Cultural Journeys

Multicultural Literature for Elementary and Middle School Students

Pamela S. Gates and Dianne L. Hall Mark

As multicultural education is becoming integral to the core curriculum, teachers often implement this aspect into their courses through literature. However, standards and criteria to teach and promote active discussion about this literature are sparse. Cultural Journeys introduces pre-service and experienced teachers to the use of literature to promote active discussions that lead students to think about racial diversity. More than just an annotated list of books for children, Pamela S. Gates and Dianne L. Hall Mark provide systematic guidelines that teachers can use throughout their careers to evaluate multicultural literature for students in grades K-8. At the same time, the text leads the reader to a deeper understanding of how to use multicultural literature throughout the entire curriculum and not just during specially designated months or time periods. With the example unit plans and extensive annotated bibliography, this book is a valuable resource that pre-service teachers will utilize when they begin teaching and in-service teachers will reference repeatedly during their planning periods.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 258 • Trim: 6 x 9⅛

978-1-4422-0687-8 • Paperback • August 2010 • $46.00 • (£35.00)

978-1-4422-0688-5 • eBook • August 2010 • $43.50 • (£33.00)

Subjects: Education / Elementary, Education / Multicultural Education, Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Language Arts

Cultural Journeys

Multicultural Literature for Elementary and Middle School Students

Paperback

eBook

Summary

As multicultural education is becoming integral to the core curriculum, teachers often implement this aspect into their courses through literature. However, standards and criteria to teach and promote active discussion about this literature are sparse. Cultural Journeys introduces pre-service and experienced teachers to the use of literature to promote active discussions that lead students to think about racial diversity. More than just an annotated list of books for children, Pamela S. Gates and Dianne L. Hall Mark provide systematic guidelines that teachers can use throughout their careers to evaluate multicultural literature for students in grades K-8. At the same time, the text leads the reader to a deeper understanding of how to use multicultural literature throughout the entire curriculum and not just during specially designated months or time periods. With the example unit plans and extensive annotated bibliography, this book is a valuable resource that pre-service teachers will utilize when they begin teaching and in-service teachers will reference repeatedly during their planning periods.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 258 • Trim: 6 x 9⅛

978-1-4422-0687-8 • Paperback • August 2010 • $46.00 • (£35.00)

978-1-4422-0688-5 • eBook • August 2010 • $43.50 • (£33.00)

Subjects: Education / Elementary, Education / Multicultural Education, Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Language Arts

Author

Pamela S. Gates is professor of English and the Interim Dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences at Central Michigan University.
Dianne L. Hall Mark is professor of education and dean of the William L. Spadoni College of Education at Coastal Carolina University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Acknowledgments
Chapter 3 1. Why Do We Study Multicultural Literature?
Chapter 4 2. Defining Literary Standards
Chapter 5 3. Picture Books
Chapter 6 4. Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Tall Tales
Chapter 7 5. Historical Fiction
Chapter 8 6. Nonfiction: Biography, Informational Texts, and Autobiography
Chapter 9 7. Realistic Fiction
Chapter 10 8. Poetry
Chapter 11 9. Creating the Climate for Success
Chapter 12 Appendix: Additional Cultural Resources and Unit Plans
Chapter 13 Bibliography
Chapter 14 Index
Chapter 15 About the Authors

Reviews

In Cultural Journeys, Pamela S. Gates and Dianne L. Hall Mark offer an accessible, thorough, and imminently current overview of both multicultural texts written for children and young adults and the issues and scholarship that surround such texts. In orienting their overview through structuralist terms and the genres of children's and young adult literature, Gates and Mark's representation of the field effectively captures and engages students' attention in the college classroom.
— Gretchen Papazian, Central Michigan University

Building on the didactic power of literary engagement, the book helps readers develop multicultural literacy and become enticed to explore the world of diverse realities around us. The textbook provides a great pathway for anyone seeking to engage in experiences outside their own cultural schemata as they examine the foundations of pluralism through literary genres. The rich resources and thoughtful analysis provided by the authors have a great pedagogical appeal to users of the book.
— Mahmoud Suleiman, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Educational Studies Department, California State University, Bakersfield

...highly informative....This book is a textbook for teachers, with an emphasis on African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American literature, and as such does an admirable job in a relatively small space.
— VOYA, February 2007