Jackie Whitworth

June 9, 2014
Elements of Literacy Instruction I: Reading
Sheri Roedel
Exploring Childrens Literature through Text Sets
I selected a text set of the following books by Jacqueline Woodson: The Other Side, Show Way and
Feathers. In these books, Woodson uses many of the same themes to tell stories primarily about youth of
color growing up and facing challenges in the context of racism and segregation. This text set addresses
the standard requiring students to compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to
similar themes and topics, and in this case, the textual elements that Woodson uses across her texts
(RL.5.9). Within that standard, this text set challenges students to determine how characters respond to
challenges and reflect upon their social contexts, and to describe a narrators point of view as three of the
texts use first person narrators who undergo significant changes (RL.5.2, RL.5.5).
I would begin the sequence by teaching The Other Side in an Interactive Read Aloud, as it
provides a foundation for the text setin it Woodson uses textual elements that will be further explored in
the other three books. In The Other Side, Woodson uses the symbol of the fence as an anchor for the
theme of segregation in the story, she reflects upon the challenges and acts of resistance of a young black
girl growing up in a segregated environment, including her internal struggles to make sense of that
environment, and she introduces the importance of family through the character of Clovers mother.
Next, I would present Show Way in an IRA format. This book stands out from the others in that it
tells the story of a family over several generations, instead of focusing on the challenges of one character.
Students would be challenged to compare and contrast Show Way and The Other Side, as they have
similarities in their use of symbolism and in their themes of history and family.
Feathers is the final bookit also incorporates poetry into the narrators reflections on her challenges,
which students could explore. Students could read this book independently in conference with the teacher,
or perhaps in a book club format with other students. In Feathers Woodson employs similar themes,
character elements, and language as in The Other Side, and there are similarities with Show Way as well,

but Feathers is in a chapter book format with more complexity in the story. Students could be reminded
of the strategies used in the IRAs for the first two books to access the understandings and strategies
necessary to read and process Feathers (Laminack & Wadsworth).