Elementary Library

member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read.

Discussion Prompts: ●​ Why are there squiggles on signs instead of letters? How do you feel when you read “slaves should not be taught to read or write”? ●​ Reading and riding in an airplane were two things Mary always wanted to do. Ask students to talk about some things they have always wanted to do or something they have always wanted to learn. ●​ What would life be like if you were an adult who couldn’t read? Ask students to take notice of how important reading is in everyday life. ●​ Mary said that reading, like flying, “made a body feel as free as a bird.” Ask students what activities or thoughts make them feel as free as a bird. ●​ Perseverance is doing something despite it being difficult, frustrating, or taking a long time to achieve or complete. When is a time that you showed perseverance? ●​ Mary Walker always wanted to learn to read, and it is inspirational and incredible that she learned to read at age 116. What is something that you would like to work to achieve? ●​ How did the Emancipation Proclamation change the lives of Mary and her family? ●​ Who did the Freedmen’s Bureau help and how did they help people? Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai (371.822 YOU) As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true ●​ What do you think Malala is thinking? What do you think the children are thinking? ●​ Can you think of other examples of people using their voice to make change? ●​ Why was going to school so important to Malala? Why is going to school important to me? ●​ What are the different ways we can use our voices? How do we use our voices when we feel scared and unsure? When have people in history used their voice to help me? Free for You and Me: What Our First Amendment Means by Christy Mihaly (342.73 MIH) It's a free country! But what does that mean? The five liberties protected by the First Amendment are explained here in . . . rhymes [and] . . . examples demonstrate the meaning of freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the rights to assemble peacefully and to petition the government Discussion Prompts: ●​ What is freedom? What does it mean to be free? What responsibilities come with freedom? ●​ What is a free country? What rights do people have in a free country? ●​ What role does government play in our freedom and responsibilities? ●​ What are your basic freedoms? How are they protected? How do we exercise freedom in our homes, at school, in our communities? ●​ Are all people in the world free?Why was the Bill of Rights added to the constitution? ●​ Which protection do you believe is the most important? Why? ●​ Books are sometimes removed from school libraries because a member of the community does not like a theme or story. Whose Freedom of Speech is being exercised when this happens? Is someone else’s Freedom of Speech being limited? How could everyone’s rights be protected at once? Discussion Prompts: ●​ What would you do if you had a magic pencil?

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