Picturebooks to spark empathy and social justice actions

About the webinar

This webinar is based on ideas from the Erasmus+ project: ICEPELL (Intercultural Citizenship Education through Picturebooks in early English Language Learning). First, we consider some of the reasons for focusing on intercultural citizenship education (ICE) in primary ELT. Next, we explore why picturebooks have particular potential for sparking children’s empathy and social justice actions beyond the classroom walls.

Using the evocative picturebook, We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade (Roaring Brook Press, 2020), examples of creative teaching ideas for ICE are showcased. Then, the benefits for teachers of working collaboratively as an ‘International Community of Practice’ (ICoP) when creating primary ELT materials are outlined.

Finally, some freely-downloadable teaching resources created by primary English teachers for primary English teachers, based on 18 picturebooks will be shared. These offer a flexible and supportive blueprint for teachers aiming to co-create picturebook materials as an ICoP for ICE.

Recorded on 28 June 2022

Watch the recording of the webinar below

Watch the recording of the webinar with subtitles on YouTube

About the speaker

David Valente works as a PhD Research Fellow in English Language and Literature Teacher Education at Nord University, Norway. David has over 20 years' experience in ELT as a teacher, teacher educator, academic manager, author and editor. His specialist interests include children's literature in ELT, primary and secondary teacher education and intercultural learning. He is a member of the Steering Committee for the Erasmus+ project, ICEPELL. 

Find out more about the ICEPELL hybrid conference taking place on 1-2 July 2022