African American Short Stories: Author Studies for Elementary Level Students

Most of the literature read by students in today’s school systems are severely lacking in cultural perspectives. This curriculum unit will answer the need to diversify the ethnicity of literature that students read. It will offer lessons in author studies for students in grades two to four. Students will be engaged in author studies of three prominent African American authors: Faith Ringgold, Jacqueline Woodson and Julius Lester. They will read three books from each author, research relevant information about the authors and background issues, write and present reports, and create their own stories in the style of their favorite author. Throughout teaching this unit, students will be able interpret the main idea and purpose of each story, the sequence of events, the characters, and the historical influences of each story.