Using visual curriculum materials to “bear witness”

Purpose The purpose of this notable trade book lesson plan is to utilize the novel, Ghost Boys , in an upper elementary/middle school education application. This lesson plan utilizes visual curriculum materials to engage students in a powerful exploration of “bearing witness.” Through the exploration of text, photographs, music and dance, students will be given opportunities to engage with the visual materials, think critically about relevant societal issues and participate in affective learning. The students will interpret visual historical evidence to develop “a sense of otherness” or empathy, and engage with the inquiry process (Barton and Levstik, 2004, pp. 210–211). Historical empathy proves an important aspect to students' historical thinking because affective learning allows students to connect with historical figures and gain new perspectives understanding difficult situations (Endacott, 2010, p. 6). Design/methodology/approach The approach of this notable trade book lesson plan is a multimodal analysis of art forms (photography, music and dance choreography) which culminates in the students taking informed action to create a personal mural to “bear witness” to an issue of their selection. Findings This is a National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) notable trade book lesson plan. After engaging with this lesson, students will gain skills in visual decoding, empathy, critical thinking and collaboration. The students will use higher-order thinking to take informed action by creating a mural to “bear witness” to injustice. Originality/value The value of this lesson plan is the ability to integrate written themes from the text, visual learning and hands-on learning in a meaningful and authentic way to students. Allowing the students to take informed action using the knowledge gained about “bearing witness” proves crucial for young students learning how to actively participate in America's multi-cultural democracy.