Bibliography: Multicultural Education

Bibliography: Multicultural Education

Equity Pedagogy

Allen, B. A. & Boykin, A. W. (1992). African American children and the educational process: Alleviating cultural discontinuity through prescriptive pedagogy. School Psychology Review, 21(4), 586-596.
The authors propose nine dimensions of African American culture that can be observed in African American youth. They are: a.)spirituality, b.) harmony between humans and nature, c.) movement expressiveness through an interplay of movement, rhythm, percussiveness, music, and dance, d.) verve or responsiveness to high levels of stimulation and variability, c.) affect, an emphasis on emotions, d.) communalism, or social connectedness, e.) expressive individualism, a development of distinctive personality and spontaneous behaviors, f.) orality, and g.) social time perspective in which time is contextual and social. In this research article Allen and Boykin point to ways that these cultural characteristics affect learning and instruction.

Banks, C. & Banks, J. (1995). Equity pedagogy: An essential component of multicultural education. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 152-158.
The authors propose the need for instruction to reflect the cultural background and learning styles of students, actively involve students in knowledge construction, and to develop skills of a just, multicultural, and democratic society. The transformation of education on all levels is needed to accommodate this type of "equity" pedagogy.

Banks, J. A. (1997). Teaching strategies for ethnic studies. (6th edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

This book is a comprehensive resource and presentation of a multicultural curriculum using an interdisciplinary-conceptual approach based on concepts which stimulate multicultural thinking. Banks covers fundamental ideas of multicultural education such as the use of multiple perspectives, the levels of integration of multicultural content in curriculum, canon reform, and social transformation and social action as a form of multicultural education. The conceptual material is particularly appropriate for middle and high schools, but teachers of children even as young 3rd graders may adapt the concepts to suit the knowledge and abilities of their students. Chapter one provides background on ethnicity in the United States and the purposes of a multicultural curriculum in an ethnically diverse society. In chapters two through four is an explanation of Banks' model for multicultural conceptual learning, including forms of knowledge, key concepts, and guidance for planning the curriculum. Chapters five through thirteen provide concepts, strategies, materials, and histories of Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, African Americans, European Americans, Jewish Americans, Arab Americans, and diverse ethnicities among Asian and Hispanic Americans. Chapter fourteen includes examples of conceptual multicultural curricula with assessments and evaluation. The appendices contain a wealth of resource materials for teachers and students.

Bell, Y. R. (1994). A culturally sensitive analysis of black learning styles. Journal of Black Psychology, 20(1), 47-61.

Bell claims the dichotomy of rationality and affect is the cause of the low academic achievement many African American students experience in public schools. She suggests that the aspects of African American learning styles which are based on diunital logic-an integration of the processes of the left and right hemispheres of the brain, of analytical, affective, and intuitive stimuli conflict with the predominant instructional styles in the U. S. educational system in the U. S., which is driven by analytical and abstract thinking processes.

Darder, A. (1995). Buscando America: The contribution of critical Latino educators to the academic development and empowerment of Latino students in the U.S. In C. E. Sleeter and P. L. McLaren (eds.) Multicultural education, critical pedagogy, and the politics of difference. Albany: State University of New York Press.

A comprehensive discussion of the issues surrounding the teaching and learning of Latino students from a critical multicultural perspective. The chapter includes descriptions of the difficulties faced by Latino students and an explanation of what they need to be successful.

Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1990). Literacy for Empowerment: The Role of Parents in Children's Education. New York: The Falmer Press.

This book documents a study of how a group of Spanish speaking parents became involved in their children's education. Twenty families from the Portillo School District near Santa Barbara California participated. The author provides the reader with a strong theoretical background of literacy development, both in the classroom and at home. She investigates home literacy-related activities, which focus on cognitive development and knowledge transmission through such activities as folktales and family discussions.
The second half of this book looks at the ways in which limited-English-speaking parents can assist their children at home and become more involved in their children's schools. Delgado-Gaitan shows how homework can become a significant vehicle for parental involvement. She accounts for the ways in which a school in her study made efforts to get these parents involved by trying to promote better communication between school and family. She goes on to explain how the Spanish speaking parents took on a leadership role within the school, organizing a committee for Spanish speaking parents within the district. This book provides some insightful information for any teacher or school administrator interested in getting their limited-English-speaking parents more involved in their children's education.

Dyson, A. H. & Genishi, C. (Eds.) (1990). The need for story: Cultural diversity in classroom and community. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English.

This series of articles by diverse authors explores the centrality of narrative and storymaking to the ways that children organize ideas, construct meaning, and express themselves. The authors examine the language and stories of children of diverse cultural backgrounds and the ways in which teachers influence and react to those experiences. Dyson and Genishi hope that the information will help teachers to be more sensitive to what children tell about themselves and their lives through their stories and to use children's stories to more effectively teach the children of diverse cultural backgrounds.

