diversechildrensbooks.files.wordpress.com  · Web view2017. 12. 3. · in which the author uses exquisite language (“The roaring browns of bears and soaring eagles” and “The

Skill Builder #3: Book Bundle: Cambodia

Lea Ann McDonald

INFO 275

Professor Rebmann

April 8, 2017

Culturally Responsive Book Bundle: Cambodia

Tags: Cambodia, Children, Folktales, Literature, Angkor, Southeast Asia Maps, Cambodian

Refugees, Deaf, Disability, Cultural Heritage, English Language Literacy, Khmer, Cambodian

Genocide, Angkor,

Design for Cambodian Resource/Book Bundle for Children

In this culturally responsive book and resource bundle children will learn about

Cambodian culture, immigration, folklore, geography and archaeological sites- Angkor. It

includes maps, historical and political information, and the official flag of the country, puzzles,

demographics, language and sites. Much like the examples of Hamilton and Burnaby public

libraries in British Columbia, in which the librarians are offering “My First Language Kits,” in

order to support home language development and foster healthy cultural identity in the early

years through multicultural materials presented and displayed in the library (Becnel, et.al., 2010),

this collection of resources seeks to engage with the large Cambodian population. This book

bundle was specially designed for the children of Mark Twain Branch of LBPL which is located

in Cambodia town area of Long Beach, California. These resources could be utilized by

Cambodian and non-Cambodian patrons, pre-k through 3rd grade teachers, homeschoolers could

all benefit from the information contained in this bundle.

How Will Design be Used?

The use of this bundle would be appropriate for children from pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade.

It could be adjusted for younger or older children. The resources would be useful in the

classroom, for homeschoolers, or any person or parent seeking to teach their children about the

land, culture, people and heritage of the Cambodian people. The collection/bundle includes

books, photos of Cambodian landscape, ancient sites, people, brief history and flag of the

country, puzzles, dolls and puppets. This bundle includes age level appropriate information on

the subject of the Cambodian genocide.

The design seeks to be inclusive of books that are written about the history and folklore

of Cambodia as well as stories that children can relate to regarding familial traditions within the

Cambodian culture as well as themes that are universal and transcend and cut across cultures

while exposing non-Cambodian children to this rich and beautiful location, people and history.

My goal is to have the bundle be located in the children’s section and be shelved in colorful,

stackable and accessible containers that are able to be carried and also hold enough materials that

cover a wide range of media, toys and materials that can be seen by children and adults in the

library while on display.

Importance and Impact of Culturally Relevant Resources

Why is it important to publish, read and promote culturally relevant books and materials

for children? Researchers studying the engagement levels of Latino students with culturally

relevant and age appropriate literature found that the personal integration of stories engaged the

students on a deep level. Additionally, this type of cultural exploration of seeing themselves in

print, encouraged the students to speak in both languages sharing openly with their peers

(Lohfink & Loya, 2010). Bilingual children need to be encouraged through relevant books to

maintain both languages, and to be able to see positive portrayals of their culture and home

language in books. An individual’s positive connection to their heritage creates a healthy self-

image which contributes to a rich and diverse population of stronger communities.

At a young age, children become aware of physical differences in their features. The

manner in which parents, educators, communities, print and media respond and characterize

these differences can have life changing impacts on young people and carry through to

adulthood. Through children’s books, an artist’s illustrations as well as the language introduced

create a lasting and defining impression on children and adults. An example of affirming

diversity is,

“…Sheila Hamanaka’s book, All the Colors of the Earth in which the author uses

exquisite language (“The roaring browns of bears and soaring eagles” and “The

whispering golds of late summer grasses”) to describe skin color. The children in her

book have hair “like bouncy lambs” or with “curls like sleeping cats in snoozy cat colors

(Strasser, 2000).”

The beautiful and poetic language of this caliber of children’s stories teaches children to

visualize their differences as various forms of beauty to be valued and cherished. Addressing

these types of questions that naturally come up with children who may live in a diversely

populated area or who may be the lone individual who looks different from their peers is a

thoughtful way to educate children on aspects of skin color as well as racism. Finally, allowing

students to see themselves depicted in a positive way using accurate language and portrayals

promotes healthy self-acceptance of themselves and others.

Book Titles

Running Shoes by Frederick Lipp

Path of Stars by Anne Sibley O’Brien

Khmers, Tigers, Talismans by Jewell Reinhart Coburn

Brother Rabbit; A Cambodian Tale by Minfong Ho and Saphan Ros

Tales of the Hare: 27 Classic Tales from Cambodia by Chhany Sak-Humphry

Silent Lotus by Jeanne M. Lee

Countries of the World: Cambodia by y Dayaneetha De Silva and Geraldine Mesenas

Princess Stories, Dara’s Clever Trap retold by Liz Flanagan

The Cambodian Dancer; Sophany’s Gift of Hope by Daryn Reicherter

Angkat, The Cambodian Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart

Half Spoon of Rice: A Survival Story from the Cambodian Genocide by Icy Smith

Vocabulary

Khmer- the language of the Cambodian people and also the Hindu-Buddhist Empire also known as the Angkor Empire.

