Teaching multiculturalism across the curriculum using children's literature : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

Cultural diversity is something we must deal with everyday. Because of this, it is essential to prepare children to respect persons of all cultures. The easiest way to accomplish this is to educate and expose children to multicultural issues and beliefs on a regular basis. The purpose of this project is to integrate multicultural activities into the general curriculum of an elementary classroom using children's literature as a foundation for the activities. The activities are divided into three leveled sections: primary grades (K-2), intermediate grades (3-4), and upper grades (5-6). Within each section, there are five level-appropriate books featuring Native American, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures. Each book has activities that span across the curriculum including writing, science, social studies, and problem-solving.