Fradd, S.H. & Weismantel, M.J. (1989). Meeting the Needs of culturally and linguistically different students: A handbook for educators. Boston: College-Hill Press.

This book offers recommendations for implementing changes within schools so as to create an environment that promotes success for multicultural and multilingual students. Topics include the development and evaluation of goals, involvement of families with diverse cultural backgrounds, and how to promote school collaboration and cooperation.

Gay, G. (1987). Expressive ethos of African-American culture. In G. Gay and W.L. Baber (eds.) Expressively Black: The cultural basis of ethnic identity. (pp. 1-16). New York: Praeger Publishers.

This chapter may give educators an understanding of the ways in which meaning is made through cultural practices of African American expression. Gay discusses the African American preference for emotionality, an emphasis on interpersonal relationships, an interest in the process at hand, a holistic approach to environmental stimuli, a penchant for spontaneity and improvisation, and a sense of style and performance.

Gonzalez, V., Brusca-Vega, R., & Yawkey, T. (1997). Assessment and instruction of culturally and linguistically diverse students with or at-risk of learning problems. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon.

This resource is designed to help teachers in working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. The primary focus is on the assessment and instruction practices that are most beneficial to these diverse populations. Topics include understanding the needs and characteristics of these populations, approaches to instruction and assessment, and recommendations for working with the families of these students.

Hernandez, H. (1997). Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms: A teacher's guide to context, process, and content. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

In this book the author provides useful information for teachers of multilingual and multicultural classrooms. Topics include language and literacy development, language sensitive content instruction, and recommendations for teaching in multicultural and multilingual classrooms.

Krashen, S.D. & Terrell, T.D. (1983). The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom. Englewood Cliffs: Alemany.

This book gives an excellent account of how language is both acquired and learned, and is intended for teachers of both foreign and second language learners. The authors introduce their topic with a description of language development and explain some of the more basic principles of this process. After providing an overview of the theories of language development, Krashen and Terrell outline the implications of second language acquisition theory within the classroom. They provide the reader with guidelines for using the Natural Approach in the context of the classroom. They delineate the stages of language development and discuss ideas for working with students at these different stages in relation to organizing curriculum, classroom activities, and classroom management. This book offers ideas for integrating reading and writing into the language acquisition process, and also presents how media sources, such as television and radio, can assist in developing a second language. The authors conclude with recommendations for testing second language learners within the context of the Natural Approach environment, and suggest ideas for modifying lessons to meet the needs of different age groups.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American Children. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

This book focuses on the culturally relevant and successful teaching of African American children. Ladson-Billings uses the experiences of eight classroom teachers as a lens through which to analyze and compare traditional and culturally relevant teaching practices. She explores themes such as the social interactions between teachers, teachers' conceptions of knowledge, and the way teachers teach literacy and mathematics. Ladson-Billings explores cultural connections and community ties that these teachers hold and demonstrates how these relationships impact the education of their students. Finally, she suggests simple changes within the school structure that would enhance the academic achievement of African American students. Anyone interested in successfully teaching African American students can learn a great deal from the insightful work of this African American scholar who studied the teaching and learning process.

Ladson-Billings (1992). Liberatory consequences of literacy: A case of culturally relevant instruction for African American students. Journal of Negro Education. 61(3), 378-390.

Ladson-Billings advocates culturally grounded instruction for African American students. In a study of successful teachers of African Americans she observed an approach to literacy that incorporated holistic, socio-political learning in which the students became a part of a learning community, aware of their ability to construct knowledge and meaning, and secure in the role they play in the future of their own lives, as well as in the life and future of their community.

Larke, P. J. (1992). Effective multicultural teachers: Meeting the challenges of diverse classrooms. Equity & Excellence. 25( 2-4), 133-138.

This article discusses the need for effective multicultural teachers, posits a strategy for developing them, and presents characteristics of and strategies commonly used by effective multicultural teachers. To support her claims, Larke presents statistics which demonstrates the increasing population of students of color, while teacher education programs primarily prepare pre-service teachers to work with White middle-class students. She continues by highlighting strategies pre-service and inservice programs can design to help teaches develop necessary skills. The final section of the article provides an example of a research study on The Minority Mentorship Program, a training program in which pre-service teachers were trained to work with diverse student populations.

Meacham, Jack.(1996) Multiculturalism in Higher Education. American Behavioral Scientist, 40(2). Sage Periodicals Press.

