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Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/My-Powerful-Hair-Carole-Lindstrom/dp/1419759434

Use: Drawing & Writing: Hair Memory Timeline

Students create three squares representing hair growth stages (short, longer, tallest) and illustrate a life event in each—such as birthdays, family gatherings, or first days of school—adding simple labels like “My hair reached my shoulders when..." or "I visited grandma." This activity helps ELL students link personal experiences with vocabulary related to sequencing and events.

Why: Cross-Content Tie-Ins: The story links social studies (Indigenous history), social-emotional learning (identity, legacy, resilience), and science (hair biology, hair traditions), creating an integrated narrative.

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Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Connected-Taking/dp/1949633519

Use: Picture-Walk Compare
Display two pages side-by-side—one of Elliot’s city street, the other of Kailash’s riverside scene. Invite “I notice…” and “I wonder…” observations—Pre-teach vocabulary: tree house/rickshaw/pets / family.

Sentence frame: “Elliot and Kailash are the same because both have a ____; they are different because ____.”

Why: Bridge Between Cultures Through Simple Language

With three simple letters and vibrant mixed‑media art, the show shows how two pen‑pal kids in India and the U.S. are alike and different.

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Image Source: https://imyourneighborbooks.org/book/danbi-leads-the-school-parade/

Use: Read aloud. After the first two events in Danbi’s day, students describe the setting & events using key details. Role‑play the lunchtime parade to integrate Speaking and Listening.
Why: Danbi, an immigrant, is a story that bridges language and cultural differences.

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Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Are-Yamile-Saied-M%C3%A9ndez/dp/0062839934

Use: Have students create a multi-layered "I Am From” map or “Love Landscape":

- mini-map:

Top bubble: “I live in...” (mention town, home, or classroom)

Middle bubbles: two favorite family foods, places, or traditions

Bottom bubble: “I come from my love and my family’s love."

For ELL students, allow them to label with key English words and write in their home language if they feel comfortable.

Why: This story addresses the microaggression “Where are you really from?” with compassion and poetic imagery. Encourages students to define identity by personal stories and ancestry, not just place.

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Image Source: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/27340/the-name-jar-by-yangsook-choi-illustrated-by-the-author/

Use: Use an interactive name‑jar activity: students write their names and share their meanings. After the story, partners practice pronouncing Unhei’s name to reinforce setting and character details for storytelling.
Why: Illustrates identity and the importance of names; supportive of identity discovery and classmates learning to pronounce diverse names .

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Image Source: https://www.leeandlow.com/books/marisol-mcdonald-doesnt-match-marisol-mcdonald-no-combina/

Use: The teacher audio records a section in English and Spanish during storytime read-aloud. Students retell events to practice “Describe characters, settings, and major events using key details,” and sentence structure. Encourage partner dialogues: “¿Cómo se llama Marisol? / What’s Marisol’s name?”
Why: The story engages students effectively. Providing support in Spanish and English helps ELLs and all students comprehend identity and linguistic diversity.

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Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rainbow_Tulip

Use: Read aloud; have students create an “identity collage” using colors or foods that represent their cultures. Students describe the major events and setting (first-grade classroom, mother’s special dress) in complete sentences.
Why: The story brings a bilingual heritage that supports identity and diversity.

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Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Connected-Taking/dp/1949633519

Use: Interactive Retelling (Pairs/Small Group): After reading the story once in English, students retell it using simple phrases: start (“In this story…”), middle (“Then…”), and conclusion (“We learned…”).

Why: We Are All Connected showcases children from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds engaging in work, play, and caring for one another and the planet, emphasizing diversity and shared belonging. This book also supports social-emotional learning about empathy, and emphasizes the importance of empathy-building.

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Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Language-Family-Michael-Genhart/dp/082345004X

Use: Anchor Charts: “Language Is Heritage”

Post a shared class chart titled “Terms We Spell / Say Proudly” with words like respeto, familia, fuerza—adding drawn symbols or photos. Help students read them aloud in small groups, collaboratively creating definitions and gestures.

Why: This story celebrates bilingual identity by referring to Spanish as “family language” and illustrates children reclaiming their voice in school.

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Image Source: https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-You-Are-Joyful/dp/1588346501

Use: “ABC of Me” Identity Anchor

Create a class chart shaped like an ABC skyline. For each letter, a student selects a trait they see in themselves or others (e.g., “S is for Strong—Tamika pushes the heavy cart.”). Students pair-share about their chosen trait (“Why did I pick Strong? Because I helped carry books yesterday”), then attach their initial and snapshot sentence to the chart.

Why: This ABC book, developed by Smithsonian, celebrates diversity trait by trait. It encourages self-identity and empathy while enhancing oral language and ELD retelling skills. It's a resource for self-reflection and expression.

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Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54256049-different

Use: Story Retell & Event Sequence

After reading, chart the three key events:

1. Obinna’s first day at a new school

2. Being teased for differences

3. Winning the race and acceptance

Use picture + sentence cards so students can retell in sequence

Why: Moral of Loving Your Neighbor in Action: The story illustrates turning differences into a sense of belonging, showing that “loving your neighbor” is best expressed not through preaching but through kindness and recognizing individual gifts.