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TL11.4FALL2004_singles Text, Spark, Model, Product 14 Ontario School Library Association its a sweat lodge as part of the study of First Nations spirituality. A picture book such as The Vision Seeker could be used as part of the prepa- ration for this experience. I can imagine picture books being used in English, history, geography, drama, parenting, media literacy, media arts, music…in fact, with some imagination and creativity - and access to the right books - I can imagine picture books being used in all subject areas. If picture books are used across the curricu- lum, at all levels, then there will be no stigma attached to their use and so ESL students or stu- dents who are reading below grade level need not be embarrassed to be seen using picture books. The illustrations in picture books appeal to visual learners and the text is more accessible than text intended for high school students. Picture books are accessible and inviting for students and teach- ers overwhelmed with curriculum content. Another interesting way to use picture books is as the spark for a lesson, activity, or discussion. For example, the illustrations in picture books can be used as the basis for a discussion about the power of images versus text or as triggers for writing activities. I think Phoebe Gilman's Something for Nothing is the perfect spark to intro- duce a creative writing unit, especially if the stu- dents are expected to use personal experience as the source of their ideas. If you want students to explore personal connections to history, Sheldon Oberman's The Always Prayer Shawl is a great place to start. If the topic of discussion is censor- ship, it could be interesting to read and discuss a controversial book. The fact that Thomas' Snowsuit has been challenged as a cause of defi- ance and disrespect certainly got the attention of every student in the grade 12 Law class I spoke to about censorship. Children's books by noted Canadian writers such as Margaret Atwood, Margaret Laurence, Tomson Highway, and Matt Cohen (writing as Teddy Jam) could make for fas- Ilove picture books, I collect picture books,and I've used picture books as teachingtools and resources in my classroom. Once I became a teacher-librarian, starting a picture book collection was something I did as soon as I could. Although I believe that picture books are a good thing, their value isn't necessarily obvious in a high school. In fact, I'm often greeted with quizzical stares when I mention the picture book collection during the grade 9 orientations--from both the students and their teachers. Picture books do have a place in high school library collections and can be put to innovative and exciting uses across the cur- riculum as text, spark, model, and product. The use of a book as text is second nature for teachers, although high school teachers don't usually consider picture books. I've used picture books to introduce students to Shakespeare, to teach mythology, and to explore Canadian history. An art teacher is interested in collaborating with me on a unit using children's book illustra- tions to explore visual arts - I'm quite excited about this! I've already begun introducing her to some of my favourite artists, such as Ron Lightburn, Phoebe Gilman, and Barbara Reid. I've also suggested to teachers of senior ESL classes that picture books such as From Far Away, The Long Road, or Silver Threads, could be used as texts in a unit exploring the immigrant/refugee experience. As for exploring the question of Canadian identity, well, there is a wealth of alpha- bet and counting books available that celebrate Canada, such as M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet, or My Arctic 1, 2, 3. In fact, it's possible to explore Canada from north to south and east to west using alphabet books. Books such as In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae, Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Companion, and A Poppy Is To Remember can be used in preparation for Remembrance Day. An English, drama, or Canadian history teacher might want to create a mini-unit using such books. Each year, the grade 11 World Religions class vis- C O LL EC TI O N D EV EL O P M EN T @ y ou r li b ra ry ® Brenda Dillon