Posts Tagged diversity

WNDMG Author Interview with Lynnette Mawhinney about her New Book

By on October 9, 2024   /   Articles, Author Interviews, Diversity, WNDMG   /   Leave a comment

WNDMG Author Interview with Lynnette Mawhinney about her New Book

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Lynnette Mawhinney today. Lynnette’s book is titled Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children (Magination Press), which is was published February 6, 2024.

I absolutely love graphic novels, and this one is nonfiction too! It is so important, with themes of fighting against segregation, of historical events in America like the Brown vs. Board of Education case, and an amazing Black woman who can inspire all of us.

I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

About Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children:

Description taken from online:

This inspiring graphic novel tells the story of groundbreaking psychologist and civil rights activist Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD and her research in the racial identity and development of self in Black children, the work that ultimately played a vital role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

Part of American Psychological Association’s Extraordinary Women in Psychology series.

Mamie was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during a time when United States laws intentionally disadvantaged Black people and permitted racial segregation. This profoundly impacted her life and work and instilled in her an unstoppable force to champion for Black children. Mamie made a difference with science – she studied math and psychology at Howard University. She was first the Black woman to graduate from Columbia University with a doctorate degree in psychology. Mamie expanded her earlier master’s research into the famous black-doll/white-doll experiments that exposed the negative effects of racial segregation in children. Along with her research partner and husband, Kenneth Clark, Mamie became expert witnesses in several school desegregation cases, including Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, which effectively ended racial segregation in school. Mamie dedicated her life to advocate for children who deserved more than what society offered them and she built the Northside Center in Harlem, NY to support children with special needs, academic programs, and mental health services.

Filled with interesting news stories and thought-provoking activities, this book encourages readers to carry on Mamie’s legacy and become champions for themselves and others in their community.

Interview with Lynnette:

I loved getting to talk to Lynnette about her new book and I think you will enjoy meeting her as well.

 

SSS: What a description! This book sounds SO important, and I cannot wait to read Mamie’s inspiring story. What inspired you to write about Mamie?

 

LM: Magination Press approached me to write this book, as it was the next in the series Extraordinary Women in Psychology. I knew about Dr. Clark from the doll test, but after that, I didn’t know much about here. Deep diving into the research to bring her to life, I was just taken aback as to how much her work has influenced all of us—even today. The more I learned about her, the more, the more she inspired me, and the more motivated I was to bring her story to light.

SSS: How do historical events and laws impact society today? What can Mamie teach us about the world today?

LM: Dr. Clark’s story teaches us that change can be a long process, but it also has lasting impacts. I think Dr. Clark teaches us to stay the course, keep justice and youth at the forefront. When we advocate for justice-oriented change, the historical events and laws need to be simultaneously embraced, analyzed, and challenged for continued and lasting change.

SSS: I love graphic novels. How was it like to collaborate with an artist on this project?

LM: In this world, I don’t get to collaborate directly with the illustrator, as all requests go through our editor. But working with Neil was great, as he graciously took any feedback I had given the editor. His artwork and truly gift was the key to bringing Dr. Clark’s story to life, and I am forever grateful.

 

SSS: The subject of segregation is so important, and teaching anti-racism is a must in classrooms. How can nonfiction help teach students to advocate for justice?

 

LM: My immediate response is, “when we know better, we do better.” That, I hope, is one of the lessons that history teaches us. We can learn from our past in order to do better for and with humanity in the future. Dr. Clark’s story tells us how youth can continue to be advocates for change, and how being a visionary can help to change make a difference for justice.

SSS: Do you have any more incredible book recs for us?

LM: I am currently in the middle of reading When the Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. It is also a non-fiction graphic novel/memoir about Omar’s life growing up as a refugee in Kenya. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but so far, the book has been wonderfully done! It’s a compelling read. 

SSS: Thank you so much for this beautiful rec.

 

Link to order Lynnette’s Book here.

Writing Process

SSS: When did you start writing this book? How do you think your background of being a Professor of Urban Education help you in writing?

LM: I stared the research process in 2021. Dr. Clark was NOT easy to research, as she was often pushed to the side because she was a woman. I often joked that this research process was like “Where’s Waldo” and trying to find Dr. Clark’s legacy and story.

As a scholar, I honestly had to use all my research skills I have been trained in with this process. I interviewed people, spent LOTS of hours in libraries, and went to museums to collect data. As a matter of fact, this project pushed me to learn new research skills with exploring archival research and helped to build me up as a researcher.

 

SSS: How is the process of writing a graphic novel different from writing a picture book, or an adult book in prose? (I noticed you are so prolific!)

LM: This was an extremely new and different process of writing. For a graphic novel, I would say it is equal to writing a screenplay. In a graphic novel, I had to not only write the story and dialogue, but I also had to write out each scene. It was like writing “stage direction” or in this case “visual direction” along with the dialogue. It was fun, as it really got to push my visualization of Dr. Clark’s life.

