A Multidisciplinary Approach to Literacy through Picture Books and Drama

Abstract

dine explains that adolescents live in a society where [tjhis nonverbal and highly visual culture is expanding rapidly as a result of the communication revolution (634). Intensely visual media such as text messaging, video games, television, and computers are ubiquitous in students' everyday lives. In a world where students increasingly engage with visual texts, picture books represent a valuable addition to the secondary curriculum. Many picture books today explore complex themes and address topics appropriate for secondary school students (see sidebar). These books require readers to use both visual and print literacies to and interpret them, as the illustrations and text form an artistic unit that is stronger than either of them would be alone (Stewig 9). Indeed, Lee Galda and Kathy G. Short assert that [illustrations are not an extension of the text that simply reinforce the meanings of the words, but are necessary for comprehension (506). Drawing on their extensive visual knowledge, readers have the potential to gain a deeper sensitivity to the characters' emotions and intentions, and greater insight into the issues and struggles portrayed in the books, than may be possible when reading the text alone. Adolescent readers can enhance their understanding of even the most complex social issues when reading picture books. Selection is a critical factor when bringing picture books into secondary classrooms. Not all picture books are appropriate for secondary students' critical reading and interpretation of diverse perspectives. Teachers must consider the complexity of text and illustration interactions and the level of sophistication of the themes when making decisions about which picture books to use. In this article, we argue that picture books offer a medium for teaching visual and critical literacy across the curriculum in secondary classrooms, and we present a unit on World War II that integrates objectives from the theatre arts, social studies, and art curricula. Students in grades 10 to 12 completed the unit in their theatre arts class in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Their learning in all the subject areas was enriched through dramatic response two books: Roberto Innocenti's Rose Blanche, a partially fictional book, illustrated in oils, that explores the perspective of a German child caught risking her life to help German Jews; and William Kaplan's One More Border: The True Story of One Family's Escape from War-Torn Europe, which tells the story of the author's cape from the Nazis on a journey that took him across Asia and eventually to Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Chalk and pastel illustrations, together with period photos and documents, add to One More Boder's realism and historical accuracy. Through the study of these historical picture books, students developed a deeper appreciation for the difficult decisions made by individuals living in Europe during World War II. The books helped students to understand both the public events that we usually label 'history' and the private struggles that have characterized the human