The Curricular Value of Teaching about Immigration through Picture Book Thematic Text Sets

This article offers a contextual analysis of contemporary immigration issues impacting the institutions in the United States, in particular the school. It discusses the importance of addressing this theme in the classroom and presents its curricular value in the elementary and middle school social studies and interdisciplinary curricula. Using a picture book thematic text set on the topic of immigration allows for multiple curricular venues and connections through which teachers can address the complexities of immigration. Included is a recommended thematic text set annotated bibliography of twenty-three picture books of different reading levels about historical and mostly contemporary immigration issues. This annotated bibliography is a valuable curriculum resource for teachers because it supports the social studies’ curriculum and its integration with other subject areas, such as language arts and the arts. Each book's bibliographical information offers teachers suggested teaching focal themes and content knowledge, target processes of inquiry and discussion, and attitudinal dispositions that can be fostered.