Multicultural Resources for the Classroom
Television/Media1. Maya and Miguel TV Show and Activities
- The television show was created by PBS and can be found online as well as printable activities and online games to use in the classroom. The show uses both Spanish and English in each episode and the characters are from several different cultures. 2. Word Girl on PBS Kids - The main character of this show is the superhero Wordgirl, a grade schooler who uses her knowledge of the English language to rid the town of villains. This show is meant for children in the younger grades, no older than first grade, and teaches children grade relevant vocabulary. The show also features a great role model for young girls with a strong female superhero 3. SciGirls on PBS Kids - This show films preteen girls working in fields that are typically male, such as mathematics, engineering, and technology. The show covers topics from wind power to archaeology. The series focuses on encouraging teamwork and exploration in young children, as well as challenging the way girls view engineering and technology. 4. Shrek released April 22, 2001, directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson - Teaches children that everyone is different and the importance of being yourself. Articles1. Toward A Conception of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management by: Carol S. Weinstein, Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, and Mary Curran
- This article focuses on how teachers need to be aware of the cultural differences in their classroom when making decisions about classroom management. The article focuses on the disconnect when creating expectations in a classroom where the teacher and students come from different cultural backgrounds. The idea of culturally responsive classroom management (CRCM) is discussed as well as five ways for teachers to become culturally responsive in their management techniques 2. Cultural Minority Children’s Learning within Culturally-Sensitive classroom teaching by: Mariane Hedegaard - The article focuses on the disadvantages that cultural minority children face in the classroom because they do not have generations of ancestors who grew up in the main society. The article then talks about two teaching experiments that took place New York City and Denmark. The experiment in New York was an afterschool project with Puerto Rican children and the second in Denmark was a school project with Palestinian boys. Both projects aimed to create a form of teaching that created a positive identity for the children, was meaningful, and contributed to the children’s acquisition of knowledge and skills. The article goes into details on what was done in each experiment and the results Academic Books1. Classroom Strategies for Helping At-Risk Students by: David R. Snow
- This book talks about several studies that focused on what is being done in classrooms to help students who are at risk of failure or dropping out of their schools. The book focuses on effective methods being used in the classroom to help those students succeed. The book analyzes research that has been done and each strategy that has been effective in the classroom to give teachers more resources to help those students who are at risk because of their backgrounds or home environment. 2. Strategies and Lessons for Culturally Responsive Teaching by: Roselle Kline Chartock - The book contains 40 culturally responsive teaching strategies that can be used in the classroom. Also, there are over 40 different lessons plans in the book that can be adapted to all grade levels 3. A School Like Mine: A Unique Celebration of Schools Around the World By Penny Smith and Unicef, Zahavit Shalev: published on July 1, 2007 – Discusses the differences between school days in different countries, children discuss their lives, views, and hopes for the future. 4. Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority by Tim Wise: Published January 10, 2012 – addresses white anxiety about culture shifts displacing their power and privilege, and offers ideas on how to move forward. 5. Multicultural Education Issues and Perspectives by James A. Banks and Cherry A. McGee Banks: Published September 8, 2009 - consists of articles written by the top scholars in the field. It helps them understand the concepts, paradigms, and explanations needed to become more effective practitioners in culturally, racially and language diverse classrooms. Each chapter incorporates new theoretical, conceptual, and research developments in the field, also on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.6. What If All the Kids Are White? Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families (2nd edition) by Sparks and Ramsey. Published March 30, 2006 – addresses teaching a class of white children about multiculturalism. In addition to exploring multiculturalism this book includes activities for families and staff, reflection questions, a review of white anti-racism activists, lists of suggested children’s books, and organizational and website resources. 7. Teaching and Learning in a Diverse World: Multicultural Education for Young Children by Ramsey Published October 2004 (third edition) – This book defines multicultural teaching and learning and includes activities to challenge children's assumptions on: Racial Bias, Social Class and Consumerism, Perspectives on Cultures and the Natural World, Gender and Sexual Orientation, and Ability and Disability. |
Classroom Activities1.My Family Rocks!