This publication sets for itself two goals. First, it seeks to provide foundational knowledge about multicultural education which is essential for informed and effective teaching. Second, it provides thoughtful discussion of the challenges that frequently arise in classroom teaching for faculty who are seriously engaged in teaching about diversity and multiculturalism. Its exploration of some of the many dimensions of multicultural and diversity education eschews a confrontational stance; instead it offers readers encouragement to move forward in their teaching from the starting point of what is intellectually sound within their academic discipline and what is pedagogically sound within the practice and profession of teaching (p.114).
Although written for an audience engaged in teaching within higher educational settings, this volume is a rich source of information which would be equally suitable for secondary teachers who wish to accept, value, and learn from the richness and the integrity of the multiple perspectives offered through multiculturalism.

Nelson-Barber, S. & Estrin, E. (1995). Bringing Native American perspectives to mathematics and science teaching. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 174-185.

The authors present the concept of ethnomathematics, which acknowledges that all cultures use mathematical concepts to understand the world. Using the Navajo concept of time and space, they contest the notion of the inferiority of those culturally based mathematics and scientific ways of knowing which are not based on the Western model. They present a model for using ethnomathematics and ethnoscience in the classroom.

Nieto, S. (1996). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. White Plains: Longman Publishers.

Sonia Nieto takes us through several case studies that reflect on the sociopolitical context of multicultural education. Her text is divided into to three major themes: I. Approaches and Definitions, II. Developing a Conceptual Framework, and III. Implications of diversity for teaching and learning in a multicultural society. Each of these areas lays out the terrain where Nieto seeks to make a difference in how diverse cultures are viewed and addressed within society and within schools. Nieto takes a critical approach to addressing school reform, student voice, the impact of culture on learning and several other key factors that affirm the diversity of experiences that take place within schools and communities. Nieto's research is a powerful piece that teachers would find provocative and thoroughly useful in their exploration and deepening their understanding of issues of diversity. She addresses many concerns about students who have been marginalized within the schools and society because of their cultural backgrounds by bringing student culture and school experience to the forefront of the discussion of student academic and cultural success.

Perry, Theresa & Fraser, James W.(1993). Freedom's plow: Teaching in the multicultural classroom. New York: Routledge.

Freedom's Plow starts with the premise that if our national vision of democracy includes all the nation's peoples, then our multicultural education must be at the heart of our educational system. This book explores ways in which schools can and must be agents of democracy in an increasingly diverse United States.
The book is divided into four parts. Part I explores the theoretical context and the editor's the concept of schools as multiracial/multicultural democracies. In Part II, the voices of practicing teachers from different ethnic and racial backgrounds are heard as they reflect on the theory and practice of multiculturalism. These teachers talk of their daily struggle with the possibilities, constraints, and dilemmas they face as they attempt to create a multicultural democracy. Part III features a collection of essays designed to help new teachers enter into a conversation about multiculturalism, and alternative perspectives on newly emerging, contemporary and traditional disciplines. Part IV focuses on the structures -- institutional systems of power and perspectives -- which are needed if schools are to emerge as agents of social justice and democracy. In this section we are reminded that while urging schools to act as if the new community had arrived we must be constantly vigilant and work against the effects of oppression and stratification which are the status quo in all to many American schools.
This book represents an excellent introduction to the field, including both theory and practice, and offers a resource for teachers interested promoting and building that which has never before truly existed--a fully democratic school.

Reyhner, J. (Ed.). (1992). Teaching American Indian Students. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.

This book is a collection of articles which address several topics surrounding the education of K-12 Native American youth. It is divided into five content sections which include 1.) Multicultural Education, 2.) Instruction, Curriculum, and Community, 3.) Language Development, 4.) Reading and Literature, and 5.) Teaching in the Content Areas. Issues that occur across the chapters are the need for pedagogy that empowers Indian Students and the ways that culture and language influence their education. Examples of instructional methods and suggestions for Native American content material in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and physical education provide resources for teachers of Indian and non-Indian children alike.

Shade, B. (1981). Afro-American cognitive style: A variable in school success? (Report No. ED 21157). Washington DC: National Institute of Education.

In examining studies of cognitive, perceptual, conceptual, and personality styles Shade determined that significant differences exist between the learning styles of African American students and the demands of schooling. She cites scholarship which shows that the successful teachers of African American students need to be relational and affective-oriented rather than task-oriented, and for instruction to be child-oriented.

Shade, B. J. (1992). Engaging the minds of African American youth. The NABSE Journal. 1(1), 42-45.

Shade has developed a list of six essential factors about the learning style preferences for African American learners. She speaks to the alienation and hopelessness of African American learners and presents four suggestions for the transformation of the educational system in order to engage African American learners: 1.) More effort must be made to teach content-skills, understanding, and knowledge than to teach behavioral conformity. 2.) Teaching strategies must be reoriented to permit discovery and problem solving than short circuiting the cognitive engagement of African American children. 3.) The bias in materials used in teaching African American children must be removed. 4.) African American students must be assigned teachers whose personal characteristics and teaching style are congruent with that of the student.