SSS: Any advice for fellow authors?

 

LM: Keep writing and keep exploring. Don’t be afraid to try new ways of writing or contributing your voice to this world because what we all have to say and share with the world matters.

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to share with us?

LM: Dr. Clark was a visionary and way before her time. I hope that readers enjoy the book and get to see just how her work continued to influence all our daily lives.

Thank you so much Lynnette for answering my questions! I hope everyone picks up a copy of your beautiful book.

About Lynnette Mawhinney PhD:

LYNNETTE MAWHINNEY, PhD, is an award-winning writer, creator, and long-time educator. Dr. Mawhinney was a former high school English teacher at the School District of Philadelphia and transitioned into teacher education. She has conducted teacher trainings in the U.S., Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, Bahrain, and Egypt. Dr. Mawhinney is Professor of Urban Education and Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Academic Initiatives at Rutgers University-Newark. As a secret artist, she applies her craft of visual-based approaches to her research and scholarship on the recruitment and retention of teachers of Color. She is the author and editor of five academic books.

In 2020, Dr. Mawhinney was the recipient of the American Educational Studies Association’s Critics Choice Book Award for her co-written book, There Has to be a Better Way: Lessons from Former Urban Teachers.

 

Aside from academic books, Dr. Mawhinney is a children’s book author. Her first book, Lulu the One and Only, received an acclaimed starred Kirkus Review, along with awards such as the Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award by the National Council for Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council. Her new book, Mamie Phipps Clark: Champion for Children, is a biography graphic novel for youth.

Dr. Mawhinney is also the Founder and President of Gaen Knowledge, LLC, a consultancy firm that performs traditional and visual-based evaluation and equity audits for organizations (e.g. PreK-12 schools, higher education institutions, and clinical health settings).

Links:

Website: www.lynnettemawhinney.com

Instagram: @lkmawhinney

 

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STEM Tuesday — Bioluminesence– In the Classroom

By on October 8, 2024   /   Bioluminescence, STEM Tuesday   /   Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

This month I learned from the following books that there are a LOT of animals that glow:

Mysterious Glowing Mammals: An Unexpected Discovery Sparks a Scientific Investigation

by Maria Parrott-Ryan

This book tells the story of scientific discovery. I love how it shows the twists and turns that scientists follow when they’re exploring a topic.

 

Animals That Glow: Fireflies and Glowworms

by Joyce Markovics

This book highlights a few animals that glow on land, specifically fireflies and glowworms.

Animals That Glow: Octopuses and Squid

by Joyce Markovics

This book explores the octopuses and squid that glow in the ocean. Some create their own light, while other harness the light made by other creatures.

 

 

Bonus: Luminous: Living Things that Light Up the Night

by Julia Kuo

This picture book is a great introduction to bioluminescence. Simple text is augmented with informative sidebars. The animals highlighted come from all around the world, on land and at sea. This could be a great read-aloud to kick off the exploration of glowing animals.

 

Animal Research Project

As I mentioned before, there are a LOT of animals that glow. I thought this would make a great research project. Have each student pick an animal that glows and research it – there are enough glowing animals that every student can explore something different.

Have each student create a poster highlighting their glowing animal. Set up an exhibition, showing off all the amazing animals. Each poster should include:

  • Animal name
  • Where found – both habitat and geographic location. (Include a range map.)
  • Image of animal
    • For more fun, use glow-in-the-dark paints to illustrate where and what color the animal glows. Use a blacklight to show off the glow.
  • How it glows
    • What makes it glow? Bioluminescence, fluorescence, symbiosis?
  • When is animal active?
  • Why it glows?
  • Other fun facts

Alternatively, turn the research into one or more social media posts. Social media is a great way to impart information to lots of people. The National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service do an exceptional job using social media. As I was preparing for this month’s post, I saw this social media post about glow-in-the-dark scorpions: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=916191667218097

Explore Your Backyard

Fireflies are perhaps the best-known glowing animal. Do a little exploration. Are there fireflies in your area? If not, should there be?

There is a firefly atlas you can explore to help with this: https://www.fireflyatlas.org/map. If you have fireflies in your area, look into how you can contribute to the map. Learn about how you can tell different fireflies apart by their blinking pattern.

If there should be fireflies in your area, but you don’t see any, examine why. What kind of habitat do fireflies need? What can you do to help provide that habitat?

If you don’t (and shouldn’t) have fireflies in your area, are there other local glowing animals and/or plants?

More Resources

You could use this month’s theme to jump into exploring light and/or color. There are also quite a few resources and activities out there that focus on bioluminescence. Here are a few.

