Multicultural Literature
A Guided Study Group for Teachers
Introduction
pretest
Overview
Objectives: Your objectives are to consider the following overarching components through a survey of..
- Exploration: What is multiculturalism?
- Engagement: How does multicultural literature benefit students?
- Environment: How can I ensure my classroom and school is an environment that celebrates and supports diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures?
- Education: How can I incorporate multicultural literature in my instruction?
- Evaluation: How can I continue my personal + professional growth in the area of multiculturalism?
Activity 1:
Think about your own upbringing and how it has shaped your perceptions today.
Consider any sterotypes or biases you might possess? Would they have any affect on the choices you make in your instruction?
SESSION 1: EXPLORATION
What is Multiculturalism?
Simply put. Multiculturalism is a body of thought about the proper way to respond to diversity. It moves beyond good intentions into the realm of being culturally aware and responsive to the needs of others who are different from you. In order to truly embrace, celebrate, value, and be responsive to diversity one must first see the differences.
Let's watch a short video entitled: Why you shouldn't say "I don't see color".
Activity 2:
Excerpt:
"Failure to see and acknowledge racial differences makes it difficult to recognize the unconscious biases everyone has. Those biases can taint a teacher’s expectations of a student’s ability and negatively influence a student’s performance. Study after study has shown that low teacher expectations are harmful to students from socially stigmatized groups." This quote was taken from an article from an online magazine entitled Teaching Tolerance. It explores "racial colorblindness" or the idea that ignoring or overlooking racial + ethnic differences promotes racial harmony.
Take a few minutes to discuss this with a colleague this idea of "racial colorblindness". Does it exists? What effect might seeing color or not seeing color have on your instructional decisions?
SESSION 2: ENGAGEMENT
You have explored multiculturalism and hopefully have began to think about your classroom and just how diverse it truly is. You may be wondering how you might start your students down the road to becoming more eager to learn and grow. You can prepare them to be active members in our ever expanding global society but first they must be engaged. We must make a concerted effort to start a fire inside of every student for the desire to learn and grow but it all starts with a spark.
Let's watch a short video about engaging students in the classroom.
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
A colorful picture book that is rich in symbolism. It uses a fence to represent the racial divide that many might argue is still very prevalent today.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
An award winning novel about a 16 year old African-American male who goes on trial for felony murder.
The Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine
This historical fiction novel is set during the cultural revolution in communist China and tells the story of a young girl + her family facing persecution.
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Written in a series of short impressionistic scenes, this book could support a unit of study about the social issue of the exploitation of children because it is about a thirteen-year-old girl who is “sold” into prostitution.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Young Esperanza begins an entirely different life than the one she is accustomed to after her father, a wealthy land owner, is killed. As a new immigrant to America she has a lot to learn.
Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
An absolutely heart wrenching memoir of a young boy who was captured and made to fight in a rebel army.
Saraswati's Way by Monika Schroder
An inspirational novel about a young Indian boy who has a gift with numbers and wants to study math.
Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone
The story of 13 women pilots who were true pioneers of the space age.
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
A novel about the romantic relationship between two 17-year-old New York City girls.
Instructional Strategy:
An instructional strategy you might consider using with your students is pairing fiction and non-fiction text. You could use this as a basis, for example, to demonstrate how to compare and contrast.
In the following video we will review the book, Encounter by Jane Yolen, another historical fiction picture book and use what we already know about Christopher Columbus to compare and contrast what we learned about the Taino people.
Tip: Picture books are a great way to engage students and introduce a topic. The full-color spreads and shorter length make them a less intimidating alternative.
Activity 3:
Additonal Titles:
Asian Experiences:
The Stone Goddess by Minfong Ho
So Far from the Sea by Eve Bunting
Native American Experiences:
Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac
Hispanic/Latin American Experiences:
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Experiences:
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
Middle Eastern Experiences/Immigrants:
Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Coming to America: A Muslim's Family Story by Bernard Wolf
What other titles can you think of?
SESSION 3: ENVIRONMENT
Activity: 4
How can you ensure your classroom and school is an environment that celebrates and supports diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures?
Before we answer that question, let's take an observation walk around your entire school. List the examples of different cultures represented in the wall art, in books displayed, on bulletin boards etc. Share your list with a partner.
Celebrate + support diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures in your classroom.
- Initiate Book Clubs
- Pair multicultural fiction + non-fiction text
- Team up with colleagues and host a multicultural fair
- Invite a guest speaker to talk to your class about a diverse topic
- Incorporate mulitculture literature into your instruction
- Have students create flags from many countries to display
- Display a variety of books about diverse topics
- What other ideas can your group think of?
- Chose two ideas you will consider using in your classroom.
7 Steps to Book Club Success
Let's take a more indepth look at one of the suggestions from your list above. If you decide to initiate book clubs with your students here are 7 steps to help you be successful:
- Locate + select appropriate books (several copies)
- Introduce the books to students
- Ask students to prioritize their choices
- Form groups of 4 to 6 students
- Provide time for reading and written responses
- Conduct weekly book club meetings
- Reflect on participation + extend learning
You may want to help students create good discussion questions and keep all the books and discussion cards in a bag students can get to easily.
SESSION 4: EDUCATION
"Who has set the table?"
BROWN HONEY
My mother says I am
Brown honey in broomwheat tea
My father calls me the sweetwater
of his days
Yet they warn
There are those who
Have brewed a
Bitter potion for
Children kissed long by the sun
Therefore I approach
The cup slowly
But first I ask
Who has set the table
~Joyce Carol Thomas (1993)
Selecting + Evaluating Literature
This next session is less about censoring bad books and more about learning to "read the signs of race, class, and gender". It's about asking the question Joyce Carol Thomas asks above, "Who has set the table?" This poem reflects the question we should ask when selecting literature for our students. We should want to know who has set the table or in other words, who the writer is and what is being offered? What are they trying to help you see or realize? Understand? This will help answer the tough questions that are sure to arise.
Let's read a portion of our selected text Using Multiethnic Literature in the K-8 Classroom by Violet J. Harris. As you read, highlight problems + limitations + considerations in selecting literature for people of color. Discuss this with colleagues.
Reference: Harris, V. (1997) Using multiethnic literature in the K-8 classroom. Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc. Pgs. 6-14