Asia- the Continent where Cambodia resides

Cambodia- The Kingdom of Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia that is situated between Thailand, Laos and Vietnam

Monsoon: a season of heavy rains

Reservoirs: man-made lakes

Monarchy: system of government ruled by kings or queens

Stilts: wooden poles

Angkor – An historical archeological site in Cambodia with temples and structures dating back to the 9th century.

Figure 1:

Book Covers of the titles that are included in Cambodian Book Bundle for Children.

TAG

Figure 2:

These boxes will contain all the materials for the Bundle including, Books, Vocabulary and Book List, Fun Facts, Puppets, Puzzles, CD, Maps and papers with links to Quiz and other Resources.

Tag for Exterior of Box: Listing all contents of materials

Figure 3:

Map of Southeast Asia, ca. 1997

Traditional Music of Cambodia/CD Puzzles

Cambodia/Information Sheet

Figure 4:

Compact Disc featuring Traditional Instrumental Music from Cambodia, Floor Puzzle of the World, 3-D Puzzle of South East Asian Style home

Remember the scene in the Disney movie Jungle Book where Mowgli and some naughty apes race through an abandoned city? Ancient, abandoned cities like the one in the movie really do exist. In Cambodia lies the remains of Angkor, a huge city built by the Khmer Empire between the ninth and 15th century.

The city contains many temples built to worship Hindu gods. It also has huge reservoirs and canals to control the waters that flood Cambodia during monsoon season. Today, people live near Angkor in small villages, but the city is completely empty except for tourists.

(Fun Geography Facts all about Cambodia – Image of a farmland in Cambodia)

Cambodia is a flat, forested land. Most of the people living here are farmers, growing rice, fruit and vegetables. People live in small houses built on stilts to protect them from the floods that come each year.

(Kids Science Fun Facts on Cambodia – Image of Working Farmers in Cambodia)

Cambodia has seen years of war and bloodshed. The Vietnam war trickled into Cambodia in the 1960s and Prince Norodom Sihanouk was removed from power in 1970. A few years later, Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge gained control. This group killed more than 2 million people. Today, Sihanouk is the king again and the country has a constitutional monarchy. The king is the ruler, but he makes decisions with other leaders.

Fun Facts about Cambodia for Kids

13,329,000 people live in Cambodia. The country has 69,898 square miles of land. Most people speak Khmer, French and English. Buddhism is the main religion. People in Cambodia can expect to live 56 years. 70 percent of adults can read.

All about Cambodia Fun Facts for Kids – National Flag of Cambodia

Cambodia Q&A

Question: What is Cambodian culture like?

Answer: Cambodia has a rich history and culture. People believe in close families and show respect and courtesy. Cambodian dancers wear brightly colored costumes and perform traditional dances as they have for thousands of years. Cambodia has its own form of martial arts, similar to karate Source: http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-cambodia/

Websites: Photographs & Videos of Cambodia

Photographs and Information about Angkor, Cambodia from UNESCO:

http://whc.unesco.org/?cid=31&l=en&id_site=668&gallery=1&maxrows=69

Video: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668/video This video features Angkor in Cambodia. “Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations.”

Quiz Link for Cambodia

https://quizlet.com/137124158/cambodia-vocabulary-flash-card

References

Becnel, K., & Smallwood, C. (2013). Library Services for Multicultural Patrons: Strategies to

Encourage Library Use. Lanham: The scarecrow press.

Gayla Lohfink & Juana Loya (2010) The Nature of Mexican American Third

Graders' Engagement with Culturally Relevant Picture Books, Bilingual Research

Journal, 33:3, 346-363

Strasser, J.K. (2000) Beautiful Me! Celebrating Diversity through Literature and Art, Childhood

Education, 77:2, 76-80, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2001.10521634

Resource Guide for Internet Sources:

Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/137124158/cambodia-vocabulary-flash-cards/

Map of Cambodia: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/3292

Information Handout/Cambodia: http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-cambodia/

Video of Cambodia/ UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668/video

Photographs & Information /Angkor, Cambodia/UNESCO:

http://whc.unesco.org/?cid=31&l=en&id_site=668&gallery=1&maxrows=69

Floor Puzzle/World:

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-World-Puzzle-2X3-Feet/dp/B0007ODGTQ

Music:

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Cambodia-Various-Artists/dp/B00000080A/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1491188540&sr=1-1&keywords=cambodian+music

Containers: Demco $10.49/ each box: Measurement: 10” H x 15”W x 24” L:

http://www.demco.com/products/Library-Supplies/Shelf-Organization/Shelf-Storage-Boxes/Demco-reg-Colored-Corrugated-Storage-Boxes/_/A-B00168258&ALL0000&es=20170403214457530876