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ERIC Number: ED162945
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1978
Pages: 10
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Evaluating Multiethnic Materials.
Garcia, Jesus
The problem of identifying good ethnic studies materials is a result of the large amount of materials produced in the 1960s and of the currently renewed interest in ethnic studies. Four types of materials are available to elementary classroom teachers: ethnic information, single-ethnic approaches, minority or European-ethnic approaches, and multiethnic approaches. Ethnic information materials highlight a certain group's achievements. Although designed for enrichment purposes, this material occasionally distorts the image of the targeted group. Materials include coloring books, calendars, folk tales, and family history projects. Single-ethnic approaches include group histories written from an ethnic perspective. However, groups are often portrayed from a "problems perspective" and in contrast to white Americans. Learning packets such as "Chinese Americans Past and Present" (Association of Chinese Teachers, San Francisco) and "An Album of Jews in America" (Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, New York) are examples. Minority or European-ethnic approaches present experiences of more than one ethnic group and usually outline the uniqueness and similarities among groups. However, separateness is often given greater emphasis. Examples are the filmstrips "American Children" (Children's Book and Music Center, Los Angeles) and "The Toymaker" (Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith). Multiethnic approaches present a realistic and balanced view of groups. The aim is to present the pluralistic nature of society as positive. Two learning kits are "Ethnic Heritage: A Living Mosaic" (J.C. Penney Company, New York) and "Multicultural Understanding" (Riverside Unified School District, California). The process employed when selecting any ethnic materials is similar to the one used when selecting other materials: the teacher must match the learner with the appropriate materials. (KC)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at Annual Meeting of National Council for the Social Studies (Houston, Texas, November 22-25, 1978)