Black Ants and Buddhists: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differently in the Primary Grades

By Mary Cowhey

Book Overview

What would a classroom look like if understanding and respecting differences in race, culture, beliefs, and opinions were at its heart? If you were inspired to become a teacher because you wanted to develop young minds, but now find yourself limited by "teach to the test" pressures and state standards, Mary Cowhey's book Black Ants and Buddhists: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differently in the Primary Grades will reignite the passion and remind you that educators provide more than test prep. Starting her career as a community activist, Cowhey shares her roots and how they influenced her Peace Class, where she asks her students to think critically, learn through activism and discussion, and view the entire curriculum through the framework of understanding the world, and what they can do to make it a better place. Woven through the book is Mary's unflinching and humorous account of her own roots as well as lessons from her heroes: Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, Jr, and others. Her students learn to make connections between their lives, the books they read, the community leaders they meet, and the larger world. Black Ants and Buddhists offers no easy answers, but it does include starting points for conversations about diversity and controversy in your classroom, as well as in the larger community. Students and teachers investigate problems and issues together, in a multicultural, antiracist classroom.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571104186
• ISBN13: 9781571104182
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Teacher's Perspective

This is a great book, hard to put down!!! She writes mainly about her days, and important things to keep in mind as a teacher. As a teacher myself, reading this book gave me new insight into various lessons and children's thinking. It also was an affirmation piece, which I feel is important to teachers once in a while to remind us that we are doing the right things.

Excellent book for teachers

I would recommend this book to anyone teaches or works with children. This such an inspirational book with great ideas. I think every superintendent all the way down to the para-professionals need to read this book. It will totally change your way of thinking... for the better.

Best Book Ever on Teaching

I have just finished one of the best books about teaching that I have ever read. It is written by a teacher of first and second graders, but the work she does with these culturally, linguistically,and economically diverse children goes far beyond the work covered in most high school AP courses. Whether you are a teacher or not, whether you teach first grade or graduate school, I highly, highly, highly recommend this book.

A future teacher

I own this book and used it during my master's classes in education. It is a wonderful text to get you thinking about the different ways social studies and the world can be presented to your students while still meeting standards. I highly recommend it just for the sheer joy of the love of teaching Mary Cowhey teaches us!

This book is Great!!!

I am learning so much about learning styles and how to really help the kids to understand what you are teaching. It's great.