Multiculturalism: Celebrate It Through Reading 365 Days a Year

Multicultural Web Resources

Resources for promoting multiculturalism through literature in the classroom abound on the Internet! They don't call it the World Wide Web or nothing! Browse for a bit at any of the following sites and you’re sure to find ways to open windows on the world for your students.

• Celebrating Cultural Diversity through Children's Literature contains links to annotated bibliographies of children’s multicultural books appropriate for the elementary grades (kindergarten through grade six). Cultural groups currently listed include: African Americans, Chinese Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, and Korean Americans.
  www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/
  
  
• The Multicultural Pavilion by Paul Gorski features teacher resources, original essays and articles, educational equity information, classroom activities, Listserv, poetry, songs, film reviews, and more.
  http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/index.html
  
  
• Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese,"Examining Multicultural Picture Books for the Early Childhood Classroom: Possibilities and Pitfalls," Early Childhood Research and Practice, Fall 2001, vol. 3, no. 2.
  http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n2/mendoza.html  
  
  
• Mary Northrup, "Multicultural Cinderella Stories," Book Links, May 2000, vol. 9, no. 5.
  www.ala.org/ala/booklinksbucket/multicultural.htm
  
  
• The Multicultural Review is dedicated to a better understanding of ethnic, racial, and religious diversity. Features articles and book reviews.
  www.mcreview.com/index.html
  
  
• Culture for Kids offers products for teaching about languages and cultures, but also includes a Multicultural Holidays and Events calendar on its Web site.
  www.cultureforkids.com/resources/multiculturalcalendar.tpl?cart=1088047347812367
  
  
• Students can take the "Culture Quest World Tour" from the Internet Public Library.
  www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/cquest/
  
  
• "How to Choose the Best Multicultural Books" article from Scholastic Instructor with leads to 50 great books, plus advice from top educators, writers, and illustrators on how to spot literature that transcends stereotypes.
  http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/multicultural.htm
  
  
• Scholastic offers tips, lesson plan ideas, and ready-to-go activities in its Teachers' Timely Topics for Multiculturalism and Diversity.
  http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/diversity/index.htm
  
  
• The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) offers booklists for middle and high school readers.
  www.alan-ya.org/
  
  
• Judy McDonald, "A Multicultural Literature Bibliography," The ALAN Review: Spring 1996, vol. 23, no. 3.
  http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/spring96/mcdonald.html
  
  
• With the online Scholastic activity, "Global Trek," students can read and learn about countries around the world and share thoughts, feelings, and opinions with students from other nations and cultures through "Classport," an electronic classroom exchange.
  http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/classport_tips.asp
  
  
• From K-Read School and Library Promotions, a bilingual word search that incorporates English and Spanish words into literacy-themed word find at
  http://www.kread.com
  
  
• At Reading Online, learn more about "Bilingual Books: Promoting Literacy and Biliteracy in the Second-Language and Mainstream Classroom" from Gisela Ernst-Slavit and Margaret Mulhern.
  http://www.readingonline.org/articles/ernst-slavit/  
  
  
• English/Spanish bilingual books booklist for children from the Fairfax County, Virginia, Public Library.
  https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/reading/elem/bilingualbooks.htm
  
  
• Interested in what other countries do to promote reading and literacy? Visit http://www.ekebi.gr/main21/xi.html for names, addresses, and Web sites for reading promotion organizations from around the world.
  
  
• At the Global Café, a partnership between the Peace Corps and NewsHour Extra, teens can find out what it is like to go to school in Lesotho, Africa, or check out world views from other countries at
  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/globalcafe/peacecorps/.
  
  
• Building Bridges: A Peace Corps Classroom Guide to Cross-Cultural Understanding includes short, adaptable lesson plans and activities for grades 6-12 that build cross-cultural awareness, respect, and communication in the classroom.
  http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/bridges/index.html
  
  
• "The International Peace Museum" developed by students at Indian Hill Primary School in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers a look at being a new student in a new country and at its International Day celebration at
  http://www.ih.k12.oh.us/ps/PEACE/Eastwing.htm

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Adapted from November 2000 NEA Today interview with Joseph Breuchac, Abenaki storyteller, publisher, and children's book author, and the 2005 NEA's Read Across America Member Kit.

From chapter 5 of NEA's C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps at http://www.nea.org/teachexperience/careguide.html

Related Links

Diversity Resources -- These resources cover such topics as civil rights, tolerance, diverse schools, and educating teachers for diversity.

Reading & Literacy Resources -- These resources include links to comprehensive reading Web sites, events, pamphlets, series, tips, and research articles and longer documents.