Young children have a keen awareness of what is fair. Statements like, “she got more ice cream than me!” or “I should get to stay up as late as he does!” signify their observations of and disdain for how people are treated differently. Educators can bring content into the classroom that capitalizes on this predilection for justice. The trade book Speak Up (2020) written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Ebony Greenby takes students through a collection of relatable scenarios that offer opportunities for children to “speak up” to make things better. In this K-1 inquiry, we use the trade book to consider the compelling question, “When should I speak up?” Students learn how fictional children speak up in the story and then learn the stories of actual child activists who have spoken up in big ways. Students then apply this learning to their lives and decide, as a class, how to speak up about a school problem.
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