Multicultural Literature in the K8 Classroom

1
Multicultural Literature in the K-8 Classroom

• L Taylor
• Ocean County Library
• Fall 2008

2
What is multicultural literature?
3
An umbrella term that may include

• International Literature
• African American Literature
• Native American Literature
• Hispanic/Latino(a) Literature
• Asian/Pan Pacific American Literature
• Inclusive Literature (Jewish, GLBT, Arabic,
  disability, etc.)

4
Why is it important in the classroom?
5
Multicultural Literature
6
Expands horizons,

• In schools often segregated by lines of color
  and class, literature may present one of the few
  opportunities for all students to encounter
  people of different racial, ethnic, and
  socio-economic groups. (Rudine Simms Bishop)

7
Affirms identity,

• We have a whole generation growing up without
  ever seeing themselves in print. What does it
  mean if you dont see yourself in books? There is
  a strong connection between images and identity
  (Pat Mora)

8
Builds bridges

• Cultural diversity is a strength for building
  powerful learning contexts, not a problem to be
  solved. Difference, not sameness, makes a
  classroom and society strong. (Kaser and Short,
  1998)

9
Multicultural Literature can

• Provide knowledge or information
• Offer varying perspectives
• Span the curriculum
• Promote or develop an appreciation for diversity
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Provide enjoyment!
• Sonia Nieto (1992) (Sims Bishop, 1997)

10
What determines cultural authenticity in
literature?
11
Look for

• Authentic and balanced characters
• A setting consistent with a historical or
  contemporary time
• Themes, values and illustrations consistent with
  those of the specific culture
• Rich cultural details

12

• A celebration of diversity as well as common
  human bonds
• An in-depth treatment of cultural issues
• Characters who interact substantively and
  authentically
• Minority characters included for a purpose, not a
  quota

13

• A story that invites reflection, critical
  analysis and response
• A book that meets generally accepted criteria of
  quality for its genre
• An appealing format and enduring quality
• (Source Sylvia Vardell, TWU 2007)

14
How can you determine cultural authenticity?
15
Look for

• Authors and illustrators respected within the
  culture
• Books that have won cultural awards
• Well known multicultural publishers
• Reviews by persons or groups within the cultural
  group

16
Authors and Illustrators
17
Selected Authors and Illustrators

• INTERNATIONAL
• Mem Fox
• Graeme Base
• Dick King-Smith
• J.K. Rowling
• AFRICAN AMERICAN
• Mildred Taylor
• Virginia Hamilton
• Jerry Pinkney

• HISPANIC AMERICAN
• Gary Soto
• Pat Mora
• George Ancona

18

• NATIVE AMERICAN
• Joseph Bruchac
• Paul Goble
• Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
• ASIAN AMERICAN
• Laurence Yep
• Allen Say
• Yoshiko Uchida

• INCLUSIVE (OTHER)
• Naomi Shihab Nye
• Eric Kimmel

19
Awards
20
Selected Awards

• HISPANIC AMERICAN
• Pura Belpre
• http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrant
  s/bookmedia/belpremedal/index.cfm
• The Americas Award for Childrens and Young Adult
  Literature
• http//www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLACS/outreach/americas.ht
  ml
• Tomas Rivera Mexican American Childrens Book
  Award
• http//www.riverabookaward.info/?tanon

• AFRICAN AMERICAN
• Coretta Scott King
• http//www.ala.org/ala/emiert/corettascottkingbook
  award/corettascott.htm
• INCLUSIVE
• Schneider Family Book Award
• http//www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Sectionawardstem
  plate/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfmConten
  tID161878
• Stonewall Book Awards
• http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/glbtrt/stonewall/
  stonewallbook.htm

21

• NATIVE AMERICAN
• Native American Youth Services Award
• http//aila.library.sd.gov/activities/youthlitawar
  d.htm
• INTERNATIONAL
• Hans Christian Andersen Award
• http//www.ibby.org/index.php?id273
• Mildred L. Batchelder Award
• http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrant
  s/bookmedia/batchelderaward/batchelderabout/index.
  cfm

• ASIAN AMERICAN
• Asian Pacific American Award for Literature
• http//www.apalaweb.org/awards/awards.htm

22
Noted Publishers
23
Selected multicultural publishers

• INTERNATIONAL
• Kane/Miller Publishers of Foreign Childrens
  Books
• http//www.kanemiller.com/
• HISPANIC AMERICAN
• Arte Publico Press
• http//www.latinoteca.com/app-home

• AFRICAN AMERICAN
• Just Us Books
• www.justusbooks.com
• Jump at the Sun
• http//www.jumpatthesun.com

24

• ASIAN AMERICAN
• Lee and Low Books
• http//www.leeandlow.com
• NATIVE AMERICAN
• Fulcrum Publishing
• http//www.fulcrum-books.com/

• INCLUSIVE
• AWAIRArab World and Islamic Resources and School
  Services
• http//www.awaironline.org/index.html

25
Insider Reviews
26
Selected review sources

• NATIVE AMERICAN
• Oyate
• http//www.oyate.org
• ASIAN AMERICAN
• Asia for Kids
• http//www.afk.com

• INTERNATIONAL
• International Board on Books for Young People
  (IBBY)
• www.ibby.org

27
Additional Resources

• HISPANIC/LATINO(A)
• Texas State Library Día de los Niños, Día de los
  Libros
• http//www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/ninos/conte
  nts.html

• NATIVE AMERICAN
• Cynthia Leitich Smith
• http//www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/index.html

28
Using multicultural literature in the classroom
29
Ocean County teachers can use multicultural
literature to expand students horizons.

• Consider the following statistics

30
Minority population percentages in Ocean County
as compared to the State of New Jersey
31
Classroom suggestions

• ART use picture books for older readers to
  introduce artists or art techniques
• Frida Kahlo biography, Javaka Steptoe books

• SOCIAL STUDIES use historical fiction to
  introduce the minority viewpoint in important
  events
• Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich , An Innocent
  Soldier by Josef Holub, Samir and Yonatan by
  Daniella Carmi

32

• SCIENCE use books that introduce a minority
  viewpoint or minority contribution
• The Earth Dragon Awakes The San Francisco
  Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep complements
  the study of plate tectonics, earthquakes

• MATH use multicultural books to introduce
  counting in the lower grades
• Just a Minute A Trickster Tale and Counting Book
  by Yuyi Morales

33

• LANGUAGE ARTS introduce multicultural books for
  book reports assignments, poetry, theme-related
  studies
• In Daddys Arms by Javaka Steptoe, The Afterlife
  by Gary Soto, A Step from Heaven by An Na

• FOREIGN LANGUAGE use picture books, poetry or
  short stories to introduce foreign cultures
• Marimba! Animales from A to Z by Pat Mora,
  Baseball in April by Gary Soto

34
Acknowledgments

• Information for this presentation was adapted
  from the following sources
• Dr. Sylvia Vardells Multicultural Literature for
  Children class, Texas Womans University, Summer
  2007 www.twu.edu
• US Census Bureau http//quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/
  index.html
• TeacherTube www.teachertube.org

Please continue to the final slide
35
A final argument for the increased use of
multicultural literature in the classroom

• What is the Holocaust?
• Be sure that sound and internet access is
  enabled, then click link
• This eye-opening video from TeacherTube ends the
  presentation.