[in Ideas Plus, Book 15. 1997. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, pp.31-33]

Multicultural Book Collage

I teach in a large suburban district in which the majority of students are white and come from upper-middle-class families. Although many are well-traveled, most have limited experiences with people of other ethnic backgrounds. To encourage my seventh-grade students to learn more about other cultures, I assign a multicultural book project.

I begin by talking a little bit about the word "multicultural" to get the students thinking about culture and its importance in our lives. Next, I bring in a wide selection of multicultural books from the media center. I also pull books from my shelves and display them around the room. I give a brief booktalk for each and then allow students to select books to read. I usually give the students about three weeks to read their books.

While they are reading, the students keep journals. I give them a list of questions and ask that each student have five entries by the time he or she is finished. The questions are meant to elicit thinking about culture and the similarities and differences between the students' lives and the lives of the characters. Below is a partial list of questions I provide to stimulate students' thinking and writing.

1. What connections are there between the book and your own life?
2. What is the author saying about life and living in your book?
3. How have your views changed after reading this book?
4. What has this book helped you to understand more fully?
5. What cultural differences are there between you and the main character in this book?
6. Although the main character and you are from different cultures, what similarities exist between the two of you?
7. What fascinates you about the culture(s) presented in this book?
8. What are the differences in the educational process as experienced by the character in this book and as experienced by you?
9. What is the main conflict in this book? Is it internal or external? In what way does the culture presented in this book affect the conflict or problem?
10. If you were the main character in this book, how would you have handled the conflict or problem?

Each student also fills in a Venn diagram as he or she reads. The left side is labeled with the student's name, and the right side is labeled with the main character's name. The differences between the student and the character are listed in their respective circles. Where the circles overlap, the student lists similarities.

Creating Collages

When the students have finished reading their books, writing their journal entries, and filling in their Venn diagrams, they are ready to create their collages. The students use poster board; clippings from magazines, catalogs, and brochures; photographs; and sometimes three-dimensional objects in creating their collages. The students must clearly demonstrate the connections made between the books and their lives. They must address the similarities and the differences between themselves and the main characters in their books. The items should represent aspects of culture, but I also allow other artifacts.

The title of the book, along with the author's name, must also be clearly visible. Some students have chosen to create collages shaped as Venn diagrams. Others have taken their collages and shaped them into symbols of importance to their books. For example, one student who read Journey of the Sparrows by Fran Leeper Buss arranged her pictures, words, and clippings into the shape of a bird. Another student, after reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, cut a large circle from poster board and divided it into three pieces, two sections for differences and one for similarities.

Students then present their collages to the class. Students begin by introducing themselves. They must address the similarities and the differences between themselves and the main characters, the main conflict in the book, and the theme. I also want them to share with the class what they learned and/or what they found fascinating about the cultures. These carefully crafted, colorful collages are then posted around the room and in the hallways for others to appreciate.

My students find they have much in common with their peers from other cultures. When they begin to relate to the characters in their books, their interest in reading increases. Many books go unread until they are introduced and students have had a chance to read, understand, and share their understanding with their classmates. The most effective motivator is the other students in class who have read these books and are excited about what they have read.

Scott Slomsky
Liberty Junior School
Middletown, Ohio