Shor, 1. & Freire, P. (1987). A pedagogy for liberation: Dialogues on transforming education. New York: Bergin and Garvey.

This book is a powerful piece where Paolo Freire and Ira Shor engage in a critical discussion about culture and politics. This piece will be extremely useful for teachers who are seeking to actively involve themselves and their students in dialogues that move everyone to critically think about their relationships with school, community and the larger society.

Sleeter, C. (Ed.) (1991). Empowerment through multicultural education. Albany: State University of New York Press.

This collection of writers present the ideas of multicultural education organized in three parts: 1.) Schooling and the disempowerment of children from oppressed groups; 2.) Strategies for empowerment through education; and 3.) Empowerment and teacher education. The first section covers the ways in which the system of education affects the learning of poor children, working-class girls, African American students, and how the reified knowledge of schooling alienates youth. Suggestions for concrete changes in educational practices are provided in each of these chapters. Part two presents empowering techniques that teachers may use to create successful educational experiences for students using experiential, cooperative learning, and social action models, as well as looking at the importance of the language of the students in their learning. The third section includes two chapters on the knowledge that student teachers need as they enter the teaching profession

Tate, W. (1995). Returning to the root: A culturally relevant approach to mathematics pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 166-173.

Tate presents a model for teaching mathematics to African American students that incorporates the lives and issues that confront the students in their communities. Thus, the mathematics curriculum is constructivist, culturally relevant, and a social action enterprise based on problem posing, research, and empowerment of the students.

Valdes, G. (1996). Con respeto: Bridging the distances between culturally diverse families and schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

This book is wonderful ethnographic piece discussing the power of Mexican and Mexican American culture and their experiences with education. Valdes challenges us with the lives of Mexican immigrants and poses questions that move us to critically think about school systems and interventions that often do not work culturally nor socially for this cultural group. This text is useful examining diverse cultures and the impact that one's family has on the kind of education one will experience.

Content Integration

Day, F. A. (1994). Multicultural voices in contemporary literature: A resource for teachers. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

This book is an excellent resource for teachers who want to know about the multicultural authors who write books for children. A photograph and brief biography of each author, a bibliography of their work, and synopses of selected works with suggestions for use in the classroom give educators the information needed to use fine multicultural literature and deepen and broaden new and established sensitivities to writing styles, language subtleties, and world views of these diverse authors. The appendices are also rich resources which include the authors birthday, addresses, engaging optional activities, assessment plans, and other resources for educators and parents.

Ellis, R. (1996). Multicultural theatre: Scenes and monologs from new Hispanic, Asian, and African-American plays. Colorado Springs: Meriwether Publishing.

Ellis explains the history, politics, and trends of multicultural theater. The scenes and monologs are brief, but profound explorations of issues appropriate for use with adolescents.

Gordon, B. (1993b). Black Aesthetic: Reconstructing classroom pedagogy as alternative narratives for teachers and students. Theory Into Practice, 32(4), pp. 219-227.

Gordon points to the need to create curricula that teach Black children how to critically view the messages of the dominant society by learning African American history and culture. Only with a knowledge of their own culture can African American students more equitably reconstruct how they have been represented in the past and create a more positive future.

Harris, Violet J. (1993). Teaching multicultural literature in grades K-8. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.

In the introduction to this edited volume, Violet Harris writes, "...these chapters are not diatribes, nor are they intended to evoke guilt. The are intended to serve as catalysts for sharing [multicultural] literature Convinced that the literacy achievement of all children would improve if they could see themselves in the books they read, Harris sets about the task of raising all teachers' awareness of the multiple and diverse which are available and suitable for classroom instruction.
Harris has included chapters by experts in children's literature by and for a particular ethnic group who also are of that particular ethnicity in order to gain insider's perspectives. In addition, Harris herself writes about the politics of children's literature and the special challenges faced by nonwhite authors. She sees the demand for multicultural books as a part of an interpretive war, a long struggle to ensure that important narratives such as history and literature do not remain exclusively in the hands of 'people in charge'". For teachers who take seriously their social responsibility to provide young people with multiple viewpoints and perspectives, this volume will be an invaluable resource.

Miller, S. M. and McCaskill, B. (1993). Multicultural literature and literacies: Making space for difference. New York: SUNY Press.

This book represents a multidisciplinary dialogue on the challenges which often emerge in classes of multicultural literature. Does literature serve a humanizing function? Can it assist in social transformation? What role does literature play in identity development, creating community, and achieving a global perspective? The authors of these thirteen chapters thoroughly explore the methods by which educators, creative writers and policy makers have constructed working models of teaching literature in multicultural classrooms. One unique feature is the inclusion of essays by writers who give voice to the nationalistic, economic, empowering, and moral purposes that reading and writing serve. The book also includes a current guide to select resources in multicultural literature which may encourage and support teachers to transform their own literature courses into multicultural ones.

