In an effort to gain greater insights into bilingual and bicultural children's understanding of their cultural and linguistic identities, the authors embarked on a Where I'm From (WIF) multi-media poetry project. The WIF project has great potential and value for developing students' language and communication skills, and for exploring the meaning…

During a recent trip to South Africa, the author had an array of opportunities to experience the cultural, historical, political, and geographic landscape of the country. He was privileged to visit classrooms and to teach and interact with students and teachers. Through teaching some lessons on democracy and citizenship, the author learned that…

Ray, a preservice teacher in Indiana, and Maxine, a 35-year teaching veteran in Hawai'i, set up a pen-pal program for the third grade students in their respective classrooms, 4,000 miles apart. This pen-pal program, used in conjunction with children's literature and community and technology resources, brought about memorable learning experiences.…

The topic of migrant workers is commonplace among headlines in the national news, but such workers have been part of the United States economy for at least seventy-five years, as can be seen in decades of enrollment records in K-12 schools. In this article, the authors discuss an integrated unit of study which integrates language arts and social…

As elementary teachers who teach in a variety of settings--in rural, inner city, and medium-sized town schools, these authors were concerned that their young students were coming into their classes without a real respect and tolerance for cultural differences. They believed that lessons could be taught in the primary grades that would instruct…

This article examines the multifaceted issue of social justice and how children learn about their social reality. The authors begin with a brief discussion of the theory and move to the practice of teaching for social justice. They offer suggestions for classroom teaching using multicultural literature to help students move toward an expanded…

One can easily identify the United States of America by the Statue of Liberty, France by the Eiffel Tower, Egypt by its Great Sphinx, and China by its Great Wall. What do these landmarks tell people about these places? What are the characteristics of the place and culture that are symbolized by these landmarks? These questions can serve as the…

Students at all levels need to have opportunities to represent themselves in their work in ways that are meaningful to them. The Family Artifact Museum Project provides an opportunity for students to accomplish this as they bring their family stories into the classroom and see how the lives of ordinary people are part of history. This project came…

Illustrates how the transformation approach can be used to enhance the social studies curriculum. Describes a project where elementary students analyze primary documents and firsthand accounts of a shared, class experience in order to help them understand the role that cultural perspective plays in the recording of history. (CMK)

Believes that multicultural literature should focus on the diverse groups within society while also stressing the common similarities between human experiences in order to encourage students to connect with the characters, situations, and contexts presented in the books. Offers five areas of exploration and accompanying literature that identify…

Contends that many teachers do not educate elementary age students about prejudice because they lack access to appropriate resources. Provides teachers with an annotated list of curriculum, journals, and organizations they may use to help young students make connections between institutionalized prejudice, intercultural competency, and their own…

Describes a primary-grade curriculum unit organized around the theme of "giving thanks" and encompassing the holidays of Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, and Day of the Dead. Provides historical background and cultural context for each holiday, engagement activities, investigation activities, sharing activities, and a short list of related children's…

Develops a unit of study depicting grandparent/grandchildren interactions and shows how social studies content and an exploration of grandparents around the world can be encountered through literature depicting such interactions. Includes goals and related National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards, themes, activities for different…

Describes a celebration developed by children, staff, and parents at Morris L. Eisenstein Learning Center (Brooklyn, New York) to share the customs of Diwali, Hannukah, Loi Krathong, Kwanzaa, Nacimiento, and Christmas with the diverse student population. Includes brief descriptions of each holiday and activities included in the center's…

Describes a middle school class that incorporated social studies and state history into a course on African American history. Recommends the children's book, "African Americans in Florida," a model for an exploration of state history that can be used as a guide by teachers looking for similar books. (MJP)