This paper offers guidelines for the selection of elementary and secondary education curriculum materials that properly recognize the variety of ethnic and cultural diversity within U.S. society. Two areas are addressed. The first is understanding the concept of culture when examining multicultural materials. The second is the determination of the specific function for which the multicultural materials are intended. It warns that exposure to a culture without explanation can be misleading and demeaning and that teachers who understand the various ways in which culture can shape the ideas and lives of students are the best suited to select materials for students. Factors that should be considered in determining the suitability of multicultural materials include: (1) whether they tie in with the teacher's multicultural goals; (2) whether they relate to the activities at hand and are realistic within the context described; (3) whether the teacher has an adequate understanding of the experiences related in the material to permit satisfactory interpretation of the content, and (4) whether and to what extent the teacher can handle material if it is of a controversial nature. (GLR)