Ovando, C.J. & Collier, V.P. (1998). Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts. Boston: McGraw Hill.

Although written for ESL and bilingual teachers, this book is a good resource for all educators who work with nonnative English speakers. The authors offer insight and recommendations for integrating language and culture into all of the content areas.

Rogers, Theresa & Soter, Anna O. (1997). Reading across cultures: Teaching literacy in a diverse society. New York: Teachers College Press.

Reading Across Cultures is a collection of essays that explore the confluence of reader response theory and multicultural literature and cultural studies. If offers stories and insights gained from a range of students, teachers and classrooms engaged in expanding the canon to include divers representations from the many diverse groups who inhabit American society.
This book includes a number of notable features, including an application of reader response theory to issues that arise when teaching multicultural literature, real-life vignettes from actual elementary, secondary and teacher education classrooms, and an extensive discussion and listing of multicultural literature for children and young adults. It represents an excellent resource for both veteran and beginning teachers who wish to explore the complexity of reading, writing, interpreting and critiquing literature in the context of both our increasingly culturally diverse classrooms and our broader pluralistic society.

Slaight, C. & Sharrar, J. Multicultural scenes for young actors. Lyme, NH: Smith and Kraus.

This book is a collection of scenes from plays for adolescents written by culturally diverse playwrights. The scenes help young people to explore issues, such as friendship, betrayal, dreams, the loss of virginity, love, and other topics that are central to their lives and development.

Southern, E. (1983). The music of Black Americans: A history. New York: WW Norton & Company.

A rich account of the culture and people who created the music which shapes U.S. culture, from its rhythmic beginnings in Africa to jazz, gospel, blues, and rhythm and blues. An excellent resource for any teacher who wants to connect with African American students through their music.

Takaki, Ronald.( 1993). In a different mirror: A history of multicultural America. New York: Little, Brown.

In In a Different Mirror, Ron Takaki offers a retelling of American history from the perspective of the many groups whose narratives have been absent from Anglo-centric accounts. He begins with the seventeenth-century arrival of the English strangers on America's shores as witnessed by Powhatans of Virginia and Wapanoags of Massachusetts. From their he turns his gaze to Africans brought against their will to serve as slaves, Irish women who came seeking work in factories and as maids to wealthy Euro-Americans, Chinese immigrants in search of Gold Mountain who labored on the expanding railroad, Japanese who came and labored in the cane fields of Hawaii and the farms of California, Jews who fled the persecution of Europe, and Latinos who could rightly claim, We didn't cross the border; the border crossed us. This rich volume decenters history in a way that gives substance to the perspectives of the many ethnic groups who make up the tapestry of American history.
It is Takaki's stated hope that by enabling all people to see their histories through a different mirror Americans might finally come to understand that America belongs to no single group or race, and that Americans have constantly redefined their national identity from the moment the first European set foot on Virginian soil.

Zinn, H. (1995) A people's history of the United States: 1492-present. New York: Harper Perennial.

Howard Zinn tells the story of the people of the United States who were confronted by oppression and struggled throughout the history of the country to create a more equitable and democratic society. Beginning with the first meeting of the Native Arawak Indians with Columbus' expedition and ending with the Clinton administration Zinn narrates the history of conflict between those who use the power of wealth and those who resist oppression. He presents an iconoclastic view of history that is full of surprises to those who have been taught with the typically uncritical history curriculum infused with the mythology of the superiority of rich White males. Zinn relates the motivations of the ruling elite as well as the experiences of women, people of color, youth, and working people as they construct democracy against great odds. This is an excellent resource for those who are working to transform their thinking to a more multicultural world view, for history teachers and adolescents.

Knowledge Construction

August, D. & Hakuta, K. (Eds.). Educating language-minority children. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.

This report summarizes some of the research findings on instructing K-12 nonnative English speakers. Topics of interest include the learning of a second language, literacy development and content learning, the social context of learning, and student assessment. The final chapter discusses the implications for creating an environment that gives ESL students equal access to academic and social opportunities, both within the classroom and school wide.

Banks, J. A. (1993). The canon debate, knowledge construction, and multicultural education. Educational Researcher 22(5), 4-14.

Banks presents a working definition of knowledge and challenges the traditional notion that knowledge is neutral and its principles are universal. He argues that world views and knowledge are shaped by race, social class, gender, and other contextual experiences. Numerous examples are provided from a variety of literature to support his claims. One of the most valuable components of the article is Banks' presentation of A Knowledge Typology. He describes and shows the dynamic relationship between five different types of knowledge: personal and cultural knowledge, popular knowledge, mainstream academic knowledge, transformative academic knowledge, and school knowledge.

Delpit, Lisa (1995). Other people's children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.

