Picturebooks allow pupils to explore a social issue from a distance, first by raising awareness, then by developing understanding and then by moving towards informed involvement. Despite the seriousness of the topic, the selected picturebooks include a strong verbal or visual message of hope and illustrate the importance of individuals and the community showing kindness and taking action. The picturebooks discuss socio-economic disparity with a sense of respect and empathy and thus offer a suitable stepping stone to raise awareness amongst learners and to develop an emotional connection to the issues addressed in the picturebooks.   This 5-day course (30h) has been divided into two parts: Day 1-3:

• Lead by Gail Ellis and Tatia Gruenbaum, participants will explore picturebooks which address the theme of hardship and resilience.
• Participants will discover and discuss the picturebook-selection process, the development process of the British Council lesson series and the 3P pedagogical framework.

Day 4-5:

• Lead by specialised trainers, these two days are dedicated to hands-on application. Participants will select a picturebook which aligns with the theme and develop their own lesson plan.
• Participants will prepare and present a picturebook-based PELT lesson plan based on the examples given in British Council resource ‘Exploring Social Issues’ by Gail Ellis and Tatia Gruenbaum.

The course will be delivered in a collaborative teaching setting and involves practical, hands-on and interactive activities, which are developed around examples of resources. This includes an array of picturebooks on display for book browsing. The trainers aim to create a relaxed and safe learning environment which offers participants opportunities to share ideas and experiences.