DataAnalysisLiteracyandtheLawGrade3

Social and Political Issues

The podcasters know that our government used literacy to deny voting rights.

One podcaster likens today’s standardized tests in schools to the literacy tests of the past. Kids “have” to take the tests and these tests are difficult and confusing for kids. The fact that he uses the term “confusing” indicates that he sees a lack of fairness in the tests. Podcasters comment on voting as a source of power and control for the citizenry. Voting is a way to keep the government in check and to make choices about how you want the world to be. Podcasters talk about the importance of voting in the past and in the present. The Freedom Schools used literacy work to help Southerners gain their rights as citizens. Voting is a way to make governmental change. Hope this wasn’t overstated? There’s more awareness in this podcast of the importance of social groups to come together to work for social change. Social change doesn’t come about through individual action, but through collective resistance and action.

Taking Action for Justice

With this podcast, many students connected voting and power. Where with podcast 2 they said that literacy was a right for people to have daily and future success, most said that voting is a right because it’s a way for citizens to impact laws and government. Cameron points out in his skit that church burning did not deter the civil rights movement but strengthened it. This podcaster reflects on how people reacted to injustice by taking social action together. Many podcasters focused on the freedom schools, rather than the picture book, Granddaddy’s Gift. The freedom school participants were focused on learning for social action and their civil rights work is portrayed as powerful and inspiring in the podcast. Podcasters use their scripts to question the ways literacy tests were used by the govt. to disenfranchise citizens in the past, but was also used by groups of citizens to fight for voting rights. Connections between language and power are made in this podcast. Language is used to vote, to make signs, to learn how to pass gatekeeper tests.

Interrogating Multiple Perspectives

Most of the scripts were dramatic skits for this podcast, with 9 podcasters working with others to create readers’ theaters in which they interview characters from GDGift (Little Jo) OR people who fought for civil rights at the Freedom Schools. As the third graders gained experience with podcasting, they took up the skit writing that was prevalent with the high schoolers. This allowed them to shine attention on voices of those who used literacy to fight for civil rights in the past.

Disrupting the Commonplace

The podcasters have an exuberant tone. They speak with confidence about social action movements of the past. They also take up voting as a civic duty and right, and present voters as people who can make changes to their govt. They point out that laws can be unfair and political leaders can have negative impact on our society, but they present voting and social action as ways for citizens to make their voices heard. Podcasters wrote scripts where they acted as news reporters or interviewers. 2 skits incorporated the language of a TV news program. The podcasters playfully represented tv news media as a means toward getting the message out about social change movements. One podcaster likens the state standardized test to the literacy tests of the past. The ISTEP tests are hard and confusing and this podcaster wants people to know that literacy tests may have changed, but they still exist.