At the start of the new millennium, over forty percent of our nation's students will be ethnic minorities, yet over 85% their teachers will be White and female. In this radical and incisive analysis of this situation where teachers are teaching other people's children Delpit suggests that many of the academic problems experienced by children of color are actually the result of miscommunication and misinterpretation. Schools, grounded as they are in the language and traditions of mainstream America, may not readily understand the varied cultural backgrounds, discourse traditions, and values of those children they seek to teach. This cultural mismatch, claims Delpit, represents an imbalance of power and the dynamics of inequity which results in a school system that may be more successful with children whose home culture is congruent with that of the teachers, which is reflected in the curricula and instructional methods used in most classrooms.
What must be done to help teachers and students better understand one another? How can teachers be convinced to stop expecting less of certain children? Drawing upon her extensive teaching experience both in public K-12 settings and in higher education, Delpit uses her analysis of cultural clashes in the classrooms from Alaska to Philadelphia to explore the dynamics of race in our schools. She suggests changes in attitudes, knowledge, and skills of teachers, which must occur if we are to give all our children the cultural currency they need to productively participate in the larger society.
This is perhaps the single most influential book currently written to help White teachers to understand how foreign public schooling often seems to non-Anglo students and teachers. Delpit writes passionately and convincingly of all teachers' need to see schooling through the eyes of the others whose children they seek to educate.

Gay, G. (1978). Ethnic identity in early adolescence: Some implications for instructional reform. Educational Leadership. May, 649-655.

This article describes the conflicted nature of the development of ethnic identity for early adolescents. Gay suggests that youth of color are pressured to conform to the values and standards of their ethnic group, and to the demands of the macro culture. She suggest that the development of ethnic identification is essential and both the process and products of education should reflect their ethnicity and culture.

Gopaul-McNicol, S. & Thomas-Presswood, T. (1998). Working With linguistically and culturally different children: Innovative clinical and educational approaches. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

A large portion of this book is written for mental health professionals who work with culturally and linguistically diverse children. However, it offers some excellent chapters which describe the language learning process, and explains how this process can influence the achievement of second language learners. There are also some ideas given as to how teachers can approach instructing these second language learners in the classroom.

Howard, G. R. (1999). We can't teach what we don't know: White teachers, multiracial schools. New York: Teacher's College Press.

Howard writes about his process of transformation in the 25 years of his development as an educator. He examines how his own racial identity development as a White educator in multiracial communities and schools altered his teaching and approach to social justice. Beginning with little contact with or understanding of cultural differences, he then developed a "missionary" stance of helping people of color with an unconscious agenda of White superiority. He ultimately became a critical multicultural educator. An implication of his work is that self knowledge is a major aspect of transformation and states that "Whites need to acknowledge and work through the negative historical implications of "Whiteness" and create for ourselves a transformed identity as White people committed to equity and social change." His experiences and reflections may provide guidance for the many educators who face similar dilemmas and stages of development.

Landrine, H. & Klonoff, E. (1996). African American acculturation: Deconstructing race and reviving culture. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Landrine and Klonoff assert that variations in the cultural beliefs of African Americans and other ethnic minorities can be understood through the perspectives of acculturation, the extent to which ethnic minority people participate in the beliefs and values of the dominant society. They suggest that African American patterns of acculturation range from a traditional cultural stance, which incorporates little of mainstream culture, to bicultural, as the middle position, to being fully acculturated, which connotes total assimilation.

This book will be helpful for any educator who wants to understand how culture informs the cultural development of African Americans and any ethnic minority group member who is not newly immigrated. Landrine and Klonoff's research on acculturation may help educators to understand some of the social differences among African American and other ethnic minority children, which can help them to more effectively educate these students.

Newby, Robert G. (1995). The bell curve: Laying bare the resurgence of scientific racism. American Behavioral Scientist, 39(1) Sage.

This Special issue of the American Behavioral Scientist is devoted to an examination of The Bell Curve by Hernstein & Murray (1994). It adjudges both the book's findings and the assumptions upon which it rests to be spurious. This volume is composed of a collection of essays and critiques from a wide variety of perspectives, including multidisciplinary analyses by authors including two anthropologists, a psychologist, a political scientist, a philosopher, and three sociologists.

The volume begins with a discussion of the concept of race and its lack of validity, especially when used to understand an equally contested concept of IQ. Upon this foundation the remaining articles build a solid critique of The Bell Curve, concluding that this represents a deeply flawed study which seeks to justify and legitimize the growing inequity in the US class and race structure by making claims that the widening breach is a result of merit, not discrimination and economic exploitation. It offers evidence aplenty that perhaps the master's tools may, after all, be of some value in dismantling the master's house.

