#31 Multicultural Literature by Ann E. Bender

Objective:

Promote and facilitate the teaching of multicural literature in the classroom.

Materials:

Handouts entitled

• "Multiplicity"
• a bibliography

Procedure:

Present pre-service teachers with a handout entitled "Multiplicity". Discuss the purpose of incorporating multicultural literature in the classroom to:

• promote recognition of universal humanity
• help students learn about ideas and values of other people
• develop an understanding of power struggles in a pluralistic society
• realize that all cultures have signigficance in our society

Discuss how to choose multicurtural literature on the basis of

• authenticity
• authority
• literary excellence

Using the book list on the remaining four pages of the handout, the pre-service teachers will choose a book, read it, and prepare an annotation to share with the teacher and classmates giving a review of the book and including its strengths and, if any, weaknesses.

Assessment:

pre-service teachers will share their annotations in largr-group discussion, provide class with individual copies, also turn in a copy for assessment by instructor.

Why do we use multicultural literature?

Why do we teach different cultures in our classroom? To promote a recognition of universal humanity.

From James Zarillo, "our goal shouid be to help children learn about ideas and values of other people"

Students need to develop an understanding of power struggles in a pluralistic society. Teachers should not "focus" on differences.

Multicultural education is not trendy.

We teach to discover that all cultures have significance in "our" society.

How do we choose multicultural literature?

When choosing literature for the classroom the teacher needs to be concerned with issues of authenticity, authority and~literary excellence. A discussion after reading should not focus solely on a holiday, food or custom. As teachers we need to consider our own biases. Teach each perspective with an equal emphasis.

Turning on Learning by Carl Grant and Christine Sletter(1989)New York: MacMillan

• presents models on how a lesson plan can be made more multicultural.

Picture Storybooks

• A is for Asia by Cynthia Chin Lee - Asian Alphabet Book
• Alejandro's Gift by Richard E. Albert - Hispanic
• Beardream by Will Hobbs - Native American
• Chato's Kitchen by Gary Soto - Hispanic
• The Day Gogo Went to Vote by Elinor Sisulu - South Africa
• The Farlitos of Christmas by Rudolpho Anay - Hispanic
• Frida Maria by Deborah Lattimore - Hispanic
• In My Pocket by Dorith M. Simm  
• W.W. II In Rosa's Kitchen by Campbell Greeslin - Hispanic
• Kele's Secret by Tolowa M. Molle - African
• La Vieja Letivia Y el Monte de los Pesares by Nicholasa Mohr - Hispanic
• Ma Dear's Aprons by Patricia McKissak - African American
• Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice by Sylvia Rose Casanova - Multi
• More Than Anythina Else by Marie Bradby - African American
• Nirn and the War Effort by Milly Lee - ChineseAmerican
• All the Colors of the Earth - Multi
• Sam and the Tigers by Julius Lester - African Arnerican
• Tailypo by Angela Shelf Medearis - African Arnerican
• The Talking Cloth by Rhonda Mitctell - African
• What's in Aunt Mary's Room? by Elizabeth Howard - African American
• White Socks Onlv by Evelyn Coleman - African American
• Worksong by Gary Paulsen - Multi

Chapter Books

• Buried Onions by Gary Soto - Hispanic-mature
• The Captive by Joyee Hansen - African
• Crazv Weekend by Gary Soto - Hispanic
• Danger Zone by David Nass - Multi
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros - Hispanic
• Junebug by Margaret Mead - African Ameriean
• Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen - African American
• Novio Boy by Gary Soto - Hispanic-PLAY
• Parrot in the Oven mi vida by Victor Martinez - Hispanic-mature
• Run for vour Life by Margaret Levy - African American
• Shadow of the Dragon by Sherry Garland - Vietnamese
• Shadow of the Red Moon by Walter Dean Myers - African American
• Search for the Shadowman by Joan Lowry Nixon - Texan
• Sound the Jubilee by Sandra Forrester - African American
• Thundercave by Roland Smith - Native American African
• True North by Kathryn Lasky - African American
• Yolanda's Genius by Carol Fenner - African American
• The Watson's Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curds - African American
• Words bv Heart by Ouida Sebesten - African American

Non Fiction

• Bill Pickett by Andrea Pickney - African American
• The Life and Death of Crazy Horse by Russell Freedman - Native American
• Maya Angelou Journey of the Heart by Jayne Pettit - African American
• One More River To Cross by Walter Dean Myers - African American
• Red Tail Angels by Patricia and Frederick McKissack - African American
• Up in the Air by Philip S. Hart - African American
• Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull - African American
  • *Chelsea House Biographies  

Poetry

• A Fire in My Hands by Gary Soto - Hispanic
• Brown Angels by Walter Dean Myers African - American
• I Feel A Little Jumpy Around You selected by Nye and Janeczko - Multi
• Neiahborhood Odes by Gary Soto - Hispanic
• Soul Looks Back in Wonder by Tom Feelings - African American
• This Same Sky selected by Nye - Multi

References

Duff, O. and Tongchinsub, H. (1990). "Expanding the Secondary Literature Curriculum: Annotated Bibliographies of American Indian, Asian American, And Hispanic Literature." English Education, Vol. 22 (4), 220-40.

Grant, C. and Sletter, C. (1989). Turning on Learning. New York: MacMillan.

Oliver, E. I. (1994). Crossing the Mainstream: Multicultural Perspectives in Teaching Literature. Urbana, Illinois: NCTE.