Using picture books to develop language and literacies in HASS

It is difficult to think of anything more widespread and enduring than the lure of a good story. It is the warp and weft that weaves old, young, rich and poor of different cultures together and enables the opening of new worlds, concepts and understandings of past, present and future. We can empathise, imagine and live vicariously through stories that are an inseparable part of who we are as human beings. History documents these stories based on evidence interpreted through different lenses over time; Geography lends its knowledge to significance of place, space, time and perspective, providing context and reason; and Civics and Citizenship stories help us to understand our roles and responsibilities, as we seek models of the heroes and heroines found in a good story.
For this chapter, a broad view of literacy has been adopted, one that defines it as a social practice that involves teaching learners how to participate in, understand and gain control of the literacy practices embedded within society (Winch et al. 2004). Inherent within this definition, Luke and Freebody (1995, in Winch et al. 2004, p. xxxii) also suggest that education is ultimately about building identities, cultures, communities, institutions and the types of citizens needed for an effective society. Therefore, a literate person has the tools to live and work for the common good of society and understand the implications of their actions. This chapter examines the integrated nature of literacy in HASS through the inclusion of picture books to open and explore issues relating to HASS.