Sleeter, C. E. (1996). Multicultural Education as social activism. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Sleeter argues that multicultural education is a social movement born of resistance and describes the theories, practices, and politics of the field. She primarily relies on her own experiences as she examines the development of White racial identity, a multicultural consciousness, the perspectives and experiences of teachers who were trained and then attempted to teach multiculturally. The conceptualization of knowledge, its construction, and the way various positions (gender, political affiliation, race, and class) interplay and influence knowledge is a powerful theme throughout the book. She challenges the common thought that multicultural education is not relevant in the area of science by providing a chapter which highlights the way in which to teach science for social justice. The final chapter is a synthesis of various techniques, the rationale, and possibilities of multicultural education.

Prejudice Reduction

Anti-Defamation League (1996, August). The first day of school. A world of difference. Lesson plan presented at the August Institute, Migrant and Bilingual Education conference, Pasco, WA. Contact ADL National Headquarters at (212) 885-7700.

This lesson plan, recommended for grades 2-4, seeks to help students look at and consider the problems that students with limited English proficiency face in schools.

Banks, J. A. (1997). Educating citizens in a multicultural society. New York: Teachers College Press.

This fascinating book examines how educators can blend a discussion between citizenship education and multicultural education to provide students with more opportunities to examine culture, race, class and gender within social and school contexts. Dr. Banks leads readers through a series of essays that are provocatively written to challenge us to develop pedagogy, curriculum and democratic/culturally conscious students.

Derman-Sparks, Louise and Phillips, Carol Brunson Phillips. (1997). Teaching/learning anti-racism: A developmental approach. New York: Teachers College Press.

The authors of this text have been successfully teaching anti-racism to adults for over twenty years. Based on their own classroom experiences with this most volatile issue, Sparks-Derman and Phillips offer a guide to promoting anti-racist attitudes, behavior, and identity. They integrate course content with methodology and student writings to highlight the sometimes rocky journey they and their students have taken from pro-racist consciousness to anti-racist action.
This book is much more than a how to manual for teachers who wish to confront issues of racism in educational settings. By combining critical reflection on the lived reality of their teaching experience, Derman-Sparks and Phillips give us a valuable longitudinal case study of intervention.

Adams, Maurianne, Bell, Adams, Lee & Griffin, Pat (Eds.). (1997). Teaching for diversity and social justice. New York: Routledge.

In the preface of this book, Maurianne Adams writes, "This is the book we wish we had available when we began teaching courses on issues of oppression twenty years ago. It addresses both the theoretical and practical challenges that confront teachers who introduce diversity and social justice content in their classrooms. It begins by examining the theoretical foundations and frameworks for their work, first by defining some key concepts such as social justice, social justice education, oppression, and identity. The authors also offer a solid examination of both conceptual foundations and pedagogical frameworks which support their work.
The authors then provide a number of curriculum designs for addressing diversity and social justice, including single issue courses which target specific manifestations of oppression including racism, sexism, heterosexism, anti-Semitism, and ableism, as well as a designs for multiple issues courses. All lesson plans come with complete instructions, including time estimates, alternative plans, assessment components, and accompanying readings and resources for both teachers and students. They end this volume with two chapters which address the need for teachers to know well both themselves and their students, then offer specific strategies for doing so.
This is by far the most comprehensive book of its type on the market today. It is a wealth of possibilities that teachers who are committed to diversity and social justice might readily incorporate into their classrooms.

Fine, M., Weis, L., Powell, L.C., & Wong, L.M. (1997). Off white: Readings on race, power, and society. New York: Routledge.

This book is a positive text that explores issues of Whiteness in ways that cause us all to examine the different cultural and racial perspectives of race, power and society. This book contains a series of essays about the construction of Whiteness and the relationship between Whites and others in this discussion about a multicultural society.

Katz, Judith H.(1950). White awareness: Handbook for anti-racism training. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.

White racism, declares Katz, is a white problem, one that is pervasive and virulent, damaging both its White agents and those whom it targets and oppresses. We must not," says the author, "place the burden of changing White attitudes and behavior upon the members of minority races. It is not their responsibility to tell us how to change. It is ours. And while this handbook was written for an audience of human relations personnel, it has much of value for educators as well.
After an introduction in which Katz situates new work within the field of human relations training, she first provides both her theoretical frame and an overview of her workshop lessons; she has then developed 46 separate lesson plans that progressively build toward anti-racist action. These lessons include clear instructions together with both lists of required material, anticipated time, and step-by-step instructions for facilitation. The Appendix features an excellent (if somewhat dated) list of available resources, including books, articles, tapes or recordings, and films suitable for all stages of anti-racist education. In addition, Katz lists organizations which provide additional resources on racism.
Despite its publication date, this is a resource that has aged well, perhaps because the problems it addresses are, unfortunately, as real today as they were when it was first published almost 50 years ago.

Kivel, Paul (1996). Uprooting racism: How people can work for racial justice. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Press.