NOAA Bioluminescence Education Theme: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/themes/bioluminescence

Smithsonian Ocean: Bioluminescence: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/bioluminescence

WHOI: How does bioluminescence work? https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/did-you-know/how-does-bioluminescence-work

TeachEngineering: Exploring Bioluminescence in Aquatic Animals: https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/rice-2638-light-dyes-exploring-bioluminescence-activity

Science Buddies: Explore Glow-in-the-Dark Water! https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/tonic-water-glows

Ocean Conservancy: Why Do Animals Glow? https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/08/06/animals-glow-bioluminescence

Janet Slingerland has written over 2 dozen books for young readers. One of her latest projects is creating firefly habitat in her backyard. To find out more about Janet and her books, check out her website: http://janetsbooks.com

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STEM Tuesday– Glow in the Dark — Book List

By on October 1, 2024   /   Bioluminescence, STEM Tuesday   /   1 Comment

Ever wonder about fireflies or glowing ocean waves? Scientists are discovering just how many plants and animals use biofluorescence, bioluminescence, and ultra-violet light and how we might use these phenomena in the future.  

Mysterious Glowing Mammals: An Unexpected Discovery Sparks a  Scientific Investigation by Maria Parrott-Ryan

When a forest ecologist took an ultraviolet flashlight outside one night, he discovered something unexpected – a flying squirrel that glowed bright pink! The squirrel wasn’t making its own light using chemicals. Instead, it absorbed UV light and released it as the pink glow. This book dives into biofluorescence in animals and outlines future directions for scientific study.

Nature at Night by Lisa Regan

This visually stunning photo-illustrated book explores the ways plants and animals use biofluorescence, bioluminescence, and ultra-violet light for hunting, mating, or camouflage. In addition to aquatic animals, it also examines some unusual land-based ones, such as fungi, click beetles, chameleons, polka dot tree frogs, swallowtail butterflies, scorpions, and puffins. Texturing on a number of pages provides a glow-in-the-dark feature and the pronunciation guides in the text and glossary help with the scientific terminology.

Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark by Zoë Armstrong, illustrated by Anja Sušanj

A fascinating lower middle grade text, which combines an evaluation of biofluorescence and bioluminescence with a wide range of historic and recent research by scientists and some intriguing future possibilities. The engaging text, detailed illustrations, and “Just Like You“ sidebars relate the numerous animal’s use of light to human actions. 

Glow Down Deep: Amazing Creatures That Light Up by Lisa Regan

In this second glow-in-the-dark book, which focuses on biofluorescence and bioluminescence in the ocean, stunning close-up photographs stand out against dark backgrounds. Ranging from tiny krill to delicate sea pens and fanged dragonfish to the unusual chain catshark, this stunning book discusses many well-known and also lesser-known sea creatures and the myriad of reasons they use light, including unique methods of defense. Intriguing facts, pronunciation guides, “Did You Know” sidebars, and a glossary create a really engaging book on glowing sea life.

Living Light: Conserving Bioluminescent Plants and Animals (Orca Wild) by Stephen Aitken

This book explores light made and used by living organisms, from fireflies to fungi to creatures in the darkest deep ocean. It also shines a light on research using bioluminescence to learn more about cancer and other diseases in humans. It ends with environmental threats, and actions people can take to conserve habitats that glow-in-the-dark creatures depend on.

Glow: The Wild Wonders of Bioluminescence  by Jennifer N R Smith

An oversize overview of bioluminescent organisms. From fungal fairy lights to denizens of the deepest sea, this book shows how light is used to communicate, attract, protect, and warn. One section features the anatomy of bioluminescence, another highlights current research.

Lights on! Animals that glow (series) by Joyce Markovics

This series of six books highlights fireflies, octopuses and squid, deep sea fish, jellyfish, shrimp and krill, and plankton. Easy-to-understand explanation of how bioluminescence works, animal adaptations, and conservation issues.

DK Bioluminescent Animals by Ruth Musgrave

A great high-low reader about fascinating glowing creatures. This photo-illustrated book offers a quick note about glowing snails, fireflies, and railway worms, then dives into a look at bioluminescent animals in the sea. Exposing many using light to hide, form glowing goo, trick predators or prey, and stump scientists. Lots of detailed information and a glossary make this a great introduction to the science of  bioluminescence.

Cold Light: Creatures, Discoveries, and Inventions That Glow by Anita Sitarski

The conversational tone of this fascinating photo-illustrated book creates an easily accessible evaluation of the many scientists involved in the creation and study of the science of bioluminescence from 1602 to the invention of chemical luminescence and LEDs.   

This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Sue Heavenrich, author

Sue Heavenrich, who writes about science for children and their families on topics ranging from space to backyard ecology. Bees, flies, squirrel behavior—things she observes in her neighborhood and around her home—inspire her writing. Visit her at www.sueheavenrich.com.

Maria Marshall, a children’s author, blogger, and poet who is passionate about making nature and reading fun for children. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she watches birds, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. Visit her at www.mariacmarshall.com.

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