating the saved money to help bring clean drinking water to “dehydrated communities.” Another student might research statistics on charitable donations and determine that people who are saving money by drinking tap water would just buy something else rather than donating their savings. In that case, Ethos is invaluable, as the donation is built into the purchase.
Editorial writing is another skill that could be incorporated into this project. Students could write an editorial to support or discredit Ethos. Of course, these editorials could be published in a class blog instead of a traditional paper. Then students would read each other’s opinions, include relevant links, and comment on their peers’ work.
0 Comments on Starbucks, Ethos, and Feel-Good Consumerism as of 1/1/1900
Christopher Paul Curtis is no stranger to award committees. His first novel, The Watson’s Go To Birmingham–1963, was awarded the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Honor. His next novel, Bud, Not Buddy, was awarded the Newbery Award and the Coretta Scott King Author Award. And just this past January, his latest novel, Elijah of Buxton, was awarded a Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Author Award.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Mr. Curtis now lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and family. The Brown Bookshelf is honored to kick off our 28 Days Later Campaign with the wonderfully talented Christopher Paul Curtis!
The Genesis of Elijah of Buxton:
Christopher Paul Curtis had always wanted to write a novel about slavery. However, due to the inherent dehumanization of slaves, writing an accurate novel from the first person point of view of a slave would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible. However, on his way home from Windsor one day, Mr. Curtis noticed a sign for the Buxton Historical Museum. He stopped at the small museum, and was amazed by the amount of land that the ex-slaved had cleared and maintained in order to maintain the settlement. He imagined that a “first child” would have had to have been born at the settlement. And thus Elijah of Buxton was born.
By writing the novel from the point of view of a child that had never experienced slavery, Mr. Curtis was able to show the dichotomy between slavery and freedom. Elijah’s perspective as a free-born child could mimic current society’s views on slavery.
Favorite Novels and Characters:
Christopher Paul Curtis used to say that The Watson’s Go to Birmingham–1963 was his favorite novel, because it got him out of the warehouse. But now, he’s calls Elijah of Buxton his favorite novel.
However, Byron Watson, Kenny’s older brother from The Watson’s Go the Birmingham–1963, is Mr. Curtis’s favorite character. Byron is unpredictable, unreliable, and a borderline juvenile delinquent, but he’s also a lot of fun.
CPC’s 4 rules for aspiring authors (especially for young people just starting to write):
1) Write everyday—the more, the better.
2) Have fun when you write. You’re the creator of your own world when you write.
3) Be very patient. Don’t give up, but don’t be afraid to put something to the side for a while. Sometimes the writing doesn’t go the way you want it to go at first.
4) Ignore all rules. Once you learn how to tell a story, don’t be afraid to break a few rules and try different things.
What’s next?
For all of you Bud, Not Buddy fans, Christopher Paul Curtis has a treat for you. His next novel will be about Deza Malone, the girl with the little dimple in her brown cheek (and the girl that gave Bud Caldwell his first kiss), and should be available in 2009.
The young readers book award season, which will hit the mother lode on Monday when ALA announces its big prize winners, has a new addition. Christopher Paul Curtis' (a Newbery winner for the fantastic Bud, Not Buddy) has won the Scott O'Dell award for Elijah of Buxton. The Scott O'Dell Award, named after the legendary author of Island of the Blue Dolphins, among others, is given each year to a children's or young adult novel of historical fiction.
Well done!
Review by Becky Laney, frequent contributor
Becky's reviews can also be found at...
Elijah of Buxton is about as perfect as a book can get. What can I really say about it? It's historical fiction. It's set in Canada. It is about the community of Buxton--a safe haven for runaway slaves. The Canada border means one thing to a slave--ultimate freedom. Elijah was not a runaway slave. He was the first "free" child born into this community. He also holds the dubious honor of having thrown up on Frederick Douglass. (Elijah was an infant at the time.)
Doggone-it-all, seems like the things that people enjoy sticking to your name permanent ain't never good things, they're always things that are tragical. I ain't the kind of person that complains for no reason, but I gotta say, I already got one tragedy tied up with my name that is so horrible that it wouldn't be one bit fair that I'd get another. The tragedy that's so horrible put a scar on me that I'm-a be carrying till the day I die. You'd think growned folks would cry when they saw me, but that don't happen atall. Even Ma and Pa try to act like it ain't all that noticeable and that they ain't 'shamed to have folks see they're raising me, but I know better. It happened when I waren't nothing but a baby and I caint see why I'm to blame, but that's when the famousest, smartest man who ever escaped from slavery stood on a tall stage that had got built in the schoolhouse and raised me way up over his head in front of a crowd of people. From the way Pa tells it, the man must've had me twenty feet up in the air. He was giving a speech when the accident happened 'cause every time he made a point he'd give me a little shake way up there over top of his head. I waren't even a year old back when Mr. Frederick Douglass and Mr. John Brown visited Buxton. . . They'll tell you I throwed up on Mr. Douglass for a whole half a hour afore Ma come and snatched me away and pointed me out the schoolhouse window. They say I near drownded the man. Some folks swear I throwed up so hard that desks and chairs rose up and floated out of the schoolhouse. Mr. Polite said I throwed up so plentiful that didn't no deers nor rabbits die in the woods for five years after. He said the bears and the wolves et my vomit for that long since it was considerable easier for them to do that than to try to run down some animal that waren't looking to get et. And that don't make no sense. That don't make no sense atall. First off, 'cause they're always telling us how smart Mr. Frederick Douglass is. They tell us he can talk Greek like a Greek and Latin like a Latin, and anybody who's that smart ain't gonna sit and hold no baby over his head that's throwing up on him for no whole half a hour... (from chapter two)
The rich narrative style, the characters, everything is so well done, so perfect. Elijah is a great narrator. He gives a great portrait of his family, his friends, his community--from school to church and everything in between. The first two-thirds of the book has a relaxed framework. It's all about establishing the setting, getting to know the characters, just sitting back and enjoying story after story after story. But the last third of the book the plot becomes focused--centered--around one story in particular. Elijah and one of the men from the community, Mr. Leroy, set out to go to America. Mr. Leroy is hoping to buy his children out of slavery. But there are many problems and set backs along the way. The good news for Elijah is that finally he has a chance to redeem himself and get something good attached to his name. It is his chance to be a hero.
I loved this book so much. I definitely recommend this one to one and all--young and old.
Mr Travis, when he's being our Sabbath school teacher, says the Lord rested on Sunday and commanded us to do the same. But, doggone-it-all, that's one lesson that ain't sticking too good with him and all the other growned folks 'cause half of every Sunday ain't spent resting, it's spent in church. And whilst Ma and Pa say church ain't work, some of the time if I had my druthers, I'd druther clean five stables and dig two miles of drainage ditch and clear three acres of woodland than sit through a whole morning and afternoon of church. . . I ain't trying to show no disrespect. . . Reverend King's a mighty good man, after all he is the one that started the Settlement, I am saying his sermons go on so long that some of the time you feel like begging, "Take me now, Jesus" 'bout halfway through'em. (201-202)
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