Kivel, a White man, has written a how-to manual for White people who oppose racism and who want to move beyond rhetoric to anti-racist action. His tone is both gentle and provocative as he examines the dynamics of racism in our society, institutions, and daily lives, including a chapter titled "White Benefits, Middle Class privilege" which draws upon and extends Peggy Macintosh's work. Kivel also delineates the costs of racism to Whites, including the alienation so many Euro-Americans feel from their own ethnic heritage.
This book is an excellent primer for teachers who realize all anti-racism work must start with self-awareness of both the obvious and subtle manifestations of racism. Kivel helps build knowledge and awareness without blaming, and without resorting to tactics intended to provoke guilt.

Empowering School Climate

D'Amoto, J. D. (1993). Resistance and compliance in minority classrooms. In E. Jacob and C. Jordan (eds.) Minority Education: Anthropological Perspectives. Norwood: Ablex Publishing Corporation.

The author explains the dynamics between minority students, teachers, and the structures of schooling and society which lead to resistive behaviors among students. This is a chapter that every teacher should read to understand the dynamics of culture and resistance.

Fleming, M., Lyon, G., Oei, T., Henandez-Sheets, R., Valentine, G. & Williams, E. (1997). Starting small: Teaching tolerance in preschool and the early grades. Montgomery, Alabama: Southern Poverty Law Center.

This book represents a collection of stories by teachers of young children who share a common belief that children can learn to empathize with others. In her introduction, Vivian Paley defines empathy as understanding so intimate that the feelings, thoughts and motives of one are readily comprehended by another. Teaching empathy is the focus of each of the authors' chapters, describing their work as educators who teach empathy as a bridge across boundaries of difference. Each offers concrete ways to help children perceive and then communicate their commonality with others. These small steeps teachers can take within their classrooms support the goal of a more democratic society by helping children become kind and caring participants in a world that includes everyone.

Nieto, S. (1994). Affirmation, solidarity, and critique: Moving beyond tolerance in multicultural education. Multicultural Education, Spring, 1994.

In this article Nieto challenges the reader to critically analyze the ways in which multicultural education is conceptualized and implemented throughout an entire school culture. She provides a conceptual framework of multicultural education and then uses the lens of tolerance, acceptance, respect and affirmation, solidarity, and critique to present scenarios of four schools that epitomize various levels of implementation. In each instance she walks through the school and describes the ways in which visitors are greeted, the organization and structure of courses, the perspectives presented in the curricula, and the ways in which the diverse needs of the student population are addressed.

Wolk, Steven (1998) A Democratic Classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

A Democratic Classroom represents Steven Wolk's vision of classrooms that nurture both literacy and democracy simultaneously. Like Dewey, Wolk believes democracy is a way of life that embraces the ideals of community, empathy, responsibility, freedom, equality and critical consciousness. In this book he tells a story about how he helps his students learn democracy by living a democracy.
Wolk examines his notion of the classroom as a democratic community. He offers no quick recipes, nor does he paint a panacea. Instead he offers his critical reflections on the messy process of democracy in action, including such perennial tensions as freedom, control, and discipline.
Most valuable of all, Wolk demonstrates what a reflective practitioner looks and sounds like while practicing their craft. He views himself as a lifelong learner, and argues passionately that all teachers must ask questions, challenge assumptions, respect children, and understand the enormous roles we play in shaping children's minds and future society. Wolk combines both theory and practice, offering multiple examples of integrated curriculum projects and classroom experiences. This book is suitable for teachers at all grade levels who wish to question long held assumptions about teaching, learning and society, and create collaborative, learner-centered, constructivist, and democratic classrooms.

Wheelock, A. (1992) Crossing the tracks: How "untracking" can save America's schools. New York: W. W. Norton and Company.

Wheelock presents an analysis of why tracking is used and the problems that tracking causes for students, particularly children of color and poor children, and for society. What is most exciting about the book is that she provides a concrete plan for untracking, which includes such issues as talking to parents and gaining parental support, revisions of routines and schedules, and ways in which policy makers must be involved. She gives several examples of successful programs, curricula, and instructional methods which stimulate higher order thinking.

Wilbur, G. (1998). Schools as equity cultures. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 13(2), 123-147.

Wilbur argues that equitable school cultures are created only when teachers engage in a value-driven, criteria-based inquiry. Using teacher efficacy and reflection as a foundation, she demonstrates how teachers critique and present alternative approaches to their current practices. She presents an Equity Culture Model which provides guidelines for creating an equitable school culture. First, presented in the model are a set of student outcomes that teachers designed to ensure that students would be productive and contributing members of society. Second, are the value outcomes and the need for the teachers to model the values. The third guideline includes guiding questions that focus inquiry. Finally, there are questions in the model that are designed to shape teachers' daily decision-making within their classes.

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