- This activity begins by having students look for a picture in a magazine or newspaper or a family to share with the class. Then students are asked to stand up for each description that describes a family, the teacher will have a list of descriptions, students should stand up for each description. The end of the activity involves students drawing pictures of their own families to display throughout the classroom. 2. We Are All Unique - Read the book People by Peter Spier to the class and then pass out worksheets for the students and pair them up. Students will then have to write down on the worksheets physical traits of their partner, without talking. Then partners can share non-observable traits such as hobbies and favorite things with each other. At the end of the activity children will then write down name cards for their partner and what they have learned about their partner during the lesson. 3. Our Bodies and the Media - Students will work together in a group to create a poster about how the media affects their bodies. They can look at how technology affects the amount of exercise or activity they get in a day and also sort different technologies based on the activity level. Also, students can role play about what is challenging about exercise and finding different ideas to suit their needs. This lesson promotes diversity because children can learn to accept each other based on their physical appearances, regardless of their appearance, and to understand that exercise should not focus on improving the appearance but is meant to make students feel good about themselves. Children's books1. All Kinds Of Children by Norma Simon, published January 1,1999
- Presents the things that all children over the world have in common, including their need for food, clothes, people to love them, and the opportunity to play. 2. Black Is Brown Is Tan by Emily Arnold McCully and Arnold Adoff: published in 1973 - this book explains how everyone is a different color and all the colors together create a rainbow. 3. Nappy Hair by Joe Cepeda published January 7, 1998 – an empowering story about a young girl with nappy hair and how her hair got to be that way. 4. Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Egmont, 2009. 32 pages. - Ages 5 – 9. A Young African American/Black boy is figuring out his identity and learning about himself. Good for learning about individuality and uniqueness. 5. Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. Morrow/HarperCollins, 2000. 32 pages. - Ages 5 – 8. Discusses a Native American/American Indian girl and cultural dances. Story about persistence and chasing after a dream. This story would be good for teaching about strong women as the main characters are women portrayed positively and strong. 6. Grandparents Song by Sheila Hamanaka. HarperCollins, 2003. 32 pages. - Age 7 and older. Discusses a girl who explores her ancestry and grandparents’ cultures. She learns that her grandparents have come from multiple countries including Ireland and Africa. She finds that all of these backgrounds make her who she is today. 7. Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children by Sandra L. Pinkney and Myles C. Pinkney - Age 4 to 8. This book is a photo album of a variety of multiracial children who are all different shades and colors. The book specifically focuses on multiracial African American children. Their skin tones, different hair textures, and eye colors. The end message is that every child is unique and beautiful. Professional Development Organizations1. Ed Change (www.edchange.org) - This organization is composed of a team of passionate, experienced, established, educators dedicated to equity, diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice. Their website has information about competency trainings and workshops hosted by the organization. There is also multicultural research and publications on their website.
2. www.naeyc.org - The National Association for the Education of Young Children website has many multicultural articles and book recommendations for teaching multiculturalism. 3. Project Race - http://www.projectrace.com/ - This is a website with the goal to advocate for multiracial teens, adults, and children throughout the country. The site includes suggested books that accurately represent the experiences of multiracial children in the United States. Also, the website is campaigning for representation of expressing their multiracial identity on government and medical forms instead of having to choose only one of their racial backgrounds. Music1. “You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song”- Ella Jenkins. Label: Smithsonian Folkways.
- A CD with 15 tracks of international songs that encourage song and dance. It exposes students to many sounds of various cultures. Can be found and purchased on Amazon. 2. “World Playground CD” –Putumayo. (1999) Label: Putumayo World Music. - A collection (12 tracks) Label: of world music for kids that takes children and their families on an inspiring musical and cultural journey around the world. |